Career Timeline of Triple H: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Triple H, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Paul Michael Levesque, famously known as Triple H, is an American business executive and retired professional wrestler. He currently serves as the chief content officer for WWE. Triple H achieved immense success as a wrestler, winning multiple championships and headlining numerous WrestleMania events. Beyond his in-ring career, he has played a pivotal role in shaping WWE's developmental system, NXT, and now oversees the company's creative direction.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1990: Begins Training as a Professional Wrestler

In early 1990, Levesque began training as a professional wrestler at Killer Kowalski's school in Malden.

March 24, 1992: Professional Wrestling Debut

On March 24, 1992, Levesque made his professional debut under the ring name Terra Ryzing, defeating Tony Roy in Kowalski's International Wrestling Federation (IWF).

July 1992: Wins IWF Heavyweight Championship

In July 1992, Levesque defeated Mad Dog Richard to win the IWF Heavyweight Championship.

1992: Wrestling Career Begins

In 1992, Levesque started his professional wrestling career under the ring name Terra Ryzing.

1993: Wrestling on the East Coast Independent Circuit

Until 1993, Paul Levesque, managed by John Rodeo, wrestled for various promotions on the East Coast independent circuit.

1994: Mainstream Exposure in WCW

In 1994, Levesque gained mainstream exposure in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), becoming known as Jean-Paul Levesque.

1994: Feud with Alex Wright and Team with Lord Steven Regal

In 1994, Lévesque had a brief feud with Alex Wright, and briefly teamed with Lord Steven Regal.

1994: Signs with WCW and Debuts as Terror Risin'

In early 1994, Levesque signed a one-year contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In his first televised match, he debuted as a villain named Terror Risin', defeating Keith Cole. His ring name was soon modified to Terra Ryzing, which he used until he was renamed Jean-Paul Lévesque in mid-1994.

January 1995: Leaves WCW for WWE

In January 1995, Lévesque left WCW for WWE (then WWF) after he and WCW could not come to terms on a new contract.

April 30, 1995: WWF Wrestling Debut

On April 30, 1995, Hunter Hearst Helmsley debuted on Wrestling Challenge, defeating Buck Zumhofe.

1995: Signs with WWF

In 1995, he signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and became known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, which was later shortened to Triple H.

1996: King of the Ring Incident and Intercontinental Championship Win

In 1996, Hunter Hearst Helmsley was believed to win the King of the Ring tournament, but "Stone Cold" Steve Austin won it after the "Curtain Call" incident. He won the Intercontinental Championship on October 21 by defeating Marc Mero.

1996: Career Stalled After Initial Promotion

In 1996, after being highly promoted in the first few months after his debut, Hunter Hearst Helmsley's career stalled, starting off with a feud with Duke "The Dumpster" Droese.

February 13, 1997: Loses Intercontinental Championship to Rocky Maivia

On February 13, 1997, Hunter Hearst Helmsley lost the Intercontinental Championship to Rocky Maivia on Thursday Raw Thursday.

1997: King of the Ring Win and Formation of D-Generation X

In 1997, Hunter Hearst Helmsley won the King of the Ring tournament and later formed D-Generation X (DX) with Shawn Michaels, Chyna and Rick Rude.

1997: King of the Ring Winner

In 1997, Triple H became the King of the Ring winner.

1998: Takes Leadership of DX and Feud with The Rock

In 1998, Triple H took over the leadership position in DX and began a feud with The Rock over the Intercontinental Championship.

January 25, 1999: "I Quit" Match and Chyna's Betrayal

On January 25, 1999, on Raw is War, Triple H faced The Rock in an "I Quit" match for the WWF Championship, but the match ended when Triple H was forced to quit or see Chyna chokeslammed by Kane, leading to Chyna betraying him and joining The Corporation.

September 16, 1999: Loses WWF Championship to Mr. McMahon

On September 16, 1999, Triple H lost the WWF Championship to Mr. McMahon on SmackDown!

January 2000: Triple H Nicknames Himself "The Game"

In January 2000, Triple H gave himself the nickname "The Game," asserting his dominance in the wrestling world. He was also dubbed "The Cerebral Assassin" by Jim Ross. On January 3, 2000, Triple H defeated Big Show to win his third WWF Championship.

