Triple H
He’s The King of Kings, a nickname with no hint of exaggeration considering that Triple H is essentially WWE royalty. From his days as a Greenwich, Conn., snob, to his era-defining run as a co-founder of D-Generation X, to the unrelenting drive that made himself an absolute squared circle institution, to shepherding future main eventers Randy Orton and Batista toward WWE greatness in Evolution, Triple H hasn’t just existed on the cutting edge, he’s been the one sharpening the blade.
A 13-time World Champion, The Game has clashed with a litany of ring legends to seize the throne as The King of Kings. The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, John Cena and even WWE Chairman Vince McMahon — each mowed down by the sledgehammer-wielding fist of The Cerebral Assassin. He has methodically and systematically usurped sports-entertainment, capturing every major WWE championship (multiple times), the King of the Ring crown, a Royal Rumble Match victory (2002) and the marquee spot in epic matches at WrestleMania on several occasions, all throughout a career that spans nearly two decades.
As The Game’s role within WWE shifted from active competition, he used his squared circle acumen to nab the title of WWE’s Chief Operating Officer. But even after trading his trunks for a suit, The Game would reemerge whenever the time was right to forge epic battles in the ring, including back-to-back showdowns against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII and XXVIII, a brutal rivalry with Brock Lesnar, engaging CM Punk with the full force of The Authority, battling Daniel Bryan and even briefly reforming Evolution to take on the dominant Shield. Through these encounters, Triple H showed that no matter what his role in WWE, those who choose to play The Game should be prepared to play by his rules.
Most recently, Triple H has been trying to mold WWE to the vision that The Authority has for the future. This includes grooming “Mr. Money in the Bank” Seth Rollins for future greatness whilst trying to keep Dean Ambrose at bay. The Game has also crossed paths with John Cena — who won the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Title but later lost it to Triple H's handpicked opponent, Brock Lesnar.
The animosity between John Cena and Triple H reached a boiling point at Survivor Series 2014. With a team captained by Seth Rollins in a Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon selected Kane, Rusev, Luke Harper and Mark Henry to face John Cena's team of Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Big Show. If Team Authority lost, Triple H and Stephanie would no longer be in power. If they won, everyone on Team Cena — except Cena — would be fired.
Managing to have Big Show turn on his team and help eliminate Cena, The Game thought the victory was well in-hand. However, the resilience of Dolph Ziggler was on display, forcing The Authority to pull out all the stops to try and ensure the win. With his patience running thin as Ziggler wouldn't stay down, Triple H himself entered the ring and attacked the former Intercontinental Champion. Pulling Rollins on top of Ziggler, it appeared the match was over, but Sting made his long-awaited WWE debut and confronted The Game.
Following a tense staredown, The Game attacked The Stinger, who countered by executing his patented Scorpion Death Drop. Sting then pulled Ziggler on top of Rollins, giving Team Cena the win and dethroning The Authority.
On the final Raw of 2014, Seth Rollins attacked Edge and forced John Cena to reinstate The Authority. Celebrating their return and fresh outlook for 2015, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon picked up where they left off, making Cena's life miserable and firing his closest allies including Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan.
Tripel H and Stephanie McMahon spent the first few weeks of 2015 reasserting their power and taunting John Cena. Giving the Cenation leader a chance to save the jobs of Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan, Triple H let the WWE Universe decide if Cena should face Seth Rollins, Kane and Big Show in a Handicap Match one week before the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The odds were clearly stacked against Cena, but the vigilante Sting made his WWE Raw debut, and first appearance since Survivor Series, distracting The Authority and allowing Cena to pickup a victory.
Following the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, the WWE COO addressed the vigilante's involvement with The Authority. Triple H made his intentions clear and called out Sting for a face-to-face confrontation at WWE Fast Lane.
His mission as WWE COO is to keep WWE on the course he believes in and his actions have proven that he will do whatever’s best for business ... even if it isn’t what’s best for you.
John Cena
Really, now. Who ever saw John Cena coming? When he debuted on SmackDown in June 2002, he was just a beefy guy in purple trunks. Within a year of his introduction, he transformed into the battle-rapping, chain-wielding “Doctor of Thuganomics.” Now, he’s the biggest star in WWE — but he’s also the most polarizing.
Fans love him or hate him. There’s no middle ground, and that’s the power of John Cena. Whatever you think of The Champ, there’s no denying his actions impact everything and everyone around him. Sure, he has his detractors, and they’re vocal, but Cena is still easily the most admired competitor in WWE, as evidenced by his nine million–plus Facebook followers. Cenation is strong. And its message is spreading. Whether competing in the squared circle, performing in front of the camera or donating time to charitable organizations like Make-A-Wish, The Champ is there.
A product of West Newbury, Mass., Cena discovered sports and weightlifting in his teens. He attended Springfield College, where he earned a degree in exercise physiology and excelled as a Division III All-American offensive lineman. Although he grew up a huge fan of such Superstars as Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, Cena only seriously considered becoming one himself while working the counter at Gold’s Gym in Venice, Calif. There, a wrestler-in-training encouraged him to enroll in class to learn the ropes. From day one, he was hooked.
A year later, Cena was signed by WWE to a developmental contract. What did he have that others didn’t? A physique that looked as though it were formed from Portland cement, mic skills that would shame a Roman senator, the tireless perseverance of Superman, and a devastating move that could turn even the most cast-iron grapplers into bags of mulch.
Throughout the past decade, Cena has amassed many honors, most notably an amazing 15 World Titles. He’s no stranger to struggle — he lost to The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII, became the first Superstar to unsuccessfully cash in a Money in the Bank contract and was obliterated by Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2014 — but the man does not quit.
Up next? A United States Championship Match against the undefeated Rusev at WWE Fastlane.
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