Raw Magazine - Holiday 2002 Special Edition
Ten Years of Raw Anniversary
Top 100 Greatest Raw Moments

The excerts below are the moments from the top 100 that involve Hunter

#34. Bang-Bang!
September 22, 1997 - New York, NY

Mick Foley's tie-dyed alter-ego Dude Love was slated to lock up with Hunter Hearst-Helmsley in New York's Madison Square Garden. But when Dude Love was seen on the Titan Tron, his other personality, Mankind, was seated next to him. Both claimed that as much as they'd each like to batter Triple H, there was somebody better equipped to accomplish the task. As the crowd looked on in bemused disbelief, Cactus Jack - the character Foley had portrayed prior to his WWE days - made his way into the frame. Despite Chyna's liberal interference during the match, Cactus Jack eventually piledrove Triple H through a table, falling on top of the "Cerebral Assassin" to cap a triumphant return.

#35. Enter The D-Generates
October 13, 1997
Topeka, KS

After Shawn Michaels blew his nose on the Canadian flag, Calgary native Bret "Hitman" Hart branded the Heartbreak Kid and his cohorts "D-Generates." Instead of acting insulted, Shawn declared that his "Kliq" had a new nickname: D-Generation X. As the night wore on, the group did their best to live up to their new moniker. Michaels swiped announcer Vince McMahon's head set, while Triple H commandeered Jim "JR" Ross' microphone. Rick Rude fed his pals bananas during their play-by-play, as Chyna glared menacingly into the camera. Later on, when Michaels locked up with Flash Funk, the troop invaded the ring, with Helmsley making the three-count, Chyna ringing the bell, and Rude declaring the Heartbreak Kid victorious. Then, Shawn introduced the world to D-Generation X's signature crotch chop.

#37. I will Call Him...Mini-Hit Man!
November 24, 1997
Fayetteville, NC

Even when Bret Hart departed from WWE, his old nemesis, Shawn Michaels, continued to fire volleys at him. During a D-Generation X appearance, the crew promised to bring out the Hitman. When "Hart" finally did surface, fans were shocked to see a midget dressed like the former champion. Mocking the events of the past Survivor Series, Michaels locked the imitator in a Sharpshooter. After the mini Hitman "submitted," he declared Michaels the greatest wrestler ever.

#40. Christmas Hams
December 22, 1997
Lowell, MA

It was DX's Christmas present to the world - Shawn Michaels and Triple H clad only in mistletoe-laden thongs. Fed up with this latest DX antic, then-WWE Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter reminded Michaels that he had not defended his European Championship in ages. In a ploy to cause dissension within the renegade group's ranks, he ordered Michaels to put up the European Championship against pal Triple H. Thinking one step ahead of Slaughter, the duo stepped through the ropes, and staged a make-believe match, exaggerating their moves and gestures. Finally, Michaels fell to the mat and allowed Hunter to pin him. Triple H then began theatrically crying, claiming that the win represented the most important moment of his life.

#44. Tyson + DX = Ratings
March 2, 1998
Cleveland, OH

With Wrestlemania XIV looming, speculation swirled over whose side "special enforcer" Mike Tyson would favor. Unexpectedly, Shawn Michaels announced that he was issuing a challenge to the celebrated pugilist. As the pair sqaured off, the Heartbreak Kid grabbed Tyson by the shirt and tugged. Underneath, the boxer was wearing a D-Generation X T-shirt. Soon, Triple H and Chyna joined the pair in the ring, as a beaming Tyson stood in the middle of the unit, doing the crotch chop.

