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D-Generation X has re-united, and it seems as if they're better than ever. Just three weeks after suffering a knee injury
at the hands of the Squad, HBK returned on the June 12 RAW. As Triple H was facing the Squad 5 on 1, Michaels made a surprise
return by attacking Mitch. After a brief staredown with Mr. McMahon, HBK charged the ring to help The Game fight off the remaining
members of the Squad. When the ring was clear, the two men exchanged a high five and did their signature DX crotch chop in
the direction of the WWE Chairman. Later, an irate Mr. McMahon made the match for Vengeance.
DX "officially" reunited the next week, and their fingerprints could be found all over RAW. You can take a full look at the
carnage they caused here, and you can check out their special Superstar section for a look back at the history of D-Generation
X.
At Vengeance, the Spirit Squad fell to the powerhouse that is DX in a 5-on-2 Handicap Match, so the McMahon men decided to
take things into their own hands the next night on RAW. While it was supposed to be DX vs. The McMahons, DX instead came out
and impersonated them with Triple H playing the WWE Chairman and HBK as Shane-o-Mac. Later, after telling the McMahons that
they were full of crap, DX had actual human waste dumped on them (and the Spirit Squad as well) as they stood on the entrance
stage.
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Name: Shawn Michaels
Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 225 pounds
From: San Antonio, Texas
Signature Move: Sweet Chin Music
Career Highlights: 3-time WWE Champion; World Heavyweight Champion; 1995 and 1996 Royal Rumble winner; three-time Intercontinental
Champion; three-time World Tag Team Champion; European Champion
Associates: Triple H
Trained By: Jose Lothario
One of the founding fathers of D-Generation X, Shawn Michaels was part of the group from its inception until WrestleMania
XIV. During his time as the leader of DX, Michaels held the WWE Championship for nearly five months and held the European
Championship for three.
The true genesis of DX occurred on August 18, 1997 when Michaels and Triple H were forced to team up by Commissioner Slaughter.
Michaels and Triple H were victorious that night over Undertaker & Mankind, and over the next few weeks, they began to
be seen together more and more.
On Sept. 20 of that year, Triple H and bodyguard Chyna helped Michaels defeat the British Bulldog for the European Championship
at One Night Only. This was the next big moment in the evolution of DX, as the trio was now officially together. With then-WWE
Champion Bret Hart continuously calling them degenerates, the official name D-Generation X was coined on October 13, signifying
the official beginning of the group lore.
At Survivor Series, Michaels had the opportunity to face Hart for the WWE Championship. And in the infamous Montreal Incident
Michaels defeated Hart by submission using The Hitman's own signature Sharpshooter. With DX (and specifically Michaels) now
holding two championships, the group was established as a force to be reckoned with.
Over the next few months, Michaels, Triple H and Chyna would continuously defy authority with their lewd and juvenile
antics. Their most specific target was Sgt. Slaughter, then the WWE Commissioner. In one particularly memorable instance,
DX donned helmets with face shields and windshield wipers to prevent Slaughter's saliva from hitting their faces while he
chastised them.
Slaughter tried to stick it to DX on one RAW in December, but it was Michaels and Triple H who outsmarted the Commissioner.
Slaughter ordered HBK to defend the European Championship against Triple H, hoping to cause some dissention in the group.
Unfortunately, they had a plan, and when the match came around Michaels basically laid down and allowed Triple H to pin him
and claim the gold. As Slaughter looked on frustrated, DX crowed about their tough battle to further thumb their nose at the
authority figure.
DX continuously enraged Slaughter, with their infamous Christmas Moon that same night being just another example of their
defiance to the Commissioner. Seemingly however, karma would strike Michaels in January 1998 at the Royal Rumble. While defending
the WWE Championship in a Casket Match against Undertaker, Michaels landed hard on the casket and suffered a back injury.
While it was not originally known how serious the injury was, it would eventually keep Michaels out of action for more than
four years.
For the next two months, Michaels stuck mostly to a non-wrestling role. However, he remained a major antagonist against
looming WrestleMania opponent Stone Cold Steve Austin. When Mike Tyson was signed to be the special enforcer for their match,
Michaels got into a confrontation with the former boxer however, it was all a ruse, as HBK ripped Tyson's shirt off to reveal
a D-Generation X shirt underneath. And after a later confrontation between Tyson and Austin, DX marched to the ring dressed
like Uncle Sam to campaign for a Tyson vs. Austin match.
The end of Michaels tenure as leader of DX would finally come at WrestleMania XIV. Michaels defended the WWE Championship
against Austin, and the referee was knocked out late in the match. Tyson would come in to count the winning pinfall for Austin,
leading to a confrontation between Tyson and Michaels. After Michaels shoved Tyson, the former boxer floored him with a right
hand, knocking the former WWE Champion out. The next night, Triple H relieved Michaels of his duties as leader of DX, and
Michaels would not return to the ring until SummerSlam 2002.
It looked like DX would come back together in 2002 when Triple H convinced a returned Shawn Michaels to get the band back
together. It was only a one night deal, however, as The Game turned on his former friend to spark a bitter rivalry that would
last for years.
