Ranking the Top 10 Moments of WWE's Triple H Era

Triple H assuming creative control of WWE starting in the summer of 2022 marked a monumental shift for not only the company but also for the entire pro wrestling landscape.

The transition of power from Vince McMahon and the drastic changes that came with it were apparent on screen almost immediately. Several recently released Superstars were brought back, others had their original ring names restored, and the overall vibe on the weekly programming was way more in line with what fans wanted to see.

Although the booking has been inconsistent for the better part of the past two years, some of the highest of highs in WWE history have happened during the Triple H regime. The powers that be have proved that when they're locked in and have their priorities in order, they're capable of delivering must-see television.

The follow-up hasn't always been ideal, but certain milestones from the last four years have stood the test of time because of their flawless execution and how well they were received.

These are the top 10 best moments of WWE's Triple H era.

Honorable Mentions

The Rock Bloodies Cody Rhodes

The Road to WrestleMania 40 largely revolved around Cody Rhodes needing to "finish his story," and as grand of a culmination as the story had at the event itself, often forgotten is Rhodes' brutal—and bloody—encounter with The Rock on the penultimate Raw before 'Mania.

Rock, making an unannounced appearance on the program, unleashed an all-out assault on Rhodes backstage before brawling with him to the outside of the arena and forcing him to bleed. It was an outstanding visual that made Rhodes look like that much more like a babyface in peril heading into the biggest bout of his career.

Dominik Mysterio Betrays Rhea Ripley (SummerSlam 2024)

Dominik Mysterio's two-year pairing with Rhea Ripley played a pivotal role in him finding his footing as a heel with their weekly interactions and shenanigans being a recurring highlight on Raw between 2022 and 2024.

During Ripley's absence due to injury, the writing was on the wall, especially once Liv Morgan started scouting Mysterio and trying to drive a wedge between the two. Although it could be seen coming from a mile away, Mysterio costing Ripley her Women's World Championship clash against Morgan at SummerSlam still packed a punch because of how long they were together.

Solo Sikoa Joins The Bloodline (Clash at the Castle 2022)

All signs pointed to Drew McIntyre being the one to ultimately dethrone Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle 2022, and with McIntyre having a (somewhat) home field advantage, the moment would have been nothing short of sensational.

McIntyre was mere moments away from becoming champ when Solo Sikoa emerged at ringside to aid Reigns to victory. It was the biggest possible debut Sikoa could have had on the main roster, and it served as an epic introduction for him as the newest member of The Bloodline.

The Wyatt Sicks Arrive (Raw, June 17, 2024)

Fewer debuts in the Triple H era of WWE have made as massive of an impact as The Wyatt Sicks, whose arrival on Raw in June 2024 was wildly different than anything fans have ever seen before. It followed months of cryptic teases on social media and on Raw, with everything paying a touching tribute to the late, great Bray Wyatt.

The Wyatt Sicks left a trail of bodies the night of their first-ever appearance as a group on Raw, including an incapacitated Chad Gable. They were never able to match that mystique in the remainder of their run, but their destructive debut will surely never be forgotten.

Damian Priest Wins the World Heavyweight Championship (WrestleMania 40: Night 2)

The Judgment Day formed in the final months of Vince McMahon at the helm of WWE Creative, but it was Triple H who salvaged the stable from obscurity. To this day, they're still a staple of Raw, but their biggest moment together came when Damian Priest successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to capture the World Heavyweight Championship.

It occurred in the immediate aftermath of Drew McIntyre's World Heavyweight title win over Seth Rollins, which was thwarted by CM Punk. That paved the way for Priest to steal the strap, cementing his status as a main event player in the process.

10. Damage CTRL Debut (SummerSlam 2022)

Vince McMahon announced his "retirement" from WWE on July 22, 2022, and only three days later, Triple H was revealed as his successor as the new head of WWE's creative direction.

With such a seismic shift happening so close to SummerSlam, it was unknown how quickly it'd be for the change in leadership to actually go into effect on the television shows, but fans were optimistic it'd be on the sooner side.

Sure enough, Triple H wasted no time in establishing that his regime would be an improvement over the one that preceded it by debuting Damage CTRL at the start of SummerSlam, a stable consisting of Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.

Bayley was returning from a one-year injury layoff while Sky was called up from NXT and Kai was brought back to the company after being fired a few months prior. Female factions weren't exactly commonplace at that time in WWE, so the introduction of Damage CTRL was a sign that a new era had indeed arrived.

Damage CTRL never lived up to its full potential as a result of subpar booking, but their shocking SummerSlam arrival gave fans a reason to be excited for the future.

9. Oba Femi Beats The Beast (WrestleMania 42: Night 2)

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With Oba Femi being such a promising prospect during his dominant run in NXT, it was imperative that WWE booked him like a mega star once he arrived on the main roster.

