Triple H "took the bullet" in major WWE decision, says long-time ally: "Shawn could have protected him but didn't"
A WWE Hall of Famer revealed insights on what happened two decades ago involving Triple H and Shawn Michaels. It was a time when Michaels could have protected his best friend from being punished but didn't.
One of the biggest incidents in WWE history was the "Curtain Call" at Madison Square Garden in 1996 when The Kliq broke kayfabe, which almost compromised the business back then. The Game received the brunt of the blame because Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were going to WCW, and Shawn Michaels was the WWE Champion at that time.
On the most recent episode of the Kliq This podcast, Nash was asked to give some details of what happened after "Curtain Call." He revealed that Michaels could have helped Hunter avoid punishment but didn't do anything. There was also some animosity between the members, though it didn't lead to any major beef.
"(Triple H) took the bullet. Shawn could have protected him but didn't, and then when Shawn started to spiral through personal demons, Paul was there for him. … I know there was (animosity between Shawn and Hunter), yeah. I think there was on all of our ends, like ‘cause if anybody was untouchable, it was Shawn. Shawn was a champ," Nash said. [From 35:32 - 36:08]
In the end, things worked out for Triple H as he endured a rough patch in his career and turned into one of the greatest WWE Superstars ever. He also married into the McMahon family, and now serves as the company's Chief Content Officer and head of creative.
Shawn Michaels inducted Triple H into the WWE Hall of Fame
Despite what happened after the "Curtain Call," the friendship between Triple H and Shawn Michaels and the rest of The Kliq grew stronger. While The Game is in charge of creative in the main roster, Michaels holds the key to the future of WWE in NXT.
From being best friends to in-ring rivals, Hunter and Shawn are leading the company to its next generation as executives. The Heartbreak Kid also inducted his best friend, The Cerebral Assassin, into the WWE Hall of Fame back in April.
As for the rest of The Kliq, Kevin Nash and X-Pac are signed to WWE under legends contracts. Scott Hall, unfortunately, passed away on March 14, 2022, at the age of 63.
