8 People Triple H Is Still Close Friends With & 8 He Doesn't Talk To Anymore

The success of Triple H in recent years has seen him portrayed in a new light. Many fans now think of him as the business executive behind the scenes and the mind behind NXT. Triple H is responsible for signing most of the fan favorites today. The mindset of Triple H is to create the best product possible for WWE when he takes over, and it is hard to argue he isn’t doing a great job. However, the life of a wrestler for Triple H saw a less pleasant reputation.

We are going to look back at the relationships Triple H had with some of the wrestlers from his in-ring career. There are a few close friends of his that have remained close though the years. Some still work with him in WWE and others just keep in touch with him closely. On the flip side, there are wrestlers to have negative relationships with Triple H that caused them to lose touch. You won’t see these wrestlers having long conversations with Triple H during WrestleMania weekend. Find out about the friendships of the most important person to the future of WWE. These are eight people Triple H is still close with today along with eight that he doesn’t speak to.

16 Close friend: The Rock

One friendship to develop over time rather than start early is his bond with The Rock. Both wrestlers were competing in the Attitude Era to get the top spot in the business. It led to egos and petty drama coming into play backstage. Bret Hart claimed Triple H tried to sabotage Rock’s career from the start. Both men would trade personal barbs in interviews through the years.

Things have changed for the better over the past decade. Triple H’s success essentially getting prepared to run WWE and Rock becoming arguably the biggest acting star in the world have seen each become more pleased with their current lives. They have become close friends after working together during Rock’s various returns.

The two legends often exchange pleasantries on social media and Triple H has revealed they text to keep in contact more now than during their in-ring careers. A recent appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon saw Triple H lip sync a song from Moana, which Rock was a star voice actor for.

15 Doesn’t talk to: Bret Hart

Bret Hart is an enemy from Triple H’s past that hasn’t changed too much. Many assumed they were on better terms after Hart returned to WWE for quite a few appearances. Bret even showed up in NXT in Natalya’s corner during her incredible match against Charlotte Flair with Ric Flair also at ringside. The fact that Triple H runs NXT would lead you to believe they were friendly now.

However, the various interviews from Hart have seen him blast Triple H for various reasons. Bret still holds him responsible for playing a huge role in the Montreal Screwjob. The criticisms of Hart are that Triple H doesn’t have what it takes to successfully replace Vince McMahon. This is one wrestling drama that will never likely end in friendship.

14 Close friend: X-Pac

The friendship between Triple H and X-Pac has survived many ups and downs through the years. X-Pac entering a relationship with Chyna right after Triple H broke up with her was an odd time given how close their friendship was. The personal demons made X-Pac’s life difficult for a few years as he battled addiction and depression. Triple H played a huge role in X-Pac taking advantage of WWE’s offer for former talent to attend rehab on their dime.

Recent years have seen the friendship return to its strongest form. X-Pac is a guest of WWE during WrestleMania weekend and other big events. Triple H is often having fun with X-Pac and some of their other Kliq friends backstage at the shows. As someone on the bubble of the Hall of Fame, it is very likely that his friendship with Triple H will get X-Pac inducted sooner or later.

13 Doesn’t talk to: Billy Gunn

Former D-Generation X member Billy Gunn received an opportunity due to his connection with Triple H. Despite Gunn burying him in past shoot interviews, Triple H gave him another chance in WWE. Gunn became one of the top coaches at the Performance Center teaching the new prospects and signings. Baron Corbin and Tyler Breeze have referenced Gunn playing a huge role in their development.

Unfortunately, Gunn made a terrible mistake getting busted for using performance enhancing drugs for his side gig as a powerlifting competitor. WWE drug tests the coaches like the wrestlers and fired him for going against what they want talent to do. Gunn has not had much contact with Triple H since leaving WWE aside from the Raw 25 reunion show. It appears the relationship between Triple H and Billy is more business than personal.

12 Close friend: Ric Flair

The death of WCW led to one of Triple H’s dreams coming true when Ric Flair signed with WWE. Flair was no longer the incredible performer from the 80s, but he was still a legend that inspired Triple H and many others. Most diehard fans that appreciated the in-ring work preferred Flair over Hulk Hogan when growing up in the 80s. Triple H was one of those to be inspired by the Nature Boy.

