The betrayal that Vince McMahon didn't see coming
December 12, 1999. On this day, 22 years ago, Vince McMahon was betrayed by his daughter, Stephanie McMahon.
WWE Armageddon 1999 was headlined by a "No Holds Barred" match pitting Vince McMahon against Triple H. The duo took each other to the limit for almost 30 minutes, and it was The Game who emerged victorious when all was said and done.
Triple H's victory isn't what fans remember the most from that fateful night, though. The events that happened immediately following the bout left the fans in shock.
Let's take an in-depth look at what's now dubbed the dawn of the McMahon-Helmsley Era.
Vince McMahon and Triple H kicked off a heated feud in late 1999, with the latter challenging the WWE Chairman to a match at Armageddon. On the November 29, 1999, episode of RAW, Stephanie McMahon was about to get married to Test.
To everyone's surprise, Triple H came out and showed a clip where he was seen getting married to a drunk Stephanie.
As Armageddon loomed closer, the stakes for Triple H and Vince McMahon's match were raised even further. If Triple H won the match, he would get a WWE Title shot. If McMahon came out victorious, The Game's marriage to Stephanie would be annulled.
22 years ago today, the McMahon/Helmsley era officially began at Armageddon. @StephMcMahon @TripleH https://t.co/Tr2StEOvbp
Vince McMahon and Triple H were out for each other's blood at Armageddon
Vince McMahon and Triple H engaged in a hard-hitting, bloody brawl that quickly made its way out of the ring and into the parking lot. During the match's closing moments, Vince was about to hit Triple H with a sledgehammer, but Stephanie managed to stop him. Stephanie then pondered attacking Triple H herself but decided against doing so.
Which crew would you rather join: The McMahon-Helmsley Faction or The Authority? https://t.co/ddW4HI56NF
Suddenly, Triple H grabbed the weapon from her hand and brutally attacked Vince McMahon. A horrified Stephanie could only watch as Triple H pinned her father to win the match.
In a major plot twist, Stephanie let out a sinister smile and embraced Triple H, revealing that she was aligned with him all along. The moment kicked off a new era in WWE, now famously called "The McMahon-Helmsley Era."
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon got married in real life three years later. Regarded by many as the most powerful couple in all of wrestling, The Game and Stephanie hold significant positions in Vince McMahon's company today.
They have been heavily featured on WWE TV over the past two decades and will most likely take the reigns from Mr. McMahon somewhere down the line.