Off-screen, “The King of Kings” is the patriarch of WWE’s increasingly popular NXT ‘developmental’ brand, transforming the FCW system and turning it into an NFL-worthy process which allows men and women with little-to-no wrestling background to work on their characters and become the Superstars that we see today on Raw and SmackDown Live.

Given the power that HHH wields, it is only natural that Superstars can easily recall their first meeting with one of the most influential people in the wrestling industry. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five people within WWE – some past, some present – and find out what happened when they first met the 14-time world champion.

#5 Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe debuted in NXT in May 2015 and he quickly established himself as one of the most dominant Superstars on the brand. He won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic with Finn Balor in October 2015 and he became NXT champion within his first year on WWE television.

Since then, he has become a two-time NXT champion, while he has gone on to feature in PPV main events against established names including Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, and he won his first singles title on the main roster in March 2019, when he dethroned R-Truth as United States champion.

Although Joe has had success on Raw and SmackDown Live, he revealed in a ‘WWE Chronicle’ documentary in 2018 that Triple H was brutally honest with him during their first meeting and he doubted whether a “late 30-something” would make it beyond the NXT system.

#4 Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle decided to make the bold switch from MMA to Pro wrestling/sports entertainment following his departure from UFC in 2013. He quickly made a name for himself on the independent scene, notably with Evolve, and questions were constantly being asked about when he will join WWE.

During an interview with Fightful in February 2017, Riddle revealed that he first met Triple H around the time of the 2016 Royal Rumble, two-and-a-half years before he eventually debuted on NXT television, but they only exchanged a few short words.

#3 Toni Storm

Toni Storm first caught the attention of the WWE Universe when she made it to the semi-finals of the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017. One year later, with her reputation enhanced even further, she went all the way to the final and defeated Io Shirai at WWE Evolution in October 2018 to win the second-annual tournament.

The New Zealand-born Aussie has since gone on to star in NXT UK, where she became the NXT UK Women’s champion by defeating Rhea Ripley at TakeOver: Blackpool in January 2019, and she told 24 Wrestling that she has often grabbed advice from Triple H since their first meeting.

#2 Steve Austin

It is not just the up-and-coming WWE talents who remember their first meeting with Triple H – even “Stone Cold” Steve Austin can recall what he thought of his former in-ring rival when he encountered him for the first time during their days in WCW.

Speaking on his Steve Austin Show podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer revealed that he instantly became friends with HHH and he respected the fact that he took the wrestling business seriously by not drinking alcohol.

He said (quotes via Wrestling Inc.):

#1 Alexa Bliss

It took a while for Alexa Bliss to establish herself as a prominent member of the women’s division in WWE, having mostly been used as a manager for Wesley Blake & Buddy Murphy throughout her on-screen appearances in NXT.

Although “Little Miss Bliss” was a fan of WWE growing up, she did not have any experience as a wrestler when she attended her first tryout with the company in 2013, and she recalled during an interview on NotSam Wrestling that she felt star-struck the first time she met Triple H.

She said (quotes via Ringside News):

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