2000: Feud with Mick Foley and Championship Reign

In 2000, Triple H engaged in a feud with Mick Foley, retaining his WWF Championship at the Royal Rumble on January 23 in a Street Fight. The feud concluded at No Way Out on February 27 in a Hell in a Cell match, where Triple H retained the title, forcing Foley's retirement. Triple H also retained the title at WrestleMania 2000 on April 2 by pinning The Rock, but lost it to The Rock at Backlash on April 30. He regained the title at Judgment Day on May 21, only to lose it back to The Rock at King of the Ring on June 25. He also had a storyline with Chris Jericho, defeating him for the WWF Championship on April 17, although the title was returned to Triple H. Their feud culminated in a Last Man Standing match at Fully Loaded on July 23 which Triple H won. Further into the year, Triple H feuded with Kurt Angle over the WWF Championship and a love triangle involving Stephanie, culminating in a match at Unforgiven on September 24 where Triple H defeated Angle.

February 25, 2001: Triple H defeats Stone Cold Steve Austin in a brutal Three Stages of Hell match

On February 25, 2001, at No Way Out, Triple H defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin 2–1 in a brutal Three Stages of Hell match, ending their feud. This match is widely regarded as one of the best and most brutal professional wrestling matches of all time.

May 21, 2001: Triple H Suffers Career-Threatening Injury

On May 21, 2001, during a Raw Is War main event while defending the WWF Tag Team Championship with Austin against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, Triple H tore his left quadriceps muscle. Despite the severe injury, he completed the match, even enduring Jericho's Walls of Jericho. The injury required surgery, sidelining him for over eight months and ending the McMahon-Helmsley Era abruptly.

January 7, 2002: Triple H Returns to Raw as a Face

On January 7, 2002, Triple H made his return to Raw as a face at Madison Square Garden. He later won the Royal Rumble on January 20, earning a WWF Championship match at WrestleMania X8.

September 2, 2002: Triple H Awarded the World Heavyweight Championship

On September 2, 2002, after Brock Lesnar became exclusive to the SmackDown! brand, Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff awarded Triple H the World Heavyweight Championship, represented by the Big Gold Belt, making him the first World Heavyweight Champion.

2002: Turning Face

In 2002, Triple H turned face. The June 12, 2006 episode of Raw would solidify this turn.

2002: Royal Rumble Win

In 2002, Triple H won the Royal Rumble.

February 2003: Evolution Stable Formed

In February 2003, Triple H formed the stable Evolution with Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista. The group's dominance peaked after Armageddon, with all members holding a title.

January 25, 2004: Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels Last Man Standing Match

On January 25, 2004, Triple H fought Shawn Michaels in a Last Man Standing match at the Royal Rumble, which ended in a double countout, allowing Triple H to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

January 9, 2005: Triple H Wins Elimination Chamber Match

On January 9, 2005, at New Year's Revolution, Triple H won an Elimination Chamber match to regain the World Heavyweight Championship, last eliminating Randy Orton.

January 29, 2006: Triple H Fails to Win Royal Rumble Match

On January 29, 2006, at the Royal Rumble, Triple H failed to win the Royal Rumble match. However, he later won the Road to WrestleMania Tournament, earning a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 22.

July 15, 2006: DX Defeats The Spirit Squad

On July 15, 2006, D-Generation X (DX) defeated The Spirit Squad in a 5-on-2 elimination match on Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIII.

2010: Executive Senior Advisor Role Formalized

In 2010, Levesque's role in WWE as an Executive Senior Advisor was officially formalized as he was given an office at the company's headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

February 21, 2011: Triple H returns and challenges The Undertaker

On February 21, 2011, Triple H returned to Raw, interrupting The Undertaker's return and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVII, which later became a No Holds Barred match.

2011: Named Executive Vice-President of Talent and Live Events

In 2011, Triple H was named Executive Vice-President of Talent and Live Events in WWE.

