Triple H's Heel Turn At Wrestlemania 15

[RIPbossman]

In my opinion, this is one of the greatest heel turns, and its rarely talked about. China interfered on Triple H's behalf that night, and it looked like she was returning to DX. Later on Triple H cost X Pac his match against Shane, revealing that Triple H really joined China in the Corporation.

It was expertly done, and one of the smartest moves of Triple H' s career. Austin and Mankind had the top face spots, Big Show turned face that night, and Rock was turning face after Backlash. If Triple H could pass Undertaker, he would get the top heel spot. And within months Triple H started a phenomenal heel run, that lasted until his quad tear in 2001. He was never the same afterword, but for almost 2 years he was one of the best heels we've seen.

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

I agree - this was a very good heel turn. HHH had become a face by default a year before when DX got over big time. It can be argued that DX had just peaked and something had to happen different - but the way it was all set up was genius! They got the seeds planted in the January during the Raw I Quit match! HHH turning heel was the start of his main event run. When you look back at it - HHH was a star that was over as a face, popular with the fans, very anti establishment and turned heel to join Vince. His turn was everything Stone Cold's was not 2 years later.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

There were two great turns on that show. The problem is that it was a lackluster event and you cold expect something incidental to happen at every show.

Also, Chyna was the star of D-X at the time. Not HHH.

 

[HBKperfect23]

It was a great heel turn. I didn't see it coming. I wish it was done differently though. DX was one of the hottest thing in WWF (besides Austin) and could have had a better pay off to their split. WM15 needed at least one other big match. Triple H vs X-PAC for European or IC title, or even title vs title would have been big for mania. I wish this Turn was done a month before at St Valentines Day Masacare

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

There were two great turns on that show. The problem is that it was a lackluster event and you cold expect something incidental to happen at every show.

Also, Chyna was the star of D-X at the time. Not HHH.

I think at that point X-Pac was probably the bigger star in DX, as much as Chyna was. It's not HHH's fault mind you he got injured after Summer Slam so he wasn't able to capitalize on his momentum after his big win against The Rock.

But yeah I thought it was the right time for Triple H to turn at WMXV. I mean the fact his WM match was against Kane (even though they Wrestled each other in a steel cage not too long ago) means they really had nothing left for him to do as the leader of DX.

Of course the problem now is that as a heel it took Triple H awhile after he got his heel character right. I think things started to get together around the last few months of 1999.

 

[Lowdown]

I think at that point X-Pac was probably the bigger star in DX, as much as Chyna was. It's not HHH's fault mind you he got injured after Summer Slam so he wasn't able to capitalize on his momentum after his big win against The Rock.

But yeah I thought it was the right time for Triple H to turn at WMXV. I mean the fact his WM match was against Kane (even though they Wrestled each other in a steel cage not too long ago) means they really had nothing left for him to do as the leader of DX.

Of course the problem now is that as a heel it took Triple H awhile after he got his heel character right. I think things started to get together around the last few months of 1999.

I agree with your last sentence. I'm looking at this a couple of ways. First, it was a nice double turn by Chyna at WM. But here's where I kinda veer away from how good the turn was for Trips. It was hard to by hum as a badass heel the first month he was in the Corporation. He seemed like he was just a bodyguard of sorts for Shane. Then he slowly started to evolve into a darker character leading up towards Backlash, like cutting his hair a little bit, then sporting the shorter trunks. Once Rock was ousted and The Corporation merged with the Ministry, he really transformed into the Game. I still remember him beating the shit out of a casket that Rock was supposedly in. Still, the problem was that he was still playing a secondary role to the McMahons, Stone Cold, Rock, and Taker. He needed a reason to be on his own, and once he got into the title picture, then he separated himself from the rest of the pack. I believe that if Austin and Taker weren't going through injuries at the time, there's a chance the Trip probably wouldn't have gotten his first title run until after the New Year of 2000.