Triple H’s Top 5 Best Title Defenses

Ever since he first appeared in WWE’s wrestling spotlight, back in 1995, Triple H has been a tremendous force that has left its mark on the world of professional wrestling. When he was just starting out, Paul Michael Levesque’s gimmick was that of a high-class Connecticut wrestler that would come to the ring in a tuxedo, with a kane and an expected aristocratic attitude. Afterwards, he took on the pseudonym Hunter Hearst Helmsley, later abbreviated to Triple H. During his rich wrestling career, he was a WWF and WWE Champion nine times, and a World Heavyweight Champion five times. This, of course, means that he’s no stranger to title defenses and over the years he’s had some quite exciting ones. With WrestleMania 33 right around the corner, and Triple H likely facing Seth Rollins, here is a rundown of some of Triple H’s best title defenses.

Triple H’s 5 Best Title Defenses

Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy at No Mercy (2008)

While Jeff Hardy may have been a jobber at the start of his career back in 1994, as the years went by he became more and more dominant. At one point it was just a question of time when he would get a chance for a shot at the title to truly show his maximum. By the end of 2008, Jeff Hardy was one of the most interesting characters in WWE and his showdowns with Triple H got a lot more serious. During the No Mercy event in 2008, Hardy delivered one of his best performances against the Game in his title shot. His Twist of Fate finisher put H on the ground and nearly ended the match as Hardy threw his Swanton Bomb on him. However, in a true twist of fate, Triple H managed to grab hold of Hardy and turn things around, winning the match. This was certainly one of the Game’s most thrilling defenses.

Triple H vs. Steve Austin at No Mercy (1999)

If you were to think of the most brutal defenses Triple has had over the years, one of them would have to be his encounter with Stone Cold Steve Austin at the No Mercy event in 1999. Before this event, Triple H had just won his championship title and needed to prove to the fans and himself that he truly deserved it, by taking on one of the legends of the Attitude Era, Steve Austin. The intense match that followed was filled with blood and various interventions, including the final one where The Rock tried to help Austin out, but messed up, ultimately giving Triple H the win. An exciting match that, in many aspects, looked more like a Royal Rumble, was certainly one of Game’s most memorable defenses.

Triple H vs. Owen Hart at Wrestlemania XIV (1998)

Now, in 1998, the Hart family weren’t all that happy with McMahon and the way he was doing business. Following the infamous Montreal Screwjob, where Bret Hart was forced to lose, the Harts grew more impatient with Vince and Bret left for WCW, one of their greatest competitors. On the other hand, Owen Hart stayed awhile longer, but took on a different, more darker, antisocial persona and was dubbed The Black Hart. So, when it came down to a match between Hart and Triple H, it felt like it was actually a showdown between the Hart family and McMahon, because of the Game was obviously his favorite. Again, near the end, as Triple H was about to lose the match, the voluptuous Chyna intervened and blinded the opponent. With her help, Triple managed to win and hold on to his title. It was an exciting and unpredictable match that showed us why H’s defenses are always the best.

Triple H vs. Cactus Jack at No Way Out (2000)

Of course, when it comes to bleeding in the ring, no one does it better than Mick Foley and one of his many deranged characters. The year 2000 was quite stressful for Triple H as he had to defend his hard-earned title a number of times, the last one being a Hell in a Cell match against one of Foley’s craziest – Cactus Jack. The feud went so deep that Foley had to promise never to wrestle again if he lost the match against him (of course, it didn’t really happen). The two gave their best, even climbing on top of the steel structure at one point, but it was all in vain, as Triple H was the one to come out victorious. Needless to say, Foley came back to the ring a couple of years later, but he did move out of the spotlight for a while.

Triple H vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XX (2004)

According to many, the Triple Threat match at Wrestlemania XX, where Triple H had to defend the title against two very capable fighters, Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels, was one of the best title defenses in the history of WWE. As great as it was, this match was somewhat overshadowed by the events that happened three years later where Chris Benoit, in an altered state of mind, murdered his wife and child, and hanged himself. The tragedy made WWE distance itself from Benoit’s work for a while, letting this amazing match go to waste. Despite that, it was a thrilling encounter with a number of twists and turns that showed just how great performers all three were. A match to be remembered.

Those are our 5 favorite Triple H title defenses. What are yours?