#51. DX Invades WCW
April 27 and May 11, 1998
By Satellite from Norfolk, VA and Atlanta, GA

As the tide of the "Monday Night Wars" between WWE's Raw and WCW's Monday Nitro began to shift, members of DX decided to take the battle to the rivalry company. Without any prior warning, the ribald contingent turned up outside a WCW show in Norfolk, Virginia, while fans and security personnel looked on in amazement. To emphasize that this was indeed combat, the DX members were attired in military fatiques. Imitating George C. Scott's rendition of Patton, Triple H asked fans if they'd been given free tickets to compensate for WCW's diminishing drawing power, and even tried to persuade some of the spectators to chant "WCW sucks!" Meanwhile, X-Pac grabbed a bullhorn and sent greetings to friends Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. Capitalizing on X-Pac's prior claim that the duo was being "held hostage" by WCW, Triple H - wearing a black armband embolazoned "P.O.W.C.W." shouted, "Let my people go! Let my people go!" Several weeks later, DX was at it again, this time arriving at WCW's corporate headquarters in Atlanta's CNN Center. Although WWE camera people were warned not to record the proceedings, the order was ignored. Security was dispatched to herd the invaders away. But it soon became apparent that the guards were WWE fans themselves. As WWE watchers materialized around the celebrity guests, guards asked for autographs, and even posed for pictures. Confident that they could get away with whatever they wanted, DX exhibited their famous crotch chop, loudly declaring that WCW could "Suck it!"

#55. We Are [Not] The Nation
July 6, 1998
State College, PA

They'd battled the Nation of Domination in the ring. Now, DX decided to parody them in a comical revue. Of the D-Generation X members who partook in the routine, only Chyna played herself. Everyone else chose a NOD member to mimic. Road Dogg perfectly impersonated D'Lo Brown, calling himself "B'Lo." Billy Gunn spoofed Kama [later known as The Godfather], sporting an ostentatious hat and cigar. X-Pac padded up his body to mock Mark Henry, delivering a number of choice lines to imply that the former Olympian had a weight problem. Triple H played "The Crock," jerking his head back and forth in imitation of The Rock prior to his executing a People's Elbow. But just before unleashing the move, Hunter stopped short, having made his point, and said, "You know, The Crock just came from the bathroom, and - oh - you should have smelled what The Rock was cookin.' I ain't fakin.' The Rock was bakin.' The group was joined by Jason Sensation, decked out like Owen Hart, the only Caucasian member of the Nation. The man wore a shaggy wig, and spoke with a Canadian crack in his voice. But his most noticeable prop was an enormous fake snout. "If anybody can smell what The Rock is cookin', it's me," he said. "Look at the size of my nose! What am I, an aardvark?" Even those members of the audience that admired the NOD couldn't contain themselves from bursting out in laughter at the near-flawless satire.

#80. Love Stinks
November 29, 1999
Los Angeles, CA

The love story of Stephanie McMahon and Test had been months in the making, with Test proving his mettle against Stephanie's disapproving brother Shane in a "Love Her or Leave Her" match at SummerSlam in August. Test had since become the object of DX's abuse, with Triple H and the other D-Generates breaking his nose. Mr. McMahon went to great lengths to prevent DX from interrupting the nuptuals, but just as the minister reached the crucial point of the vows, out came Triple H to the strains of "My Time." Triple H came armed with a video tape, which showed him a drive-thru wedding chapel in Las Vegas, tying the knot with a passed-out Stephanie. As Stephanie bawled and Test seethed, Triple H added insult to injury: "Now, Vince, as a member of the immediate family, I know that you can only have one question on your mind...Dad. And that is...not did we, but how many times did we consummate the marriage?" Unbeknownst to anyone, The McMahon-Helmsley Regime had just been born.

#83. Hot Night in D-Town
February 7, 2000
Dallas, TX

Hot on the heels of the shocking debut of WCW defectors Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Perry Saturn and Eddie Guerrero, the soon-to-be christened Radicalz stole the show again by turning on and attacking their benefactor Cactus Jack, and joining forces with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. With No Way Out and what would be a classic Hell in a Cell match between "The Game" and Cactus Jack less than three weeks away, the feud between the two was at it's height. On this night, Triple H and X-Pac teamed up with Benoit, Saturn and Malenko (Guerrero had injured his elbow the week before on Smackdown) to take on Cactus Jack and any four partners of his choosing. The match began with only one other superstar - The Rock - taking Cactus' side, but they were immediately joined by Rikishi and Too Cool. The ensuing match was one of the most fast-paced and exciting Raw main events in recent memory, ending when Triple H hit a pedigree on Grandmaster Sexay.

