10 Triple H Orchestrated Championship Screwjobs
5. Rob Van Dam – Raw, 16 September 2002
As well as the world, European and women’s belts, Triple H can also add the Intercontinental title to his list of championship screwjobs. And not for the first time, this one took place in a match that didn’t even involve 'The Game'.
One week after being crowned No. 1 contender to Triple H’s world title, Rob Van Dam defended his Intercontinental gold against Chris Jericho, which Hunter clearly saw as a reasonable opportunity to get one up on his next challenger.
After interfering when RVD was about to hit the Five Star Frog Splash, a ringside scuffle eventually led to Triple H stepping between the ropes, and yet referee Charles Robinson still didn’t call for the bell. Van Dam managed to send 'The Game' packing, but the distraction allowed Jericho to catch him off-guard, lock in the Walls of Jericho and force the submission to win the Intercontinental Championship.
As well as screwing him over, tapping out just days before a pay-per-view title shot made RVD look a bit of a chump. Plus, Triple H didn’t even get his comeuppance down the line, as he beat the challenger in a one-and-done showdown at Unforgiven the following Sunday.