The Infamous Curtain Call Incident Led To Some Big Consequences For Triple H

Although its outcomes are predetermined and a decent amount of its content is scripted, professional wrestling will sometimes surprise everyone and see events happen that very few could have predicted ahead of time. One event that sticks out from the rest is the Montreal Screwjob, which resulted in Shawn Michaels becoming WWE Champion after defeating Bret Hart, despite Hart not actually tapping out.

Michaels was not one to be afraid to cause controversy in WWE during the '90s, as he was also involved in an incident known as the "Curtain Call." Before Kane's obsession with May 19 began, that date was best known as the day kayfabe was broken. The "Curtain Call" saw Michaels, Triple H, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall embrace in the middle of the ring following a match, breaking character while doing so.

This event occurred because Nash and Hall, known as Diesel and Razor Ramon at the time, were about to leave WWE and head over to its main competitor, WCW. They wound up becoming part of one of the most famous wrestling factions ever — the NWO. Michaels was the WWE Champion at the time, therefore he was not going to be punished, leaving a not-yet-established Triple H out in the cold by himself.

Triple H was originally booked to win the King of the Ring tournament in 1996. However, he was punished for the "Curtain Call" incident, which the likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Jim Ross have spoken about. Instead of winning the tournament, Triple H, then known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, was eliminated in the first round by Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who wound up losing to Steve Austin in the finals. 

Had Triple H not been punished, fans may have never had the opportunity to hear Austin cut his famous Austin 3:16 promo after defeating Roberts.

In the following months, Triple H found himself rarely competing on "WWE Raw." He then lost three straight matches on "Raw," defeated by Ahmed Johnson, Freddie Joe Floyd, and The Stalker — none of whom had memorable careers under those personas. The Stalker was portrayed by Barry Windham, while Freddie Joe Floyd was played by Tracy Smothers.

Triple H didn't have much success following the "Curtain Call," however, that was only short-lived, as just over five months after the incident, he defeated Marc Mero for the Intercontinental Championship. This would be Triple H's first of many title wins in WWE, with the WWE Hall of Famer going on to win 14 world titles.