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Is Triple H retiring? WWE icon vows to ‘never wrestle again’ post cardiac surgery

Hashtag ‘ThankYouTripleH’ quickly secured one of the top trending spots as many from WWE sent their love to the wrestling icon

WWE legend Triple H, whose real name is Paul Michael Levesque, is hanging up his boots after giving more than 30 years to pro wrestling. The 52-year-old underwent cardiac surgery in September 2021 and that is one of the main reasons he is calling it quits on wrestling. The 14-time world champion dropped a subtle hint on Twitter on Friday, March 25 that quickly sent the Internet into a meltdown.
 
Hashtag ‘ThankYouTripleH’ quickly secured one of the top trending spots on the microblogging site. To make the big announcement, Triple H sat for an interview on ‘Stephen A's World’ with Stephen A Smith where he made it clear that his wrestling days were over. Soon, many from the world of WWE sent an outpouring of love and support on Twitter, wishing him good health. Triple H is the son-in-law of the former wrestler and WWE CEO Vince McMahon and is also the founder and executive producer of the WWE NXT brand.
 
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Is Triple H retiring from wrestling?

In his latest tweet, Triple H stated, “Been a while since I’ve given an update on my health and what the future has in store for me.” His loyal fans then rushed to the interview where he shed light on why was he retiring from wrestling. “I was nosediving and was sorta at the one-yard line of where you don't want to be," Triple H told Smith adding, “There's moments in there, when they're putting you out and stuff and you wonder, 'Is this it? Do you wake up from this?'" The WWE icon added, “As far as in-ring, I'm done. I will never wrestle again.” He added, “First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, and it's probably not wise for me to get zapped on live TV”, as reported by TMZ.
 
In one of the earlier interviews with ESPN, Triple H after his cardiac surgery said, “I had viral pneumonia. My lungs were inflamed, and as the next couple of days went on and I got home, it got increasingly worse. My wife saw some blood and stuff that I was coughing up, and I went and got checked, and it was coming from viral pneumonia, but I had fluid in my lungs.” He added, “I had some fluid around my heart so they followed up on it and did an EKG and Echo and everything. Basically, the way your heart pumps out 55-60 percent of your ejection fraction is a good number. I was at 30 percent. I got a quick text message saying don't take time, pack a bag real quick and head to the emergency room and I'll fill you in on the way” concluding, So, by the time I got to the emergency room, my ejection fraction had gone down to 22 percent, which, ya know, I was in heart failure."
 
Triple H was active in the wrestling ring for nearly three decades now, while his association with WWE dates back to 1995. The present COO for WWE had been a five-time Intercontinental Champion, three-time World Tag Team champion and fourteen-time world champion. He had also won the Royal Rumble twice and been a King of the Ring tournament winner.

‘So glad you're alive and healthy’

Many from the world of WWE took to Twitter after Triple H announced his big move. Peter Rosenberg tweeted, “One of the all-time best wrestlers and minds ... congratulations on an iconic in ring run... so glad you're alive and healthy @TripleH” Jessika Carr too took to Twitter and posted, “When I was 10 years old I attended my first live event and you were in the main event. You always supported me on my journey since day one in this company. Thank you @TripleH”.
 
Lance Storm, on the other hand, added, “Many things are more important than wrestling matches and it’s not like he had things left to accomplish. One hell of a career. All the best to @TripleH, be well and stay healthy. Congrats on retiring @TripleH.. Preciate your guidance and always being the guy I can call.. All love!” And Michael Gregory Mizanin shared, “Triple H it was an honor to have shared the ring with you. Thank you for the wealth of knowledge you have given to me over the years. Enjoy the extra time you will now have with your girls. #ThankYouTripleH”