In 1995, a young man named Paul Levesque strolled onto the grand stage of WWE, after only three years as a professional wrestler. As an impressive bodybuilder and a pro wrestling prodigy, he not only looked the part - he was the part. It was stated by a few of his fellow wrestlers that the future star said to them, "Someday... I'm going to run this place."

30 years later, that statement is essentially true. Levesque is the man behind the blueprint of the modern WWE. While he will never be forgotten for his wrestling career, the performer known worldwide as Triple H has morphed into an elite executive. It's almost ironic that he once led a faction called 'Evolution', because he may have transformed more than anyone in the history of the promotion.

A 14-time World Champion, The Game has already been elected to the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of D-Generation X in 2019. He will surely be honored as a singles competitor at some point, as well. For now? He's been receiving a majority of the credit for WWE's creative turnaround. While Triple H always had some sort of stake in the promotion's direction, he's risen to the point today that it completely revolves around his vision.

From Degenerate to Prodigal Son-in-Law

Paul Levesque Gained More Power after Marrying Stephanie McMahon

Triple H's first few months with the company were fairly uneventful. Entering WWE as Hunter Hearst Helmsley and playing the role of a Connecticut blue blood, managed by Sable, he would be squashed in his first WrestleMania match by the Ultimate Warrior. Later, he would employ his real-life girlfriend, Chyna, as his bodyguard as he continued to climb the ladder of success.

However, it was his backstage connection to stars like Shawn Michaels, disgraced former WWE owner Vince McMahon's ear on nearly every aspect of the promotion's television product.

As the group began to push against the norms of pro wrestling, three of their departed for the rivals WCW, leaving Michaels and Triple H to form D-Generation X. They would become perhaps one of the most influential stables of all time, who crossed the limits of good taste, at times, but the WWE audience ate it up. DX became a cornerstone of the Attitude Era, while WWE vanquished its competitors in the Monday Night War.

After separating from Chyna, he would eventually marry Stephanie McMahon. Now a part of the family, he was pushed to the moon... almost to the point that it nauseated the fan base. But during that time, he began to mature and see the bigger picture. As he began to accomplish all his achievements inside the ring, he began to look forward to the next stage of his journey outside of it.

Triple H Has Been A Success In A Creative Role

The Netflix Era Is The Crowning Point Of The Burdgeoning Triple H Era

After transitioning further in management and away from the squared circle in the 2010s, he acted as an on-air authority figure while nurturing the company's developmental territory, NXT. Under his watch, the third brand would grow in both scope and popularity, to the point that some fans felt like it was superior to both Raw and SmackDown. Triple H showed that he had a great grasp of timing and psychology in writing those early NXT shows, something he would display further in the years ahead.

As he began to grow as a writer and producer, the days on top were ending for his boss and father-in-law. With the allegations of impropriety hanging over his head, McMahon would eventually be ousted from WWE, with Triple H taking the helm creatively. It was a monumental shift not only for his promotion, but for pro wrestling, in general.

While many may scoff at the idea of the son-in-law taking over the show, Levesque has thrived. He was a steadying hand during the transition to the TKO Sports family and the merger with the UFC. Since then, WWE has had a string of successful international events, sold-out houses, and from 2024 leading into this year. Viewership is up to the point that it is challenging the company's legendary Attitude Era of the 1990s.

Triple H has piloted that ship better than many fans and critics expected, and he has the promotion poised to have its biggest WrestleMania ever this April. He's positioned WWE as not just a pro wrestling company, but more and more as a total entertainment entity. All the mainstream notoriety that WWE has always searched for? Triple H is the one who is delivering on that dream. Week in and week out, he has shown that he's truly come full circle. He has completely mastered 'the game'.