But now, nearly nine years after their initial pairing, Michaels and Triple H have come together to re-form D-Generation
X. And once again, they have an authority figure as a common enemyonly this time, it's the WWE Chairman himself, Mr. McMahon.
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Name: Triple H
Height: 6 foot 4
Weight: 260 pounds
From: Greenwich, Conn.
Signature Move: Pedigree
Career Highlights: 5-time WWE Champion, 5-time World Heavyweight Champion, 4-time Intercontinental Champion, World Tag
Team Champion, 2-time European Champion, 1997 King of the Ring, 2002 Royal Rumble Match winner
Associates: Shawn Michaels
WWE Debut: May 1995
Trained By: Killer Kowalski
A founding father of D-Generation X, Triple H is the only member to be part of the group for its entire existence. During
that time, The Game would hold the European, Intercontinental and WWE Championships.
The true genesis of DX occurred on Aug. 18, 1997 when Shawn Michaels and Triple H were forced to team up by Commissioner Slaughter.
They were victorious that night over Undertaker & Mankind, and over the next few weeks, Triple H & Michaels began to be seen
together more and more. At One Night Only on Sept. 20, Triple H helped Michaels win the European Championship in a moment
that seemed to officially brand them as a group. With then-WWE Champion Bret Hart continuously calling them degenerates, the
official name “D-Generation X” was coined on Oct. 13, and the group’s legacy had begun.
Over the next few months, Triple H, Michaels and Chyna would continuously defy authority with their lewd and juvenile antics.
Their most specific target was Commissioner Slaughter. In one particularly memorable instance, DX donned helmets with face
shields and windshield wipers to prevent Slaughter’s saliva from hitting their faces while he chastised them. Triple
H and Slaughter even squared off in a Boot Camp Match at the D-Generation X pay-per-view in Dec. 1997, and The Game was victorious
over the Commissioner.
Slaughter tried to stick it to DX on one RAW in December, but it was Michaels and Triple H who outsmarted the Commissioner.
Slaughter ordered HBK to defend the European Championship against Triple H, hoping to cause some dissention in the group.
Unfortunately for Slaughter, they had a plan, and when the match came around, Michaels basically laid down and allowed Triple
H to pin him and claim the gold. As Slaughter looked on in frustration, DX crowed about their “tough battle” to
further thumb their nose at the authority figure.
After a few more months of antagonizing authority, the scope of DX began to change. The night after WrestleMania XIV, Triple
H relieved an injured Michaels of his role as DX leader. That same night, recent WCW defector X-Pac joined the group, as did
the New Age Outlaws. To cap off the big night, Triple H and X-Pac helped their new mates regain the World Tag Team Championship
from Mick Foley & Chainsaw Charlie.
As the new DX took shape, the fans began to enjoy their antics more and more. Over the spring and summer of 1998, what was
a group of anti-authority rule breakers became the most popular group in WWE. As a quintet, the new DX even ventured into
true enemy territory, going to “invade” WCW Nitro in May 1998.
They would then begin a rivalry with the Nation of Domination sparked by Triple H’s issues with The Rock. DX even did
an impersonation of the Nation in July, with Triple H playing “The Crock.” The Nation would get revenge when D-Lo
Brown took The Game’s European Championship; but at SummerSlam, Triple H got the last laugh when he defeated The Rock
in a Ladder Match to claim the Intercontinental Championship. Unfortunately, Triple H suffered a knee injury that would keep
him out of action for several months.
Upon his return, Triple H once again took liberties with his previous foe. With The Rock now part of the Corporation, The
Game reprised his role as “The Crock” for a DX parody of the group. However, just months later, Triple H & Chyna
would turn on DX at WrestleMania XV and join the Corporation.
While DX would continue in name, Triple H would not re-join the group until late in 1999. Triple H, then the WWE-Champion,
reconciled with X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws in October to reform the full group. While Triple H would lose the gold in November,
the group would soon gain a new associate. After The Game married Stephanie McMahon, she became an associate of the group
after turning on her father during a match between Triple H and Mr. McMahon. The new full DX would also later add Tori to
the group, and they would help Triple H regain the WWE Championship from Big Show in January.
The group would stay strong for the first half of the year, with The Game holding onto the WWE Championship until Backlash
in April. They would also add a few new associates in The Radicalz; after a short rivalry following their debut in January,
the foursome of Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn would be welcomed into the good graces of Triple
H and company.
Following the re-gain and loss of the WWE Championship by Triple H, DX finally began their final tailspin. Billy Gunn had
been removed from the group in February after the Outlaws lost the World Tag Team Championship, and new partners Road Dogg
and X-Pac stopped getting along. At SummerSlam, Triple H went his own way as Road Dogg and X-Pac fought each other, signaling
an end to the group. Triple H, Road Dogg, Gunn and Chyna would later reconvene for one final 8-Man Tag Team Match against
the Radicals, but that was only a symbolic end for the group.
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