In Late 1999, Triple H finally broke through to the main event scene. After years of battling for the Intercontinental title, and leading DX, he became the most hated man in Wrestling. However, he was not the #1 guy. That honor belonged to either The Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin depending on the day of the week. Triple H became the guy that kept the title away from the kings in the eyes of fans. As his reign continued, he aligned himself with Stephanie McMahon (on and off screen) and redefined cheating as a villain in WWE. HHH became the first heel to ever leave Wrestlemania as champion by defeating The Rock, Mick Foley and The Big Show with an assist from Vince McMahon. He flexed his power in match making by stacking the deck against his opponents for months. Its important to realize, The Game stepped up his skills as a main event performer. By retiring Mick Foley as a result of two brutal matches to start the year 2000, he was not only hated, but also cemented as a true player. Ultimately, his reign was one fans hated because he was clearly 3rd in the pecking order of the top guys, and the numerous false finishes in it. He would lose the title and get it back almost regularly. Chris Jericho defeated HHH to one of the loudest ovations ever only for it to be overturned due to a fast count of an intimidated referee. When The Rock finally defeated him at Backlash, many thought The Game was over. Hardly did they know it was only just beginning.