Earlier, word got out about a big moment at a WWE company meeting today (Jan. 29). We heard that Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, and Stephanie McMahon surprised Paul “Triple H” Levesque with the news that he’ll headline the 2025 Hall of Fame class.
Considering how quickly those stories were reported and confirmed, we figured WWE wouldn’t wait long to make it official. And they didn’t, but before we got an announcement from the company Haitch’s long-time friend and fellow WWE executive Michaels gave us confirmation, in the form of video of the moment itself.
Taker and HBK’s entrances are shown — which is funny, but learning there’s also a gorilla position at WWE corporate meetings really popped yours truly. Then we see them on split-screen telling The Game about the “executive decision” they made to give him his long-overdue solo Hall of Fame induction (he was previously enshrined as a member of D-X). After some hugs, Triple H jokes that he’s finally speechless and that he’s going to throw WWE President Nick Khan off the building before sincerely offering his thanks. After a round of applause, Steph was out for a hug to close the video.
Stephanie reposted Michaels’ video, congratulating her husband and revealing that she was just as surprised as he was!
You got me too @ShawnMichaels and @undertaker! It is my honor to witness your brotherhood. Thank you for making the Executive Decision because you know Paul never would! Congratulations to my King, @TripleH! You have more than earned your place in Immortality #WWEHOF class of 2025
About the same time Shawn was posting that, we got the official announcement. Here’s WWE.com’s write-up about their 14-time WWE World champ, Chief Creative Officer, and newest Hall of Famer:
Paul “Triple H” Levesque was officially announced as the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025 following a surprise reveal at WWE HQ from his long-time friends Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.
The King of Kings will now forever live among WWE royalty.
From his days as a Greenwich, Conn. snob, to his era-defining run as a co-founder of D-Generation X, from shepherding future main-eventers Randy Orton and Batista toward WWE greatness in Evolution, to leading WWE into a new era on Netflix with his unmatched creative vision, Triple H hasn’t just existed on the cutting edge — he’s been the one sharpening the blade.
A 14-time World Champion, The Game clashed with a litany of legends to seize the throne as The King of Kings. The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Seth “Freakin” Rollins — multiple generations of the ring’s very best have felt the sledgehammer-wielding fist of The Cerebral Assassin. He methodically and systematically conquered sports-entertainment, capturing almost every major WWE championship, the King of the Ring crown, two Royal Rumble Match victories and the marquee spot in epic matches at WrestleMania on several occasions, all throughout an in-ring career that spanned four decades.
Outside of the ring, his first major success came during the creation of NXT, a developmental brand designed to build the future stars of WWE. As the lead creative mind along with the likes of Michaels, William Regal, Matt Bloom and others, Levesque created a transformative brand that has molded the brightest in-ring stars of the 21st century, including Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch and dozens more. What started as a developmental program has become a third WWE brand with its own identity and accomplishments thanks to Triple H’s vision.
Following his official retirement from in-ring competition at WrestleMania 38, he would go on to lead WWE’s creative operations as Chief Content Officer and ushered in a new era of success for WWE including a Netflix streaming deal and a merger to create the industry-leading TKO media group.
As The Connecticut Blue Blood, The King of Kings, The Cerebral Assassin, The Game and now the CCO, Levesque’s legendary career both in front of and behind the camera will be remembered for generations to come as he takes his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Congrats again to The Game, and we’ll see who joins him in the Class of ‘25!
