WWE’s power couple has supplied us with plenty of shocking moments!
Stephanie McMahon and Triple H have a long history of creating memories. Some of those memories have been a little easier to recall, while some have been flat-out provocative, to put it mildly. One thing is certain, Steph and Trips are by far the most influential and powerful couple in wrestling’s history. Anything they touch seems to turn into money.
One of the more recent notches under Triple H’s belt is the undeniable success of NXT, which is largely due to Hunter’s contributions in the early stages, as well as the day-to-day, hands-on operation of the yellow brand.
Some of the memories figure their famous Authority storyline, which is not exactly worth bragging about. Nevertheless, the WWE power couple remains one of the most prominent duos in the entire industry, and from the looks of things, that will likely not change anytime soon.
That’s why on this list we are going to look at five of the most shocking moments, involving Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see how many of these moments you can recall.
#5 Red flag pregnancy
It was “game over” for Stephanie.
This particular shocking moment happened back in February of 2002. Stephanie was willing to do whatever it took to get back in the good gracious of her estranged husband and on this particular episode of Raw, she was willing to prove just that.
Accompanied by the test results from her “doctor,” Stephanie told Triple H that she was pregnant. Well, this type of news is likely to trump any sort of black cloud hanging over a relationship, so Hunter was visibly delighted at the news. In fact, the couple was now set to renew their wedding vows, as a sign of their new start.
Stephanie’s mother, Linda informed Triple H that the doctor was indeed an actor and that Stephanie wasn’t at all pregnant. This news led to some interesting changes to their vow renewing ceremony. As Hunter was about to recite his vows, he let Steph and the world know that he was on to her scam.
Trips went on to crash the set and even shove Stephanie to the ground, laying waste to everything that wasn’t bolted to the ground.
At the end of the night, Stephanie left with her marriage still in shambles and her dignity a little banged up as well. What made this angle all the more intriguing was the fact that this was right around the same time that the company had taken a strong, vocal stance against any sort of domestic violence.
#4 Wardrobe Malfunction
This was not a very flattering moment for Stephanie.
Our next shocking moment involves what is probably one of those moments, which Stephanie wishes she could erase from time. In 2002, Triple H had recently recovered from a quad injury, he and Stephanie were struggling with marital issues, and things just were very rocky at the time. Also, Hunter was involved in a feud with Chris Jericho.
During one episode of Raw, Triple H and Chris Jericho were tearing each other apart, in an in-ring brawl. During the segment, Stephanie decided to get involved and attempted to help Jericho, which was a bad move on her part. Triple H had Stephanie on top of the announcer’s table and was preparing to put her in a Pedigree.
Well, once Trips had her in position for the Pedigree, one of her breasts popped out of her top and because of the positioning of her arms, there was nothing she could do about it. Thankfully for her, Jericho made the save, just before the Pedigree was to be executed.
Unfortunately, the damage was done, and for weeks following the incident, her wardrobe malfunction was the talk of the entire wrestling industry.
#3 Unholy Matrimony
This was one of the most disturbing storylines of all time
The Undertaker has had a few character adjustments throughout his epic career. While his dark gimmick always has and will always be the same, there have been several, subtle changes made from time-to-time, such as the American Badass run, or the heel run during the Ministry of Darkness.
The Ministry run is what brings us to our number 3 most shocking moment. If you think back to the 1999 Backlash: In Your House pay-per-view, you will recall the moment when The Undertaker abducted Stephanie.
At the time, Taker was infatuated with the chairman’s daughter, and this was his chance to move in and take his prey. Taker informed Vince that he would release Stephanie, only if Vince sign over ownership of the then WWF. Vince eventually agreed, but Taker never showed up for the meeting. Instead, he opted for a dark wedding ceremony on Raw.
During the wedding segment, Stephanie was strapped to a black cross, and Paul Bearer was set to officiate the ceremony. Several superstars attempted to save Steph, to no avail. But in the end, Stone Cold Steve Austin made his run-in, taking out the Ministry and saving Stephanie from The Undertaker.
#2 Rousey-Mania
Ronda Rousey shocked everyone by making her first ever WWE appearance at Wrestlemania 31.
Wrestlemania is undoubtedly the biggest event of our year, as wrestling fans. Each year, the spectacle grows into something even larger than the years before. That was certainly the case in 2015, for Wrestlemania 31.
As the evening progressed at the Levis Stadium, Triple H and Stephanie made their way out, to greet the San Francisco crowd. The couple praised the fans for being a part of a Levis Stadium record-setting crowd of 76,976 in attendance.
However, in true Authority fashion, the speech quickly turned into a gloating session about themselves. As they bragged of their achievements, The Rock made his entrance and delivered a crowd-pleasing promo, only to be slapped by Stephanie.
Steph then asked The Rock if he was going to retaliate and lay his hands on a woman. The Rock stepped out of the ring, walked over to where Ronda Rousey was sitting and said “no….but she will.”
As the segment neared the finish, The Rock and Ronda Rousey got rid of Triple H and Rousey, put Stephanie in an armbar, before having her exit the ring as well.
#1 Intoxicated bliss
Test was not happy to see this image appear on the tron
One of the, if not the most memorable, Triple H/Stephanie moment occurred on November 29, 1999. During a Raw segment, Stephanie was all set to marry Test. As the ceremony was beginning, a video appeared of Triple H driving around Las Vegas, with a visibly intoxicated or perhaps drugged Stephanie, passed out in the passenger’s seat.
At one point, the video shows Triple H driving them through what appeared to be a drive-thru wedding chapel called “The Tunnel of Love.”
Stephanie continued to act as if she hated Triple H, at least until the inaugural Armageddon pay-per-view, at which time she turned on her family and aligned herself with Triple H, which would prove to be the early stages to their long-term saga as the true power couple of professional wrestling.