WWE decided to have Flair become the manager of Triple H at the request of the latter. Triple H saw how much confidence Flair lost in WCW and wanted to help him return to form. The idea of the top star being managed by a legend made too much sense. Evolution later formed to help the careers of Randy Orton and Batista as well. Triple H bailed Flair out of issues in his personal life many times as they became close friends. Flair has gone on the record that Triple H is among his top friends in the business and beyond.

11 Doesn’t talk to: JBL

JBL has been known for having a great relationship with Vince McMahon as his ties to WWE. The similar mentalities regarding a lot of beliefs has seen McMahon give JBL a lot of opportunities. Vince was the one to bring JBL back into the company for a role on the commentary over the past few years and refused to fire him when the bullying scandal broke last year.

Triple H reportedly doesn’t have a similar relationship with JBL. Justin Roberts wrote in his book that Triple H was the one to gleefully share with the Raw roster that JBL was punched out by Joey Styles. The rising role of Triple H could have played a role in JBL choosing to leave the commentary table. Despite being in the same locker room for many years, Triple H and Bradshaw never formed a close relationship.

10 Close friend: Kevin Nash

The luster of the Kliq has made the backstage group of WWE friends from the 90s a fascinating topic today. WWE has produced quite a few documentaries that discuss the role the Kliq played backstage. One negative about the group is how messed up they often were with drugs and alcohol. Triple H and Kevin Nash were viewed as the only two with their minds in check.

Despite Nash leaving in the mid-90s before Triple H was a star, the two remained close and it benefited him later. Triple H’s presence backstage has been the main reason Nash returned on a few occasions. The two have been tight since the 90s with no real strains on their friendship. Triple H selected Nash to be a part of his wedding party. Nash will always have a place in the WWE family if Triple H is there.

9 Doesn’t talk to: Rob Van Dam

Rob Van Dam became one of the most popular WWE stars in the early 2000s. The first few years of his WWE career saw the fans fall in love with him. RVD truly was a man of the people, but his career always seemed to fall just short of what fans wanted in WWE. They never believed in him enough to be a world champion until the ECW brand launched.

The best chance for Van Dam was in 2002-2003 when WWE needed new top stars for the brand split. Everyone expected RVD to be the one to dethrone Triple H during one of his lengthy reigns, but he did the job. There is speculation that Triple H politicked against Van Dam after RVD severely injured him with a reckless move in the first Elimination Chamber match. Van Dam has stated he feels a negative energy from Triple H and the two clearly aren’t friends.

8 Close friend: Shawn Michaels

The friendship between Triple H and Shawn Michaels has been described as friendship goals. Fans were first made aware of their bond when they started D-Generation X. It gave Michaels the most authentic character he played in the 90s and helped elevate Triple H into a main event spot. Their friendship encountered issues in the late 90s/early 2000s when Michaels was dealing with his addiction struggles.

Once Michaels cleaned up his life, he apologized to Triple H for the prior drama and they were tight again. Triple H and Michaels are even closer today. Michaels gave up his quiet retired life in Texas to move to Orlando and coach at the Performance Center. The two friends are now playing a huge role in the future of WWE. From the long-haired rebels of the 90s to the short haired model WWE employees today, Triple H and Michaels are indeed friendship goals.

7 Doesn’t talk to: Shane McMahon

One bizarre relationship backstage in WWE features Triple H and Shane McMahon not getting along despite being brothers in law. Shane reportedly wasn’t happy when Stephanie started dating Triple H for many reasons. Aside from not wanting his sister to date in the business, Shane just didn’t think Triple H was a good enough partner for his sister.

This led to a power struggle behind the scenes when Shane left the company due to Vince choosing Stephanie and Triple H as the ones to take over for him in the future. While Shane has returned and has a close relationship with his father and sister, you rarely see any footage of him with Triple H behind the scenes. Wrestlers to leave WWE have claimed that they never interact and rarely say more than a simple welcome greeting at shows.

