WWE News

Triple H Announces Retirement From In-Ring Competition

By James Holder. Published 25th March 2022.
Triple H

Triple H has confirmed that he will not be returning to the ring after undergoing heart surgery in September 2021.

Speaking in a new interview with ESPN’s First Take, Triple H has announced that his in-ring career is over.

Posting on social media ahead of the interview, The Game promised to provide an update on his health and WWE future. In the conversation with Stephen A Smith, the former World Champion has now revealed that he will be hanging up his boots.

Triple H also recalled the cardiac event which saw him undergo surgery. He recounted coughing up blood, which was noticed by his wife Stephanie McMahon. This led to him undergoing a series of tests, which showed he was suffering heart failure. He was immediately taken to the emergency room.

He also described being sedated for procedures while worrying he wouldn’t wake up and be able to see his daughters again.

The Hall of Famer explained that he was initially diagnosed with viral pneumonia, which led to him having fluid in his lungs and around his heart.

“From the viral pneumonia, I had fluid in my lungs, fluid around my heart. They followed up on it, did an EKG. Basically, the way your heart pumps out, it’s 55 to 65 percent of your injection fracture is a good number. I was at 30 (percent).

I had a quick text message saying, ‘don’t take time, pack a bag, we’ll head to the emergency room. I’ll fill you in on the way.’ By the time I got to the emergency room, my ejection fracture had gone down to 22 (percent). I was in heart failure. Bad. By the next morning, as they figured that out in the evening, the next morning as I was setting in to get an MRI done and about to go in for a heart cap, my ejection fracture was down to 12 (percent). I was nose diving and at the one-yard line of where you don’t want to be.

For your family and your future, when they tell you it’s 99%, it gets real. We have three young girls; 15, 13, and 11 (years old). Suddenly, I come home and I’m a little bit sick, and their dad, who is strong, always, suddenly is in the hospital. I don’t know if they understood the consequences of it, but there are moments in there when they are putting you out for stuff and you think, ‘is this it? Do you wake up again?’

That’s tough to swallow. It makes you think differently about life. It doesn’t make you any less driven with the things you do, but it certainly makes you appreciate the things you have; your friends and your family.”

He went on to reveal that he has a defibrillator fitted, before confirming that his wrestling days were over.

“For me, as far as in-ring, I’m done. I will never wrestle again. I have a defibrillator in my chest, which it’s not a good idea for me zapped on live TV.”

Triple H wrestled his last match at a WWE live event in Japan in June 2019 where he teamed with Shinsuke Nakamura to defeat Robert Roode and Samoa Joe. His final singles match came at Super ShowDown only weeks earlier where he was defeated by Randy Orton.

H/t to Fightful for the transcription.

Featured