The Complete History of the WWE Championship - Part 9

Triple H: Wrestled up a storm as WWE Champion in 1999-2000
Triple H: Wrestled up a storm as WWE Champion in 1999-2000

The wrestler of the year in 2000 was Triple H.

"The Game" became a bonafide main event star and contested numerous classic matches with a wide array of opponents: Cactus Jack, The Rock, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle and others during a superlative twelve months inside the squared circle.

After establishing Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock as permanent headliners between 1998 and 1999, WWE repeated the trick with Triple H in late 1999 into 2000.

A career mid carder, Triple H finally broke out from the pack with dedication and hard work. Previously considered a technical worker who lacked personality or the required pizzazz to headline, "The Game" proved everyone wrong with dynamic performances and a feud with Cactus Jack in early 2000, demonstrated Tripper's previously unseen brawling skills.

In the absence of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was finally sidelined in November 1999, when time ran out for his injured neck, Triple H seized the initiative and played the political game.

Supported by his brilliant on-screen performances, Triple H ingratiated himself with the McMahon family and supplemented his position as top man in the company.

"The Cerebral Assassin" shrewdly identified that he was never going to be able to compete with The Rock in the popularity stakes and instead firmly established himself as WWE's premier heel wrestler.

It was a strategy that paid off, as "The Game" became the best performer in wrestling in 2000 and a true superstar.

In late 2000, he began dating his boss Vince McMahon's daughter, Stephanie, and found himself with an unofficial role on the booking committee.

Tripper was the man, onscreen and off.

Previously in part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7 and part 8, we covered the reigns from 1963 through to summer 1999.

In this installment, the last few title reigns of 1999 are remembered as well as the first few reigns of the year 2000.

In the upcoming part 10, we look at the final reigns of the Attitude Era as WWE begins to create new stars and new WWE champions.

youtube-cover

Triple H (August 23, 1999 - September 14, 1999)

Triple H wins his first WWE Championship one day late on the August 23, 1999 Raw
Triple H wins his first WWE Championship one day late on the August 23, 1999 Raw

Triple H's title coronation was supposed to occur at SummerSlam on August 22, 1999. However, backstage politics got in the way of those plans and "The Game" was forced to share the spotlight in the SummerSlam main event with Mankind, as the pair took on WWE Champion, Stone Cold Steve Austin, in a Triple Threat Match.

Mankind won his third WWF World Champion, specifically to transition the belt to Triple H.

That bout took place the next night on Raw at the Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University. Triple H goaded Mankind into the match by threatening to break commentator Jim Ross's arm unless the champion complied to a title match that night.

Mankind agreed and the bout was set.

With Shane McMahon installed as the special referee, Mankind had little to no chance of winning, and he took a pounding from Tripper - as well as a chair shot from Shane - making him a sitting duck for the Pedigree.

Triple H finally was World Champion, though incredibly his reign would be ended just a few weeks later by, of all people, his boss Vince McMahon, who ended up returning from his permanent banishment just a month after he supposedly disappeared for good.

The Vince Russo era ladies and gentlemen.

youtube-cover

Vince McMahon (September 16, 1999 - September 20, 1999)

Vince McMahon: Incredibly a former WWE Champion
Vince McMahon: Incredibly a former WWE Champion

Vincent Kennedy McMahon's father, Vincent James McMahon, had forbiden his son from becoming a professional wrestler. However, the ounger McMahon had always held ambitions of becoming an in-ring superstar and champion.

He finally got his chance with his first ever match at the 1999 Royal Rumble (in which he was victorious, incidentally) and at the St. Valentines Day Massacre PPV, a month later, opposite Stone Cold Steve Austin inside a steel cage.

McMahon's in-ring career continued with a WWE Championship victory on the September 16, 1999 episode of SmackDown in which he defeated Triple H, with assistance from Stone Cold, who was feuding with "The Game" at the time.

Shane McMahon acted as the special referee, yet again. The story here was that Triple H would name his opponent in a title match; instead of choosing a worthy opponent such as Austin, Rock or Undertaker, he selected The Chairman.

McMahon eventually complied. However, Triple H's decision came back to haunt him when Stone Cold interfered, battered "The Game" and draped McMahon on top for the win and the title.

Vince McMahon was champion. However, he would vacate the title days later and put it up for grabs in a six pack challenge at Unforgiven 1999.

youtube-cover

Triple H (September 26, 1999 - November 14, 1999)

Triple H: Reformed D-X in his second WWE Championship run
Triple H: Reformed D-X in his second WWE Championship run

After a chaotic start and finish to his inaugural WWE Championship reign, Triple H managed to regain the title in a memorable six pack challenge single fall match at Unforgiven 1999.

Triple H defeated The Rock, British Bulldog, Kane, Mankind and The Big Show to win his second WWE Championship.

After Bulldog smashed Rock with a steel chair, Triple H nailed Rocky with a Pedigree for the win. After special referee Stone Cold Steve Austin hit him with a Stunner post-match, that set up a title bout at No Mercy 1999.

After refusing to put Triple H over at SummerSlam, Austin relented at No Mercy. After a fine No Holds Barred battle, which spent very little time in the ring, Austin laid down for Triple H (albeit after The Rock had inadvertently smashed him in the stomach with a sledgehammer).

Despite the finish, the win was a stature enhancer for Triple H. Unfortunately for "The Game", much of the good work was undone when he dropped the belt the following month to Big Show.

