Paul "Triple H" Levesque may be occupied preparing for WrestleMania 41 and other upcoming WWE events, but that doesn't mean he's out of the loop on all other pop culture happenings. The CEO shouted out Saturday Night Live amidst its 50th Anniversary celebration ahead of the NBC special, and even highlighted a significant moment between the two brands. That said, he left out a key figure involved in the ordeal, and might've also forgotten about an earlier time when SNL crossed paths with pro wrestling.
While I would've personally highlighted the time Michael Che and Colin Jost participated in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Trips had another significant moment when the wrestling organization shared the stage with the iconic sketch comedy series.
Triple H's Tribute To Saturday Night Live Excluded One Key Figure
While Dwayne Johnson's upcoming movies always make him an easy choice to be an upcoming Saturday Night Live guest host, it was a completely different ballgame for the athletic actor in 2000. Outside of a couple of television appearances, he was primarily known as "The Rock" in the WWE, so hosting SNL was a big deal when he was invited to Studio 8H. Triple H commemorated the 25th anniversary of the moment by recalling teaming up with Mick Foley and Paul Wight to crash the hosting, but left out the fact that Vince McMahon was also there.
25 years ago, @TheRock made history by becoming the first @WWE Superstar to host SNL… and @PaulWight, Mick Foley, and I brought attitude to the monologue! Congrats to all the cast, crew, and executives of @nbcsnl who have created a global entertainment franchise for 50 years. pic.twitter.com/AsF8ELhWitFebruary 16, 2025
Triple H failing to mention his own father-in-law and former chairman of the WWE is presumably due to the former boss' legal issues. Despite Vince McMahon reaching a settlement with the SEC as part of the aftermath, he remains a controversial figure due to hush money payments made to former WWE employee Janel Grant.
Still, to include former WWE legend Big Show, an active member of rival company AEW, in the tribute and not the person responsible for the WWE's modern popularity may illustrate just how apprehensive the company is to reference its former leader in such a celebratory setting.
The Rock Technically Wasn't The First Pro Wrestler To Host SNL
What's most interesting about Triple H's tribute is that his post may give the impression that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was truly the first of the company's wrestling legends to host Saturday Night Live. In reality, though, he may be specifically adhering to "WWE Superstars" rather than "WWF icons" in general, seeing as how Hulk Hogan and actor Mr. T hosted SNL in 1985 before the first WrestleMania.
Take a look at their monologue, which can be found below:
Perhaps Triple H also balked at putting a spotlight on Hulk Hogan's legacy after seeing Hogan get booed on Monday Night Raw. The Season 10 episode, available to stream for those with a Peacock subscription, features a few funny sketches, and the Hulkster and Mr. T do their best to keep it entertaining, even if they aren't natural talents when it comes to sketch comedy. But they weren't as prominent throughout as guest hosts usually are, perhaps due to reportedly being late additions.
Unfortunately, no WWE superstars are listed on the lineup for Saturday Night Live's 50th Anniversary special, but there's always a chance one might be should the series make it to the next major milestone! Who knows, we might be surprised by an appearance that no one expected.
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