January 30, 2012: Triple H evaluates Laurinaitis and is interrupted by The Undertaker

On January 30, 2012, Triple H returned on Raw SuperShow to evaluate Laurinaitis' performance as general manager, but was interrupted by the returning Undertaker. He accepted The Undertaker's challenge for a rematch at WrestleMania XXVIII inside Hell in a Cell.

2012: Triple H Founded NXT

In 2012, Triple H founded NXT and has been widely praised for helping cultivate the brand, recruiting fresh new talent, and helping guide the brand to various levels of success including sold-out shows, increased respect for women's professional wrestling, international expansion, and critically acclaimed matches.

February 25, 2013: Triple H brawls with Brock Lesnar

On the February 25, 2013, episode of Raw, Triple H returned and brawled with Brock Lesnar after he attempted to attack Mr. McMahon. The brawl resulted in Lesnar having his head split open and requiring 18 stitches.

2013: Elevated to Executive Vice-President of Talent, Live Events, and Creative

In 2013, Triple H's title was elevated to Executive Vice-President of Talent, Live Events, and Creative. In 2013, he earned a combined salary of approximately $1.5 million from his front office job and as a wrestler. He also owned just over $1.5 million in WWE stock at the time.

2014: Connor's Cure Cancer Fund Created

In 2014, Triple H and his wife Stephanie created the Connor's Cure cancer fund in honor of Connor "The Crusher" Michalek.

2014: Founded WWE's NXT Brand

In 2014, Triple H founded and executive produced WWE's NXT brand

March 29, 2015: Triple H defeats Sting at WrestleMania 31

On March 29, 2015, at WrestleMania 31, Triple H defeated Sting in a no disqualification match after interference from D-Generation X. After his match with Sting, he and Stephanie McMahon were later confronted by The Rock and Ronda Rousey during a promo regarding the record crowd at the event.

January 24, 2016: Triple H wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble

On January 24, 2016, Triple H made his return during the Royal Rumble match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as the unannounced 30th entrant. He eliminated Reigns and Dean Ambrose to win his second Royal Rumble and 14th world championship.

2016: Second Royal Rumble Win

In 2016, Triple H won his second Royal Rumble.

2016: Contributed to Tools of Titans

In 2016, Triple H wrote his own chapter giving advice in entrepreneur Tim Ferriss' book Tools of Titans.

April 2, 2017: Seth Rollins defeats Triple H at WrestleMania 33

On April 2, 2017, at WrestleMania 33, Seth Rollins defeated Triple H in a "non-sanctioned match", ending their feud.

April 8, 2018: Triple H and Stephanie McMahon lose to Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 34

On April 8, 2018, at WrestleMania 34, Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey defeated Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a mixed tag match, after Stephanie submitted to Rousey's armbar.

April 7, 2019: Triple H defeated Batista at WrestleMania 35

On April 7, 2019, at WrestleMania 35, Triple H defeated Batista with assistance from Ric Flair in what was Batista's retirement match.

2020: Named WWE's Executive Vice-President of Global Talent Strategy and Development

In 2020, Triple H was named WWE's Executive Vice-President of Global Talent Strategy and Development.

January 11, 2021: Triple H's Final Match on Raw

On January 11, 2021, Triple H had the final match of his career on Monday Night Raw against Randy Orton in an unsanctioned fight, which ended in no-contest after interference from Alexa Bliss and The Fiend Bray Wyatt, with Bliss attacking Orton.

March 25, 2022: Triple H Announces Retirement

On March 25, 2022, Triple H announced his retirement from wrestling during an appearance on First Take, citing his newly discovered heart condition.

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July 22, 2022: Triple H Promoted to Executive Vice-President of Talent Relations

On July 22, 2022, WWE promoted Triple H to Executive Vice-President of Talent Relations.

September 6, 2022: Triple H Promoted to Chief Content Officer of WWE

On September 6, 2022, WWE announced that Levesque was promoted to chief content officer of the company.

2022: Retirement from In-Ring Performance

In 2022, Triple H retired from working as an in-ring performer due to health concerns but remains active in an executive role.

October 15, 2023: Levesque Tasked with Leading 99.9% of WWE Creative

On October 15, 2023, it was announced that Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel had removed McMahon from WWE creative power and tasked Levesque with leading "99.9% of the creative" moving forward.