10 Things Triple H Doesn't Get Enough Credit For
3. Stepping Out Of HBK's Spotlight With DX
There was an overwhelming feeling when the faction was formed that Hunter Hearst Helmsley was fortunate to be friendly with Shawn Michaels behind the scenes; far from over as a standalone character in 1997, the mid card Triple H benefitted greatly from the formation of D-Generation X and the chance to rub shoulders with an established main event star.
DX was threatened when Michaels suffered a serious back injury at the 1998 Royal Rumble and was promptly forced to take a four-year sabbatical from in-ring action.
Without hesitation, a new D-Generation X stable was formed around Triple H, but the entire exercise could have been a colossal disaster had 'The Game' not been up to the task.
Thankfully, the additions of The New Age Outlaws and X-Pac to the fold firmly established Triple H as the new leader, and that - along with the fact HHH looked more comfortable in his own skin by the Spring of '98 - launched D-Generation X to new heights.
Still, it really cannot have been easy to step out from HBK's spotlight and stand on his own two feet.