His first main roster match being against Cody Rhodes on the night of John Cena's swan song from the squared circle was an encouraging sign, followed by the strong showing he had in the men's Royal Rumble match.

It wasn't until his WrestleMania match with Brock Lesnar was made official, however, that it became clear that he was destined for an elite level of super stardom.

The build to their bout was perfectly handled and made Femi look not only like an equal to Lesnar but superior with the way he left him laying on multiple occasions. There was no telling whether WWE would follow through accordingly, but in the end, they did have him go over when it mattered most.

The match itself was nothing special, yet it was exactly what it needed to be with Femi defeating Lesnar in decisive fashion as the crowd roared in approval. The Ruler was a made man from that point forward.

8. Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins Join Forces (WrestleMania 41: Night 1)

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Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman were practically inseparable for nearly five years, even well after both were out of The Bloodline.

Going into WrestleMania 41, Heyman was still firmly in the corner of Reigns, but he was also associated with CM Punk stemming from a "favor" Heyman owed Punk. Heyman was the focal point of the buildup for their Triple Threat match with Seth Rollins at the event with the implication being that his managerial services were at stake.

The unadulterated animosity between Punk, Reigns and Rollins was on full display during their matchup. The climax of the contest came when Heyman delivered a vicious low blow to Punk, and just as it appeared he was going to help Reigns beat Rollins, he betrayed Reigns with a devastating low blow as well.

Rollins' reaction revealed that he and Heyman weren't in cahoots, indicating that Heyman only helped him win because he saw him as his new cash cow. Saving such a huge twist in Reigns and Heyman's five-year arc for WrestleMania made the moment even bigger.

The concept of Rollins and Heyman leading The Vision coming out of The Show of Shows had plenty of potential, but a variety of factors caused the stable to fall apart sooner than it should have.

7. Seth Rollins' Heist of the Summer (SummerSlam 2025: Night 1)

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While The Vision didn't exactly revitalize Raw the way fans initially hoped, that didn't stop WWE from prominently featuring Seth Rollins at the forefront of the flagship show in the months that followed.

Rollins made enemies out of CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn and others but still managed to win the men's Money in the Bank Ladder match for the second time in his career. Before he could even tease cashing in the contract, he was unfortunately injured in a Saturday Night's Main Event outing against LA Knight—or so it seemed.

To Rollins' credit, it looked legitimate, but online reports that surfaced soon afterward all but confirmed that it was a part of a storyline. Rollins abruptly disappearing from Raw fueled the speculation that it could be real, but there was also the possibility of WWE pulling off the swerve of the century.

Moments removed from CM Punk besting Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, Rollins walked onto the stage with his crutches, only to dramatically drop them and walk to the ring completely healthy.

Punk fought valiantly but couldn't survive the signature Curb Stomp, leading to Rollins having his hand raised as the new World Heavyweight champion. It wasn't quite his cash-in from WrestleMania 31, but it did serve as an innovative homage to it that electrified the audience all the same.

6. Bray Wyatt Returns (Extreme Rules 2022)

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In Vince McMahon's final years in charge of WWE, countless competitors were released that were never given the chance to show what they could do. Some journeyed to others promotions while a select few remained free agents, which allowed them to be brought back once Triple H took power.

Chief among them was Bray Wyatt, who was unceremoniously let go in the summer of 2021. Various Easter eggs that aired on WWE TV in the fall of 2022 heavily hinted at Wyatt's return and created genuine buzz online.

The "White Rabbit" campaign gradually picked up steam heading into Extreme Rules, a show that closed with Wyatt reemerging from the darkness with the help of his friends from The Firefly Fun House.

For as excessive as WWE can be on the production side of things and not letting moments breathe organically, everything about the execution of this return was phenomenal. Not only was Wyatt welcomed back with open arms from the audience, the company was finally behind him and his creative genius.

The Eater of Worlds' return run was cut short when he tragically passed away less than a year later, so the time he spent being back was invaluable.

5. Sami Zayn Betrays The Bloodline (Royal Rumble 2023)

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Sami Zayn's role in The Bloodline would have very likely not evolved beyond being a cameo had Vince McMahon remained in control of the company's creative direction. His interactions with the group only picked up once the Triple H era got underway, at which point it was evident that there was an endgame in mind.

Solo Sikoa joining The Bloodline in September 2022 was a major development for the faction, but Zayn's entertaining antics were truly the highlight of The Bloodline during that period. He was a thorn in the side of the stable on and off for months, yet they refrained from kicking him to the curb because he was useful to them in certain situations.

By the Royal Rumble, Zayn had gotten fed up with The Bloodline's abuse and finally hit his breaking point. Following Roman Reigns' successful title defense against Zayn's former friend Kevin Owens, The Bloodline continued attacking Owens until Zayn stepped in and attempted to put an end to it.