However, that set up a feud, and later alliance with Vince McMahon, which catapulted him to the top of the card permanently.

youtube-cover

The Big Show (November 14, 1999 - January 3, 2000)

The Big Show: Won his first WWE Championship in a triple threat bout with The Rock and Triple H
The Big Show: Won his first WWE Championship in a triple threat bout with The Rock and Triple H

The Big Show's first WWE title reign is remembered for all the wrong reasons. His reign began solidly enough with a win over champion Triple H and The Rock in a triple threat bout at Survivor Series 1999.

Big Show was a last minute replacement for Stone Cold Steve Austin, who had been the victim of a hit and run assault earlier in the show. In reality, Austin's neck and spine was so knackered, that another bump could have been career ending or worse. He was never going to wrestle at that show. Incidentally, due to his declining physical condition, it was a stuntman who took the hit from the car, not Austin.

Show's only meaningful title feud was with career mid-carder, Big Boss Man, who had incredibly defeated The Rock in a number one contenders match-up.

Boss Man mocked the death of Big Show's father (in real life, Show's Dad had been deceased for several years), which culminated in Boss Man stealing Show's Dad's casket from the funeral. The sight of Bigshow desperately holding onto the coffin, as Boss Man drove away with it tied to the back of his pick-up truck, will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it.

Big Show defeated Boss Man in their feud ending battle at Armageddon on December 12, 1999 but came unstuck in his re-match with Triple H on the January 3, 2000 Raw. Show's reign was brief but infamous.

youtube-cover

Triple H (January 3, 2000 - April 30, 2000)

Triple H: Won his third WWE Championship on the January 3, 2000 Raw
Triple H: Won his third WWE Championship on the January 3, 2000 Raw

Triple H had not quite garnered permanent headline status during his first two Championship reigns in late 1999.

"The Game" did not win the strap from Stone Cold Steve Austin at SummerSlam 1999, which would have been an immediate credibility builder. Instead, he won the belt from Mankind and lost it to his boss, Vince McMahon.

His second title win came in a six way, but was marred by the fact Austin stunnered him and left him laying immediately afterwards.

With Stone Cold on the bench from November 1999 onwards, "The Cerebral Assassin" began his march to permanent main event status unimpeded. He regained the strap from The Big Show clean in a title bout on Raw, before engaging on a terrific run of title defences.

His street fight with Mick Foley's other alter ego, Cactus Jack, was a major stature enhancer. In a highly violent classic, Triple H beat Cactus at his own game, earning the win with a Pedigree on thumb tacks, after absorbing all sorts of punishment himself - including a nasty gash to his calf and a huge cut to his forehead.

Triple H followed that performance up with another classic inside Hell in a Cell. This time, with Cactus Jack's career on the line, he survived another hardcore onslaught to defeat Cactus and end his career (for three weeks anyway).

"The Game" rewrote the record books when he became the first heel to win the main event of WrestleMania when he successfully defended the strap in a four way elimination bout versus The Rock, Mick Foley (who finally would retire post-match, for four years) and The Big Show at WrestleMania 200.

That set up a singles bout between the company's two biggest stars, Triple H and The Rock at Backlash 2000. Although "The Game" would not be successful on that occasion, his reign had been a glorious one and the Backlash encounter would be another superlative effort.

youtube-cover

The Rock (April 30, 2000 - May 21, 2000)

The Rock: Finally regained the WWE Championship at Backlash 2000
The Rock: Finally regained the WWE Championship at Backlash 2000

The Rock's third WWE Championship reign ended on March 28, 1999 when he lost in the main event of WrestleMania XV to Stone Cold Steve Austin.

He had to wait 13 months to regain the title. His first title win as a babyface occurred when he overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to defeat Triple H at Backlash, held on April 30, 2000.

However, the wait was worthwhile. Rock's long title chase resulted in Backlash, a B-level pay per view, pulling an incredible 675,000 buys, only 150,000 less than WrestleMania the previous month.

Triple H's brother in law, Shane McMahon, was the referee and his wife, Stephanien and father in law, Vince McMahon, were stationed at ringside and interfered at will to aid "The Game" in retaining the gold.

Rock had enlisted the assistance of former rival, Stone Cold Steve Austin, to assist him versus the McMahons but Austin had not shown up at the arena. The suggestion was the McMahons had somehow waylaid him on his way to the show.

However, deep into the bout, Austin would appear and lay out McMahon and his cronies, leveling the playing field for Rock to earn the pin and the title.

Rock was champion again. However, just like all three of his previous title runs, it was to be a fleeting reign.

youtube-cover

Triple H (May 21, 2000 - June 25, 2000)

Triple H: Overcame discord with ref, Shawn Michaels to life a fourth World crown at Judgment Day 2000
Triple H: Overcame discord with ref, Shawn Michaels to life a fourth World crown at Judgment Day 2000

The Rock versus Triple H feud had lost steam with the viewing public by the time Judgment Day 2000 rolled around.

After battling at WrestleMania and Backlash to huge box office success, Judgment Day pulled just 420,000 buys; a disappointing number.

The title bout was contested under Iron Man rules, only the second such match in WWE history after the Shawn Michaels/Bret Hart battle at WrestleMania XII. Michaels was installed as referee for this second Iron Man encounter.

Michaels played a pivotal role in the outcome.

With the score tied at 5-5 and Rock set to retain the title after scoring two falls in the last few minutes of the bout, The Undertaker made his long awaited return to the company.

Racing to the ring on a motorcycle, 'Taker destroyed the McMahon family and D-X as they interfered on Triple H's behalf.

However, as the American Bad Ass tombstoned "The Game" with seconds left on the clock, Michaels called for a DQ, gifting the decision and title to Triple H.

Triple H was WWE Champion for a fourth time.

youtube-cover

Stay tuned for Part 10, coming soon! In the meantime, let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

2 more stars coming from AEW to WWE? More details right here