The World Heavyweight Championship was vacated by Raw general manager Eric Bischoff following a controversial Triple Threat match involving Edge, Chris Benoit, and Triple H. Edge tapped out to the crossface at the same exact time that Benoit was pinned by Edge, so Bischoff vacated the title and it was up for grabs at New Year’s Revolution in the Elimination Chamber. After entering the match third, Triple H outlasted Edge, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and Batista, and with the help of Ric Flair and a monster clothesline from Batista, Triple H pinned Randy Orton for his tenth title.

Less than three months later, the cruel hand of irony would end Triple H’s tenth reign; at WrestleMania 21, Triple H fell victim to the Batista Bomb and lost the title to Batista, the very man who helped him win it at New Year’s Revolution.