6 Close friend: Matt Bloom 

The most surprising friendship for Triple H may be his bond with former wrestler A-Train. These two wrestlers had nothing in common when working together and weren’t even friends. However, Triple H grew to appreciate the knowledge and passion of him. Many fans now know A-Train by his real name of Matt Bloom due to his role as the head trainer of the Performance Center.

The investment of creating the Performance Center was the first major decision to come at Triple H’s request. Bloom being given the responsibility of running it showed just how much Triple H grew to trust and believe in him as a talent coach. The success of the Performance Center has seen Bloom and Triple H become close while witnessing their projects become stars.

5 Doesn’t talk to: Ken Shamrock

While there are many close friendships to come from the Attitude Era, the tales of wrestlers disliking each other are out there as well. Ken Shamrock has been very public regarding Triple H having an issue with him stemming back to two decades ago. The former UFC star was getting a bigger push than Triple H when he joined the company and he believes that irked Triple H.

Shamrock has not been welcomed back to attend any WWE events or take part in any content they film for WWE Network or DVDs. He believes Triple H holds a grudge from having to put him over in the 90s. Shamrock claims Triple H is the one preventing him from getting inducted into the Hall of Fame or having any form of a return.

4 Close friend: Road Dogg

The popular opinion would state the second incarnation of D-Generation X with Triple H as the leader and the New Age Outlaws joining was the best version. Fans treated them like heroes every week with huge ovations. Road Dogg unleashed rants towards Triple H in the mid-2000s after getting released from WWE, but he privately issued an apology a few years later.

Triple H didn’t hold a grudge as he played a huge role in bringing Road Dogg back to WWE. The current role of Road Dogg is a top producer for all shows and a writer for SmackDown. On nights when Vince McMahon and Triple H are unable to attend SmackDown, Road Dogg is the main boss. This is clearly a move that Triple H wanted. The former DX partners are close friends today trying to deliver a successful product.

3 Doesn’t talk to: Bill DeMott

Triple H made a surprising move when choosing Bill DeMott to be the first head trainer at the Performance Center. The career of DeMott was never that impressive to the average fan since he was a lower card act in WCW and WWE. A scandal grew online when various wrestlers to work under DeMott’s training regimen in OVW and FCW called out his controversial methods of training.

DeMott was accused of harassing and bullying talent. Triple H reacted quickly when WWE announced they were parting ways with DeMott. Some fans were skeptical and expected DeMott to return within a year, but he still isn’t back. DeMott has stated he doesn’t have a relationship with anyone in WWE now. Triple H seemed to cut DeMott out of his life once he made negative headlines for the company’s reputation.

2 Close friend: William Regal

The close friends of Triple H are usually referenced as the members of the Kliq and Ric Flair. However, one very important buddy of his for many years has been William Regal. The two developed a bond when working together as mid-card acts trying to get established in WCW during the early 90s. Regal and Triple H reconnected when the former joined WWE as the latter became a mega-star.

Triple H went out of his way to help Regal out after his past struggles with drug use got him in trouble with WWE. At one-point, Triple H even tried to have a small program with Regal on screen despite both guys being in different tiers of star power at the time. Regal also took part in Triple H’s wedding party. The current relationship sees Regal as the right-hand man for Triple H in NXT and at the Performance Center. Regal is the one scouting many of the new signings as Triple H gives him his full trust.

1 Doesn’t talk to: Batista

The relationship between Triple H and Batista is believed to be closer than it is due to their past work together. Triple H was a huge supporter for Batista and helped him become a superstar when the latter joined him in the Evolution faction. Batista is always complimentary of Triple H and Ric Flair teaching him everything he needed to succeed.

The past 2014 run of Batista seemed to have soured the relationship. Batista has claimed that he wanted to return in the summer of that year when the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was set to hit theaters. Instead of taking advantage of the hit film, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon expressed fear of the movie flopping and his presence hurting the company.

Recent interviews have seen Batista reveal his desire to return to WWE again would be to have a retirement match against Triple H. Considering it keeps getting shut down, it seems that Triple H doesn’t want to work with Batista. Their friendship has clearly fallen off over the years.