5 times Triple H lost clean in a big match

Triple H doesn’t often lose the big onesPro-Wrestling might be scripted. Wins and loses do not really matter as they are supposed to just form a part of the act.However, when the massive egos of wrestlers are concerned, nothing is so simple. And when you are married to the boss’ daughter, you can play enough backstage politics to make sure that you never look bad in the ring. Yes,I am talking about the one WWE superstar who rarely loses a high stakes match clean - Triple H.He might have been squashed by the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania 12, but a look at Triple H’s career reveals a striking pattern, ever since his association with Stephanie McMahon, the Game has never had an opponent against whom he has failed to win at least one match.But, sometimes the scenario becomes too large for even the heir to the McMahon empire to control. This list takes a look at five times Triple H lost a big match cleanly.Honourable mentions go to the 2002 Summerslam loss to Shawn Michaels, the 2003 Unforgiven loss to Goldberg, 2007 Armageddon defeat at the hands of Jeff Hardy and the Wrestlemania 30 setback at the hands of Daniel Bryan.P.S. : The list goes Superstar specific, meaning that multiple defeats at the hands of the same wrestler is counted in one entry. Tag team matches are not considered, meaning Evolution’s triple defeats to the Shield and DX’s defeat at the hands of Legacy at Breaking Point 2009 also fail to make the cut.

#5 Brock Lesnar - Summerslam 2012

Brock Lesnar would beat HHH clean at the 2012 Summerslam

The only entry that makes it to this list with Triple H being the face, the Game’s 2012 Summerslam loss to Brock Lesnar was one of the rare matches where Triple H allowed himself to be booked as a complete second best.

Lesnar had just returned to the WWE and the ever gullible WWE Creative had booked his first match back as a loss to John Cena. It was apparent to every one that despite his part time contract, Lesnar was the heavy favourite going in to the match with Triple H at Summerslam, but nobody expected the thrashing that he was going to handout to the Game.

Lesnar dominated Triple H, no-selling the Pedigree and locking the Cerebral Assassin in the Kimura immediately afterwards. The Game would tap out and would sell the loss rather effectively, cutting a forlorn figure in the ring, with the announcers speculating on his future.

Of course, Triple H would enjoy the return victory over Lesnar at the following Wrestlemania before losing to the Beast at Extreme Rules, albeit after some interference from Paul Heyman.

#4 John Cena - Wrestlemania 22

John Cena would beat HHH clean at Wrestlemania 22

Third straight Wrestlemania, third straight main event involving Triple H. (Can’t blame CM Punk for quitting the WWE for never getting the chance to main event a single Wrestlemania then). The only difference was that the Game went in to this title match as the challenger for John Cena’s WWE Championship.

The angle had been built to perfection over the preceeding few weeks with emphasis being placed on how Triple H, with his ten title reigns would be too big a mountain for Cena to climb. It served its purpose of giving legitimacy to Cena as the next face of the company – provided he gave the Game his third straight defeat at the Show of Shows.

There was genuine buzz about the match with a strong possibility that the Game could reclaim the title, given that he had just returned from a period away from the ring and looked better than ever. But in the end, the simple logic of building up a new star won through and the WWE Creative decided to put Cena over at the expense of the Game.

The match that had Cena making his entrance in a 40’s Chicago era convertible saw Triple H finding himself once again tapping out at Wreslte mania. Cena would counter the Pedigree in to an STF to retain the title and establish himself as the true main event player of the WWE for the next decade.

Hunter would lose his customary rematch at Backlash to Cena and branch out in to a program with Shawn Michaels, conceding another feud.

#3 Batista - Wrestlemania 21

Batista would beat Triple H clean at Wrestlemania 21

Triple H has been accused in many quarters of being a person who just doesn’t put talent over. However, if ever there was a case in defence of the Game, it is the evolution (pun intended) of Batista in to a main event star in 2005.

While the title reign of the original Evolution wonderkind Randy Orton had been nipped in the bud by Triple H afer just a single PPV, he chose to act more graciously when it was time for the muscle of the group – Batista – to finally break out on his own.

The Animal won the 2005 Royal Rumble and decided to challenge his mentor for the World title by sending the Game through a table on Raw. This set up a main event match at Wrestlemania 21 where Batista defeated Triple H clean to signal the changing of guard.

The match was left in the shadow of the classic Kurt Angle – Shawn Michaels bout earlier in the night, but Triple H had indeed done the job for Batista.

Coincidentally, just like the previous year, Triple H would lose two more title matches against the new champion (again at Backlash and Vengeance) and Batista’s victory at the Hell in a Cell match would end their feud squarely in his favour.

#2 Chris Benoit - Wrestlemania 20

Triple H would tap out at a Wrestlemania for the first time at the hands of Chris Benoit

When Chris Benoit made his debut in the WWE way back in 2000, it was Triple H who defeated him in his debut singles match. But by the time the year 2004 came about, the momentum had considerably risen in favour of the Rabid Wolverine.

WWE fans were on board with Benoit’s emotional quest for the WWE title after a decade in the business and the Canadian won the Royal Rumble after entering the field as the No.1 entry. This lead to a triple threat main event match at Wrestlemania 20 against the then World Champion Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

After a classic match at Madison Square Garden that truly lived up to its hype, Triple H became the first World Champion to lose his title at Wrestlemania via submission when he tapped out to Benoit’s Crippler Crossface.

Such was Benoit’s popularity that time that not even the son-in-law of the boss could be booked to derail his momentum. Triple H would lose two more World title matches to Benoit at that year’s Backlash and Vengeance.

The controversy surrounding the tragic death of Benoit and his family three years later means that these matches would never again see the light of day in any WWE sponsored media.

#1 The Undertaker - Wrestlemania 17

The Undertaker would beat Triple H at Wrestlemania 17, 27 and 28

If there was one man that Triple H could never dominate – either in the ring or by applying backstage politics, it was the Undertaker. The Deadman had been widely considered as the Conscience of the WWE and the locker room leader a long time before Triple H announced himself on the WWE main event.

Even Shawn Michaels who was considered the bad boy of the locker room knew where to draw the line when it came to the Phenom and Triple H was no different. It has to be said that Triple H had and still has a huge amount of respect for the Undertaker, as does the entire WWE roster.

In fact, the Game lost three separate Wrestlemania matches to the Undertaker, which is unprecedented in Triple H’s career. That too, he lost decisively in every one of them.

The first of those happened at Wrestlemania 17. Triple H had just defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin in the deciding match of their feud at No Way Out and proclaimed that he had beaten ‘every one that there is to beat’. This forced the Deadman to arrive on the scene and point out that the Game had never beaten him.

In the ensuing Wrestlemania encounter, not even Stephanie’s presence could save Triple H from a devastating Last Ride that gave Taker the clean victory.

Unsurprisingly, Triple H would squeak out that PPV victory that he craved at the 2002 Insurrextion during Taker’s heel run but there was only ever going to be one winner in this feud.

Years later, Triple H faced the Undertaker in two successive Wrestlemanias (27 & 28), determined to end the Deadman’s streak. However, he was beaten clean each time by Taker to underline the fact that not even Triple H’s clout was going to be enough to unseat the Phenom.