Refined, ceremonial and just a tad bit obnoxious, “The Connecticut Blueblood” Hunter Hearst-Helmsley was utterly despised by the WWE Universe when he debuted in 1995, promoting the proper “etiquette” he honed growing up in posh Greenwich, Conn. Witnessing Helmsley parade himself down the entrance ramp to Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in luxurious robes before arrogantly bowing in the ring, the WWE Universe could hardly imagine this pompous competitor would one day become synonymous with “Attitude.”
Embracing his inner rebel, Helmsley, now known simply as Triple H, joined up with his “Kliq” cohort Shawn Michaels to form D-Generation X — perhaps the most controversial faction in sports-entertainment history. After HBK left WWE due to injury in 1998, Triple H became DX’s leader, bringing X-Pac and The New Age Outlaws into the degenerate fold as the group caused chaos in WWE, raising the ire of Mr. McMahon and anyone else unfortunate enough to assume authority during WWE’s most rebellious era. Triple H even led a DX invasion against Monday Nitro, literally bringing “The Monday Night War” to the rival organization’s doorstep.
Triple H’s own aspirations would supplant his desire to rebel, however, as he would ultimately assume authority in WWE when he married Mr. McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie. With the formation of The McMahon-Helmsley Regime, The Game took ownership of the illustrious WWE Title throughout much of The Attitude Era, battling fellow icons like The Rock, Mankind, Chris Jericho and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. In fact, it was Triple H who masterminded an automobile attack on The Texas Rattlesnake that took Austin out of action for a year. Cerebral Assassin, indeed.