“You’ve gotta let it go…” - 5 WWE Superstars who had heat with Triple H but are now on good terms
The new Head of Creative, Triple H has won fans over by delivering one of the best SummerSlam events in WWE. He even earned praise from superstars who commended his planning skills.
However, The Game has historically been on the wrong side of some superstars too. They mostly blamed him for their terrible run in the company. This is why he is regarded as the “man with the golden shovel”, an indicator of his power performance.
Although many have criticized him in the past, they quickly realized their mistakes and shook hands with the 14-time World Champion. On this list, we will look at five superstars who had heat with Triple H but are now on good terms.
#5. Chris Jericho
Current AEW star Chris Jericho and Triple H often struggle to see eye-to-eye. They had "legit" real-life heat between them which, according to Y2J, resulted in a halt in his push.
During an episode of the Kurt Angle Show, Jericho revealed how politics ruined his relationship with Triple H, including his history with former superstars like Chyna and X-Pac. The Lionheart even believed that bitterness between the two led to the cancelation of his participation in a fatal-4-way match at WrestleMania 2000.
Such allegations could be true as Jericho never really clicked with WWE during his initial years in 1999. Jim Ross also reportedly blamed The Game for ruining Jericho’s push in WWE and believed it was due to his WCW history.
However, both superstars are now on talking terms. Jericho deemed the heat a "professional rivalry," claiming that they had buried the hatchet. With age comes wisdom, and the patch-up between Y2J and Triple H is a perfect example.
#4. Goldberg
.@Goldberg brings passion and intensity to everything he does...on the field, in the ring, and especially with his family.
His intensity and character made him one of the biggest stars in our industry...so #WhosNext?
The #WWEHOF. Congrats, Bill. https://t.co/pu3OpYAwre
Goldberg didn't initially get along with Triple H. The Game seemingly disliked the legend due to his WCW background as well as his apparently clumsy nature. Both superstars exchanged words and took multiple digs at each other in the past.
The first jab was apparently from Triple H in 2001. During the first edition of Tough Enough, The Cerebral Assassin claimed Goldberg was spoon-fed victories due to his bulky appearance and had no passion for wrestling. Their real-life heat continued in their on-screen rivalry during their feud over the World Heavyweight Championship in 2003.
Goldberg departed WWE in 2004 following his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 20. He became vocal in his criticism of Triple H for allegedly sabotaging his career, believing that Hunter disdained him. The heavyweight even took to Twitter to express his disappointment with Triple H and the company in 2013.
However, things now appear to be smooth between the two superstars. Goldberg returned to WWE in 2016 and even hugged it out with Triple H. There have been no reported altercations between them since.
#3. Alberto Del Rio
Triple H and Alberto Del Rio were at odds since 2011 when the latter won the WWE Championship. Apparently, The Game believed Del Rio wanted a significant amount of money in his contract and was a bad influence on the then 23-year-old Paige.
Tensions escalated between the two when WWE fired Del Rio after an altercation with an employee. To make matters worse, it was Triple H who broke the news to the former World Heavyweight Champion. Vince McMahon liked the Lucha and re-hired him in 2015 after a year’s hiatus. However, Del Rio left again due to his unsatisfactory creative direction and hectic schedule. His connections with WWE were severed when he moved to TNA and the rift deepened after his then-fiance Paige’s leaked scandal.
Alberto Del Rio admitted that he has had several differences in the past with Triple H. However, similar to Jericho, he has forgotten about it. He acknowledged Triple H’s legacy after the latter’s retirement earlier this year. It seems like he has made amends and could possibly return to WWE, facilitated by a major push by the new creative head.
#2. Rob Van Dam had a rift with Triple H during his early years
On the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, RVD recently revealed how feuding with The Game was a different experience altogether. His competitive mindset made him think Triple H was privileged due to his high connections in the company.
The Cerebral Assassin won the World Heavyweight Championship after the first brand split in 2002. Rob Van Dam was the first challenger to his title run, and that’s when he developed such opinions about Triple H. He lost at Unforgiven, and subsequently at Survivor Series, and then did not get another chance against The Game.
However, according to Van Dam, perceiving Triple H as privileged was common among superstars who failed to see "the bigger picture." The former Intercontinental Champion is currently on good terms with the new Head of Creative, having made multiple returns to WWE since his exit from ECW in 2007. He was even inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.
#1. WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner
Over the years, Scott Steiner has said a lot of negative things about WWE, specifically targeting Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. His ire stems from his dissatisfaction with how things played out during his first tenure in WWE, which lasted from 2002 to early 2004. His forgettable on-screen rivalry with Triple H for the world title in 2003 is one example.
Steiner believed The Game wanted to bury him and derail his push due to his WCW past. He was clearly booked terribly in matches. The crowd even turned on him after his defeat to Triple H at the Royal Rumble despite being a babyface. The Genetic Freak became an active criticiser of the company following his exit.
Rumors indicate that the heat was only from Steiner’s end. Vince McMahon was open to working with the WCW Legend in 2016 but the offer was refused.
Nevertheless, The Steiner Brothers were inducted into the Hall of Fame this year and the heat between Hunter and Scott has subsided. Big Poppa Pump might have been influenced by his nephew, Bronson Reichsteiner, who wrestles in NXT as Bronn Breaker.
Scott Steiner clearly indicated that he harbored no ill feelings for WWE in an interview with Detroit News. After all, “You’ve gotta let it go” and become a better person in the future.