World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) star and executive vice president of global talent strategy & development officially announced his retirement from in-ring performing on Friday.
Game Over: Triple H, whose real name is Paul Levesque, told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that a recent health scare has forced him to hang up his wrestling boots at the age of 52.
Levesque suffered a life-threatening heart failure in September 2021 following a bout with viral pneumonia.
"I will never wrestle again," Levesque said. "First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, which, you know, probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on live TV."
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The Damn Good: Triple H has served as an on-screen talent for WWE since 1995. He has won 14 world championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 as part of his late-1990s group D-Generation X.
In addition to his world championships, Triple H won two Royal Rumble matches, won the 1997 King of the Ring tournament and participated in seven WrestleMania main event matches.
Outside of the ring, Levesque is married to Stephanie McMahon, WWE's chief brand officer and the daughter of WWE CEO Vince McMahon. He has served in several executive roles within the organization for more than a decade.
ESPN reports Triple H's last televised match came on June 7, 2019 against Randy Orton in Saudi Arabia and his last WrestleMania match was a 2019 victory over Dave Bautista.
Benzinga's Take: Obviously any professional wrestling fan of the past 25 years understands the tremendous impact Triple H has had on the business as a performer both in and out of the ring. WWE and its investors hope to continue to benefit from his contributions behind the scenes at WWE for years to come.
Photo: Ed Schipul, Flickr
