Vince McMahon says WWE Hall of Famer owes his life to Triple H
One of the most loved on-screen and off-screen pairs in WWE history is that of Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Starting from their time together in The Kliq, the two stars have been at or near the top of the promotion. As the years have gone by, there have been several stories and rumors of the pair having the power to make important decisions.
Speaking on the latest A&E documentary on the life and career of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon denied the rumors about Michaels and Triple H calling the shots.
“They couldn't call any of the shots, but I listened," said Vince McMahon. "They had some really good ideas. Really smart, individually, and Shawn, very smart when he was sober. Shawn had an attitude. When he drank, even more so, on top of pills… Shawn would say the wrong thing at the wrong time and he was protected in the WWE environment, but outside of that environment *shakes head.*”
During the documentary, Triple H recalled an incident from 1995 where Shawn Michaels was attacked outside of a bar. "The Game" then spoke about Michaels' substance abuse problem, but he stated that "The Heartbreak Kid" was like his brother.
“His moment of existence was the 20 minutes in the ring every night,'' said Triple H. “He wouldn't be messed up. He would go in there and kill it every night. Then, the minute he was done *mimics taking a pill* ‘I'm in pain and I took some stuff so I wouldn't be in pain this morning but I'm not messed up,’” Triple H recalled. “‘Why would you hang out with this misery 24/?’ No, it's not. Again, it's like your brother. It's like a family member.”
Vince McMahon then claimed that Shawn Michaels owes his life to Triple H for everything that the latter has done for him.
“Shawn owes his life to ‘Triple H’ Paul Levesque," said McMahon. "Owes his life to him." (h/t Fightful)
Triple H and Shawn Michaels are now the two biggest pillars behind NXT's success
Triple H and Shawn Michaels are two of the best minds in the professional wrestling business, and they both have an ocean full of knowledge. Naturally, the two men have played a massive role in the success of WWE's third official brand, NXT. The brand has been constantly nurturing the next era of WWE Superstars, with Triple H leading the ship from the forefront and Shawn Michaels also playing a crucial role.
As for the duo's in-ring future, it is highly unlikely that Shawn Michaels will ever have another match for WWE. Triple H, on the other hand, isn't officially retired, but he's rarely seen on WWE TV. He last wrestled on an episode of Monday Night RAW earlier this year where he took on Randy Orton in an unofficial match.
With age not on his side and all the added backstage responsibilities, the Cerebral Assassin might also hang up his wrestling boots in the next few years. But with his continuing success at the helm of NXT, his future looks quite bright.