Paul Levesque, or as the whole world knows him, Triple H is one of the most iconic figures in recent WWE history. While many around him took a step back from the business, Triple H stayed. And no, it isn’t only because he is married to Stephanie McMahon – Triple H proved his loyalty to the WWE every chance he got from the beginning of his career in the WWE, since his dark early days in WCW.
Triple H is a ‘company man’ through and through and it’s no wonder his closest friends are from the world of professional wrestling. One of the best heels in the business, Triple H’s best friends has always been the people he has fought alongside with. And ironically enough, those are the same people he has had some of the best feuds with.
Here’s a look at 5 Superstars Triple H is good friends with in real life.
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5. Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon was pushing Triple H higher up the card long before he got married to Stephanie McMahon. Whether it was DX or Evolution, Triple H always got priority and it wasn’t always because he was family.
After his marriage to Stephanie, Triple H rose to even more prominence and at present is Chief Operating Officer at WWE. He is responsible for the success of NXT and the revival of the cruiserweight division along with the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. Triple H is doing some great things for the WWE, and the company will have a bright future ahead with him at the forefront.
The main reason Vince has entrusted Triple H with this much responsibility and creative freedom is because of their personal relationship. Their respect and regard for each other show through their work. Vince isn’t just Triple H’s father-in-law or his boss, he’s a dear friend.
4. Ric Flair
Apart from being a mentor to Triple H during their Evolution days on Raw, Ric Flair and HHH have always been friends. Through all their feuds and partnerships, the two men have always remained friends without letting their work get in the way of their friendship.
Ric Flair has always been a huge influence on Triple H and his career; in fact, he was one of the groomsmen at Triple H’s wedding to Stephanie McMahon. More recently, Triple H has been a mentor to Charlotte, Flair’s daughter through her time at NXT as part of the ‘Four Horsewomen’.
3. Scott Hall
Triple H’s friendship with Scott Hall goes back to his earliest days in the former WWF when he joined Hall as part of The Kliq. They have remained friends ever since and no feud or break up (of the WWF and WCW) could create a rift between the two, irrespective of what was going on in front of the camera.
When Scott Hall was struggling to recover from his drug addiction, Triple H was asked not to contact him at all by the WWE. While it must have hurt, Hall understood the need to stay away from the world of professional wrestling as that’s what got him into drug addiction in the first place and didn’t let it get in the way of their friendship.
While two didn’t have much contact during this time, they have appeared at events since Hall’s recovery and their friendship remains strong as ever.
2. Kevin Nash
Yet another member of The Kliq, Kevin Nash is one of Triple H’s oldest friends. When Triple H first made his appearance in the WWF, Kevin Nash was dubious about letting him into their group until Shawn Michaels vouched for the youngster and convinced him otherwise.
Even though The Kliq was all about doing pretty much what they wanted, it was Nash and Triple H who worried about the success and future of the group. They were the serious ones who had a head for the business and decided The Kliq’s future accordingly.
Even though Nash moved to become part of the New World Order at WCW, their friendship continued. In contrast to what went on in the WWE with their later feuds and squabbles, their off screen friendship never wavered and continue to be ‘brothers’ till this day.
1. Shawn Michaels
Surely everyone knows who Triple H’s best friend is – it’s the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels and it’s been that way from the start of their careers at the WWF. When Scott Hall and Kevin Nash moved to the WCW to form the New World Order, Triple H and Shawn Michaels remained at WWF and formed Degeneration X.
Down the years, they’ve been involved in some pretty brutal feuds with each other, some of them the best in WWE history, and have always pushed each other to their limits. They started out as friends in the business, became bitter on-screen rivals and then later in their career came full circle and revived Degenration X to become tag team champions.
In 2011, when Triple H was asked to induct Shawn Michaels into the WWE Hall of Fame, his speech was a testament to their friendship and long association – he called him his best friend.