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Steve Austin and Triple H were among the greatest rivals of the Attitude Era, considering it launched Triple H's villainous status into new heights. Both have had classic bouts fans still talk about, including some of the most memorable in-ring segments during their feud. However, it may sound difficult for some fans to comprehend, but despite their intense rivalry on TV, Steve Austin and Triple H get along fine in real life, as Steve Austin has stated that he and Triple H are friends.
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They Were Legends Of The Attitude Era
In the late 1990s, many up-and-superstars were establishing themselves as they were shaking up the landscape of the WWE. New superstars such as Steve Austin, The Rock, and Triple H were coming to their own as they would get prominently featured in the main-event scene for years to come. As WWE launched the Attitude Era in 1997, the star power within their adjusted roster became phenomenal. There were main-event level superstars who were box-office draws and worked with a tremendous supporting cast that would rub off each other.
However, one would think that during the late-1990s and early 2000s, when WWE became white-hot in business, there was a highly-competitive nature behind the scenes. Being a main-event level superstar during the Attitude Era is a big deal, as getting featured on WWE programming during this time would launch them into massive stardom. Superstars like Steve Austin and Triple H were able to thrive from that competitive nature and became some of the biggest legends in the wrestling industry.
While Steve Austin was the face of WWE during the late 1990s, Triple H thrived in momentum from his leadership role in D-Generation X in 1998 to becoming a main-event level heel in 1999 and after. And because both men were talented superstars and had marketable charm in their arsenal, Steve Austin and Triple H had won the WWE Championship on many occasions. Especially Triple H, as he continued his career far after the Attitude Era ended.
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Bitter Enemies On TV, Friends In Real-Life
Despite the brutal wars they've had on TV, Steve Austin and Triple H are real-life friends who have respect for each other. If anyone ever heard Steve Austin talk about Triple H in real-life, he's had nothing but good things to say about The Game. Their friendship goes back a long time, going back to when both men met in WCW, according to Steve Austin. On the Steve Austin Show, He explained that the both of them had a lot of interests in common, whether it'd be powerlifting, music, and their sense of humor. Steve Austin had also stated that the two remain good friends.
Their fondness for each other may have contributed to their on-screen chemistry, whether they got portrayed as enemies or tag team partners. One can look back at the Two-Man Power Trip in 2001 as a glimpse of how Triple H and Steve Austin had a natural pairing as a tag team. Before Triple H tore his quad in mid-2001 and missed the rest of the year because of an injury, he and Steve Austin provided entertaining television, including a stellar main-event tag team match where they defended their Tag Team Championships on May 21, 2001, episode of Raw.
All In The Name Of Entertainment
It goes to show that even wrestlers with the most intense televised feuds with each other can get along just fine behind the scenes. It's no different regarding the friendship between Steve Austin and Triple H. Even though their feud featured the infamous storyline of Steve Austin getting hit by a car orchestrated by Triple H and the critically-acclaimed brutal Three-Stages of Hell match between the two at No Way Out 2001, at the end of the day, it's all in the name of entertainment.