When Reigns pushed Zayn aside, Zayn responded with an emphatic chair shot to his back, sending the crowd into a frenzy. It was the moment fans had long been waiting for and it didn't disappoint.

This was the angle that set the stage for the stellar main event between Zayn and Reigns over the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in Zayn's native Montreal the subsequent month.

4. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens Vanquish The Usos (WrestleMania 39: Night 1)

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The only installent from Sami Zayn's saga with The Bloodline that was better than his betrayal of the group was his grand tag title win with Kevin Owens not long after at WrestleMania 39.

Zayn fell short of becoming champ at Elimination Chamber as expected, but the more appealing prize remained in reach: capturing the tag titles with his best friend in the main event of The Show of Shows.

It was an almost unfathomable scenario, but all of the pieces fell into place perfectly. The reunion of Zayn and Owens wasn't rushed in the slightest, and when it eventually happened, the audience rejoiced.

The Usos held the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship for nearly two years, breaking the previous longest-reigning record by over four months. They put down every tandem that challenged them for their coveted titles, but Zayn and Owens posed the biggest threat of them all because of everything they had gone through as opponents in the years prior.

Their WrestleMania match with The Usos was filled with excellent action, suspenseful nearfalls and exciting callbacks to previous story beats. It also marked the first time a tag title matchup had ever headlined WrestleMania.

Zayn and Owens can forever hang their hat on ending The Usos' historic reign and the magic that went into making that moment a reality.

3. CM Punk Returns (Survivor Series 2023)

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Creatively, WWE was consistently at its most satisfying in the Triple H era in 2023, notably post-SummerSlam when there were several stories and Superstars carrying the product simultaneously.

CM Punk suddenly became available that September upon leaving AEW, but the controversial circumstances surrounding his departure were such that it would have been a mistake to re-sign him without knowing whether he'd be bringing any baggage with him.

Plus, the product was hot enough without him, leaving many to believe that a WWE return for Punk simply wasn't in the cards. Most fans knew there was a small chance of him showing up at Survivor Series in his hometown of Chicago but didn't think much of it because of how far-fetched it seemed.

As the event was about to go off the air and the babyfaces celebrated their WarGames triumph over The Judgment Day, "Cult of Personality" blared throughout the arena and the Chicago crowd came unglued. To prove it wasn't some sort of prank, Punk walked out on stage, soaked in the deafening reaction and stared down the wrestlers in the ring as the screen faded to black.

If there was ever a moment in the modern era where hell had in fact frozen over in WWE, that was it. The surreal sight sent the message that nothing was out of the realm of possibility anymore under Triple H.

2. John Cena Turns Heel (Elimination Chamber 2025)

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John Cena announcing his retirement from the ring over a year in advance gave WWE fans all of 2025 to look forward and built anticipation for who his final batch of matches would be with.

The idea of Cena competing in his final WrestleMania sold itself, but the company aimed to make his match at the event even more enticing by turning him heel beforehand. Seeds were planted as early as the Royal Rumble press conference when he declared for the Elimination Chamber match without actually qualifying for it, but fans chalked it up to a tease for something that was never going to happen and nothing more.

Heel Cena didn't start to sink in for fans until he hit Cody Rhodes with a low blow after embracing him in a hug at Elimination Chamber. The nod of approval from The Rock in the corner of the ring confirmed it: Cena had made a deal with the devil.

The reaction from the live crowd in Toronto was sheer shock and disbelief. It turned to discomfort once Cena began blasting Rhodes with the Undisputed WWE Championship belt as Rock and Travis Scott encouraged his heinous attack.

It was the greatest heel turn in WWE history, despite the heel run itself being arguably the biggest blunder of the Triple H regime to date.

1. Cody Rhodes Finishes the Story (WrestleMania 40: Night 2)

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Triple H nearly ruined his run as WWE's head booker before it could really get going by having Cody Rhodes fail to dethrone Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 39.

They almost went in a different direction entirely the following year when The Rock resurfaced and essentially stole Rhodes' WrestleMania 40 main event with Roman Reigns. The fan backlash to the abysmal move forced WWE's hand and resulted in Rhodes getting his rematch with Reigns instead.

Their WrestleMania 39 encounter was more of a technical masterpiece, but their war at WrestleMania 40 was all about tying up loose ends and wrapping up the Bloodline saga with the most awe-inspiring finale of all-time.

The interference from everyone in The Bloodline (including The Rock) combined with the cameos made for an instant classic that the crowd ate up every minute of. Reigns holding the gold for four years was worth it for all of the insanity that ensued that night.

Rhodes fulfilling his destiny by "finishing his story" as spectacularly as he did was the epitome of a WrestleMania moment, and remains the peak of the Triple H era with nothing else we've gotten since then coming close to topping it.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.