10 Times Wrestlers Shot Themselves Into A Work

The group hug heard around the world didn't do the young Hunter Hearst-Helmsley any favours. A major kayfabe killer, the sight of babyfaces and heels embracing one another out of character like that was strictly taboo. With Kevin Nash and Scott Hall heading to WCW and Shawn Michaels being WWE's top dog, only Triple H suffered the consequences of the Curtain Call.

With his King of the Ring '96 victory vetoed, Helmsley slipped down the card and started eating losses left, right and centre (though none of them were quite as humiliating as that Ultimate Warrior squash from WrestleMania 12). According to The Undertaker, Triple H's quiet, remorseful acceptance of his punishment wound up earning him a lot of respect in the locker room. At a time when his Kliq buddies were running roughshod over the business, The Cerebral Assassin kept things professional.

Triple H of course did get that big main event push a few years later. Now considerably more over with audiences thanks to his DX work, he sat down for a classic promo with JR where he first called himself The Game. Using the Curtain Call burial as an explanation for his new, ruthless heel persona, Helmsley's Game persona was an effective blend of kayfabe and reality that resonated with Attitude Era audiences.