Paul Levesque, the multi-time WWE champion and founding member of D-Generation X, has retired from professional wrestling. The wrestler announced his retirement from in-ring competition on ESPN’s First Take, and later tweeted by the WWE.
Rumors of Triple H’s retirement have been persisting for months, particularly since September 2021, when he underwent treatment following a cardiac event caused by a genetic heart issue. It was later revealed that his condition is very serious, and may necessitate stepping back from professional wrestling. Triple H shared on ESPN’s First Take (via Jason Solomon) that he “had viral pneumonia, was coughing up blood, and got checked.” Fluid was reportedly accumulating in his lungs and around his heart, and his ejection fracture with his heart “plunged as low as 12, which is near death.”
Triple H was arguably and widely considered one of the best heels in WWE history. In a 2019 GameSpot profile of Triple H, NXT star Candice LaRae emphasized the strong sense of family and belonging he instilled throughout the NXT: “From the very top, Triple H wants to protect the wrestling part of [that sense of family]. He’s like our father, and then the rest of us are like his little children.”
According to a tweet sent by Triple H himself earlier on March 25, the full conversation on First Take will give “an update on my health and what the future has in store with me.”
