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Triple H has been one of the staples of WWE since the late 90s. The Game Triple H has been responsible for putting a lot of people over during the course of his career. However, he has also been accused of burying the people he did not get along with.
While these are mostly on-screen developments, in this article we will talk about how friendship or enmity with Triple H led to some Superstars being shunned by the locker room.
The WWE Locker Room is like the Game of Thrones Universe, where you have to choose your friends and enemies carefully.
#5 Sheamus (Triple H's friend)
Sheamus is quite possibily one of the more underrated Superstars on the card today. The Celtic Warrior is a multi-time World Champion but has mostly been used in the mid-card or tag-team division for the past few years.
While speaking to Corey Graves on ATB, Sheamus revealed how friendship with Triple H led to him being boycotted by the locker room, making his early days in WWE very difficult.
I went to the gym once or twice, maybe two or three times we had a workout and then apparently I was Triple H's workout buddy. I got blasted by everybody who was in contact with dirt sheets saying I was up Triple H's a**, and I was a kiss a**. No matter what I did in the first couple years achievement wise, it was blacklisted, and they said I only got that because he is up Triple H's a**. I was busting my bal** doing 5 or 6 shows a week. I was driving to shows I didn't have to just to go there and learn. I was going to FCW when I could have been sitting at home to keep learning. None of that mattered. The only thing people saw was I was a kiss a**. Right off the bat, it was boom!
He further added that this behaviour by his peers only got accentuated after he defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship soon after his debut.
#4 Randy Orton (Triple H's friend)
Randy Orton has been a lucky guy in every sense of the word. Not only is he naturally talented inside the ring, but he had the presence of a Superstar from the get-go. The 13-time World Champion received a major push almost as soon as he joined WWE. Even becoming the youngest World Champion in WWE at 24. While there is no doubt that Orton would become the legend he is today on his own, the process was fastened for him by Triple H.
Hunter had taken Orton under his wing by having him join Evolution along with Batista and Ric Flair.
Though Randy Orton learned a lot from The Game as part of the faction, it did alienate him from the locker room. It is natural that many Superstars in the locker room got envious of Orton getting an opportunity to travel with Triple H.
While most of the younger Superstars usually band together in WWE, by being a part of Evolution, Randy Orton became part of an elite group and usually traveled with his fellow Evolution members only.
#3 Batista (Triple H's friend)
Much like Randy Orton, Batista also suffered heat from the locker room as he was 'chosen' to become a member of Evolution. However, unlike Randy Orton who was known to be brash and arrogant during his younger days, Batista was always humble and in fact, wanted to be accepted by the locker room. Speaking about his dilemma, Triple H revealed on the third episode of The Ruthless Aggression series on WWE Network that he told Orton and Batista that they shouldn't worry about what other Superstars think of them.
Dave, Randy, listen, let me talk to you guys. I pulled them in a room and I said, ‘So you are about to hit the hate button from everybody.’ Every single person in this room, they’re going to tell you, ‘Why man, this is a great opportunity,’ and they’re going to bury you. All of a sudden, everybody you thought was your friend, you’re going to find out they’re not your friends.
Triple H's advise rang true in the future as even though Orton and Batista were not exactly popular backstage, they did become multi-time World Champions in WWE.
#2 Shawn Michaels (Triple H's friend)
When we talk about friendships in WWE, there is probably none stronger than that of Triple H and Shawn Michaels. The two men were not only on-screen partners as DX, but were best friends backstage as well.
Now, for most of their friendship, Triple H was the one handling Shawn Michaels and helping The ShowStopper keep out of trouble. However, interestingly, the one thing that Shawn Michaels has received the most flack for during his career - The Montreal Scewjob - was actually Triple H's idea.
As per the story, Triple H was the one who hinted at a 'screwjob' when Bret Hart refused to drop the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels right before his contract was set to expire.
“F**k him! If he won’t do business, then you do business for him.”
Vince McMahon was worried that Hart may take the title with him to WCW and wanted him to drop the belt to Michaels.
Although Shawn Michaels merely agreed to do what he was told, he was the one who got the maximum heat from the locker room. Even though Bret Hart patched up with Vince McMahon, it was Shawn Michaels that he did not forgive until 2010.
#1 Enzo Amore (heat with Triple H)
While all the other Superstars suffered locker room ire because of friendship with Triple H. There is a belief that heat with Triple H had a role to play in the locker room boycott Amore had to undergo while in WWE.
Apart from Triple H, there were other Superstars who were also not happy with Enzo's backstage behaviour. In an infamous incident, Enzo Amore was allegedly thrown off the bus by locker room leader Roman Reigns.
Though Enzo and Big Cass were NXT products, it was revealed that Triple H never got along with Enzo Amore.
Enzo had stated in an interview that Triple H had threatened his job if he didn't agree to go by the script that was provided to him.
In wrestling, I’ll lay on my back for anybody 1-2-3. A writer tries to write a line I don’t like in a promo, I ain’t saying it, and I’m going to go talk to Vince because I’m not saying it and Hunter’s gonna threaten my job.
Enzo Amore was released by WWE in 2018 due to controversial allegations made against him.
