Triple H on if he was punished with a Hog Pen match for the infamous WWE Curtain Call
Triple H answered a lot of questions during the post-NXT TakeOver: In Your House pay-per-view event media teleconference call. While most of the questions that he had to address had to do with the event itself, Triple H was also asked a question about a past In Your House event where he had to face Henry Godwinn in a Hog Pen match, which was a rather embarrassing bout involving a lot of pig slop. Triple H addressed the question of whether it was a punishment that he was taking due to the infamous WWE Curtain Call where members of WWE's Kliq broke kayfabe.
Triple H addresses if the Hog Pen match was a punishment from WWE
Triple H answered the question and said that it was not really a punishment for him. The Curtain Call took place in May of 1996, while this match took place at WWE: In Your House 5 in December of 1995. As a result, this was not due to a punishment for the Curtain Call, although he did explain how it came about.
He then admitted that no WWE Superstar had wanted to get hit with Henry Godwin's slop and that he was the one who went to Vince McMahon saying that he would do it if Godwin was turned babyface, as it would help Triple H's then heel character.
He went on to admit that while he loved the match, he might have had more fun if there was not so much of a mess in the pen, because the pigs had been in that pen all day, and he was also told to watch his fingers because the pigs could bite them off.
What was the WWE Curtain Call featuring Triple H?
For those WWE fans who may not know, around 1996, kayfabe was something that was looked at very seriously, and the WWE Superstars all had to maintain their characters in front of audiences to make them believe in the storylines.
However, around May in 1996, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were leaving WWE to go to WCW and this was when the infamous Curtain Call would happen. During this time, the Monday Night Wars were very much a thing, and losing the two top-level talents was a big blow to WWE. Hall and Nash were real-life friends with Triple H and Shawn Michaels, all of whom were part of a backstage group called The Kliq.
Hall and Nash had wrestled in their last match at Madison Square Garden. The night ended with Shawn Michaels wrestling Kevin Nash in a Steel Cage Match. Michaels and Hall were fan favorites at the time, while Triple H and Nash were heels. After the match, all four wrestlers entered the ring, and the four friends hugged for all to see. They then turned to the crowd with their arms raised together.
The incident is known as The Curtain Call and it is infamous for breaking kayfabe as 'villains' and 'heroes' were hugging in the ring. At the time, it was the Curtain Call was a very serious offense. Since Hall and Nash were leaving WWE, they could not be punished, and Shawn Michaels was the face of the company at the time, so he could not be hurt either, so it was Triple H who got punished, and lost his push, wrestling inexperienced wrestlers and lost his place in the King of the Ring tournament finals.
This Curtain Call would actually benefit WWE, as he was replaced by 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, and this King of the Ring tournament is what triggered the rise of the Stone Cold fans know and love today.