WWE history: 10 greatest heel turns of the 21st Century

#9 Triple H turns on Shawn Michaels

In the summer of 2002, The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels returned to WWE after a 4 year long hiatus.

Michaels convinced his best friend Triple H to move permanently to Monday Night Raw. Weeks before Summerslam 2002, the duo hit the ring to the DX theme on an episode of Raw.

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After the shenanigans were done with, Triple H proceeded to hit a pedigree on Shawn Michaels out of nowhere. As the fans looked in horror, Triple H turned heel on his best friend. The two had possibly their best match till date at SummerSlam, ending with Michaels coming out on top. Triple H hit Michaels with a sledgehammer after the match, which was embraced with a chorus of boos.

Triple H's heel turn resulted in him taking over Monday Night Raw for the next two years, until he was dethroned by his Evolution lackey, Batista, at WrestleMania 21.

Triple H has always looked convincing as the 'apex heel' of the brand and his fabled rivalries include the likes of HBK, John Cena, Goldberg and Kurt Angle.

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About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Atharva Papnoi