9. Shored Up Main Event Scene During Major Absences
As the calendar moved closer to the new millennium, the then-World Wrestling Federation found that they had to deal with some major changes. Injuries to the likes of Steve Austin and The Undertaker left huge gaps that needed filled at the top of the card, which is exactly where Triple H fits in. The man had been threatening to become a headliner anyway, but he was there when the company needed him most. All of a sudden, the WWF were without two of their most trusted power players in the main event scene. Triple H stepped up and actually became the most effective heel the promotion had on their books in the year 2000. Mick Foley, as Cactus Jack, had some of his best matches against HHH in early-2000, and then the heel carried the main event burden alongside The Rock for much of the year. It's easy for some to say that Triple H was just in the right place at the right time, but not just anybody could have carried the load. He was a tremendous villain, and improved his all-round game tenfold. Better yet, by the time both Austin and Undertaker returned, Triple H provided an excellent adversary for them to work with.