#86. So Close and Yet So Far
April 17, 2000
State College, PA

Chris Jericho first goaded WWE Champion Triple H into making this non-title match a championship match, then brought out the APA to keep Shane McMahon out of the ring and keep things honest. A classic back-and-forth bout built in intensity as referee Mike Chioda was knocked out of commission, bringing senior referee Earl Hebner to the ring in time to count a near-fall for Jericho. An irate Triple H mixed it up with Hebner, allowing Jericho to crush "The Game" with a spinning heel kick and a Lionsault. Hebner's slightly accelerated count reached three, and the Penn State University crowd erupted as Jericho was announced as the new WWE Champion. Jericho walked up the ramp, title belt in hand, but soon after, Shane and Triple H stormed the referee's locker room, dragging Hebner and Chioda back to the ring. Upon replay, Chioda agreed with Triple H that the count was too fast. Under threat of bodily harm, Hebner agreed to reverse the decision - but only if Triple H and Shane agreed never to lay a hand on him again as long as he was a WWE referee. Jericho came back out and reluctantly handed the belt to Hebner, who put it around Triple H's waist. Triple H then proceeded to "amend" his deal with Hebner, firing him as referee before Pedigreeing him.

#88. Passion Personified
May 21, 2001
San Jose, CA

In the days after Wrestlemania X-Seven, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H reigned supreme as the "Two-Man Power Trip." Austin, newly aligned with Mr. McMahon, held the WWE Championship, and he and Triple H held the Tag Team Championship. Their opponents this evening were Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, and the action was every bit as intense as would be expected from these four Superstars. But late in the match, as Triple H planted his left foot to hit Jericho and free Austin from the Walls of Jericho, everything went terribly awry. Triple H heard a loud pop in his leg and felt instant, searing pain. His left quadriceps muscle had burst and rolled up his leg. Famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews would later say that it looked as if someone had shot off a gun inside the muscle. How he was even able to stand is incomprehensible. Defying the human tolerance for pain, Triple H finished the match, even managing to crawl to the outside and attempting to Pedigree Jericho onto the announcers' table. He even had that move reversed, and endured the Walls of Jericho. Triple H would not return to Raw until January 7, 2002, but before he was helped to the back on this night, he put on one of the greatest displays of guts and passion in WWE history.

#93. "The Game's" Comeback
January 7, 2002
New York, NY

For months, we saw the footage. First of Triple H's devastating quad injury, then of his surgery and his agonizing physical rehabilitation. The buildup was intense. Fans knew "The Game" was on his way back, in defiance of the odds and well ahead of schedule. It was just so right that the big moment would take place in Madison Square Garden - the mecca of sports-entertainment - before a packed house of screaming New Yorkers. They would wait until the very last segment of the night, when Motorhead's theme music blared and Triple H hit the ramp for the first time in eight months. After soaking in the massive ovation, Triple H took the mic: "Just in case you'v forgotten, let me tell you just who in the hell I am. "I am "The Game." And you can bet your ass I'm back! And I am the guy that, tonight, officially enters the Royal Rumble!" Then, out to interupt the big moment came Kurt Angle, who mocked Triple H's eight-month absence by reminding him that "I won an Olympic gold medal with a broken freakin' neck!" and saying that he, too, was entring the Rumble. Words were exchanged, punches were thrown and Angle took a Pedigree. "The Game" was truly back, and better than ever.

#99. Putting The "EX" in DX
July 22, 2002
Grand Rapids, MI

Are you ready? It had been over four years since Shawn Michaels and Triple H walked down the ramp to the now-legendary D-Generation X theme music. Yet, here they were, back together at Triple H's behest, preparing to re-launch the most controversial faction in sports-entertainment history. Earlier, new Raw GM Eric Bischoff had appointed Michaels as Triple H's manager. HBK resisted and threatened to walk out on the company, but Triple H gave him a big idea, and Michaels went for it. Now they were reunited and ready to raise hell, and when Triple H launched into his "Let's get ready to suck it!" intro, it truly seemed like old times. That is, until "The Game" reared back, kicked Shawn in the gut and Pedigreed his old friend.

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