Not all legendary WWE moments are forged in gold – some are caked in mud and a little bit of mayhem. When Connecticut blueblood Hunter Hearst Helmsley clashed with Arkansas hog farmer Henry O. Godwinn in an Arkansas Hog Pen Match in 1995, even seasoned fans had no idea what was about to unfold. It was supposed to be a quirky attraction. It turned into chaos and a legitimate injury. Meanwhile, a backstage prank by Owen Hart left Vince McMahon furious. How did one match leave Triple H marked for life? The answer still lurks in the slop, waiting to be unearthed!
Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H) and Henry O. Godwinn collide in WWE’s notorious Arkansas Hog Pen Match at In Your House 5 on December 17, 1995, at Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, featuring live pigs, mud, and a legitimately injured Triple H. Read on to find out what really went down in this legendary encounter! Photo Credit: WWE.
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Inside the Rivalry: Henry O. Godwinn Faces Hunter Hearst Helmsley’s Sneering Snobbery
Mark Canterbury as Henry O. Godwinn and Paul Levesque (Triple H) as Hunter Hearst Helmsley during their 1995 WWE feud that led to the Arkansas Hog Pen Match. Photo Credit: WWE.
From 1992 to 1994, Mark Canterbury competed in WCW as masked wrestler Shanghai Pierce. During the final months of his WCW tenure, Canterbury developed a working relationship with Paul Levesque, who was establishing his own career trajectory.
After a brief stint as the villainous Terra Ryzing in early 1994, Levesque adopted the in-ring persona of Jean-Paul Lévesque, a heelish French aristocrat, which served as the foundation for his later Connecticut Blueblood character in WWE.
Canterbury joined WWE (then WWF) in November 1994, with Levesque following just a couple of months later.
Canterbury’s Henry Orpheus Godwinn character deliberately spelled out H.O.G. with his initials to emphasize the pig farmer gimmick. Initially positioned as a member of Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Corporation, Godwinn’s heel persona centered on throwing “slop” on opponents.
Meanwhile, Levesque rapidly developed his Hunter Hearst Helmsley character, defeating Bob Holly at SummerSlam 1995 in his pay-per-view debut and launching an undefeated streak.
Following his first pinfall loss to The Undertaker at Survivor Series that year, Levesque amplified his character’s aristocratic and condescending traits.
The feud between the two wrestlers emerged from a strategic conversation. During a 2020 interview, Triple H recalled approaching then-CEO Vince McMahon with a specific proposal regarding Henry O. Godwinn.
That whole scenario with Henry Godwinn came based on Henry being a heel and putting slop on people, and guys didn’t want to do it,” admitted Triple H. “They didn’t want to take it.”
“I went to Vince and was like, ‘If you turn him babyface, I’ll take that slop all day long.’ Nobody would want to not get that slop on them more than me, my character, right? The snob, I wouldn’t even want to get in the ring with this guy. And Vince looked at it as great, so he turned Henry babyface, and I didn’t want to get in the ring with him, all of that.”
“I think what helped me and [Triple H] was we knew each other a little bit in WCW,” Canterbury explained.
“When we both ended up at the same time up there up North, everything just sort of fell together. We both thought it was a good idea for the prissy English boy who had never been on a farm, and me, who didn’t wash my clothes all the time and had to carry that slop bucket around all the time. What more can you ask for?
“It is bound to happen that he is going to get muddied or he is going to get slop on him eventually, and he did both quite often.”
The rivalry officially began in September 1995 when Godwinn turned face by “slopping” DiBiase during an episode of WWF Action Zone.
Their first televised encounter occurred on WWF Superstars, concluding with Helmsley retaliating by dousing Godwinn with his signature perfume vial, creating a symbolic clash between refined sensibilities and blue-collar grit.
Although their televised matches remained limited, the wrestlers performed countless house show matches across the country, with most encounters ending in Godwinn covering Helmsley in slop.
“We did that slop match all over the country, every night,” Triple H reflected years later. “It ruined my gear more than anything but it was awesome, I loved it.”
Despite receiving modest television exposure, the feud between Godwinn and Helmsley culminated in a career-defining encounter at the In Your House 5pay-per-view, where their contrasting personas would collide in WWE’s most unconventional gimmick match.
Triple H vs. Henry O. Godwinn: The Origin of WWE’s Infamous Hog Pen Showdown
Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H) covered in mud and slop during the December 1995 Arkansas Hog Pen Match against Henry O. Godwinn at WWE In Your House 5. Photo Credit: WWE.
On the November 13 episode of Monday Night RAW, Henry O. Godwinn and Triple H squared off in a Slop Match that ended with a comedic twist: Godwinn dumped slop on his own head, and Triple H chased after him, slipping across the canvas.
This marked their last confrontation before the In Your House 5 pay-per-view at Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on December 17. During the gap between televised matches, WWE creative introduced the concept of the Arkansas Hog Pen match, a proposal Triple H recounted in a June 2020 media call.
"When they first threw the Pig Pen Match at me, I loved it. I thought it was phenomenal. As a snob heel, what better thing could happen than you get thrown into a pen with pig poop? I could have done with maybe not quite as much poop. Those pigs were big and had been in there all day."
The Hog Pen match, crafted as a variation on a traditional Mud Match, had simple rules: the bout would begin in the ring, but victory would go to the first wrestler to send his opponent into a pen near the entryway, filled with mud and pig manure.
True to form, Vince McMahon sought authenticity, bringing in a real pig farmer and filling the pen with six large pigs. Before the match, Triple H received a particularly memorable piece of advice from the farmer.
"Right before we went to go in, the farmer told me, ‘Keep your fingers tucked underneath because sometimes the pigs get a bit antsy, they’ll bite, and they’ll take your finger clean off.’"
But as Triple H would discover, biting pigs were only one hazard in a match destined to become legendary for far more than its mud and mayhem.
Blood, Mud, and Mayhem: What Happened During the Hog Pen Match?
Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H) battles Henry O. Godwinn during the Arkansas Hog Pen Match at In Your House 5. Photo Credit: WWE.
The Arkansas Hog Pen match was the third contest on the In Your House 5 card, with Hillbilly Jim (Godwinn’s eventual manager) officiating as guest referee. Triple H immediately conveyed his character’s revulsion upon entering the arena, visibly recoiling at the sight and smell of the pen filled with live pigs and mud. His disgust required little acting, given the authentic barnyard conditions awaiting both competitors.
When the bell rang, Godwinn capitalized on his opponent’s discomfort, launching slop from his bucket toward Triple H. The Connecticut aristocrat dodged the initial assault, causing the slop to strike ring attendant Tony Chimel instead.
After Godwinn successfully doused Triple H with a second attempt, both wrestlers engaged in traditional ring work before the match’s unique stipulation took center stage.
The action transitioned outside the ring as both competitors gravitated toward the muddy pen. Their exchanges became increasingly physical, with each wrestler using the unconventional environment to their advantage.
Triple H delivered a punishing elbow drop from atop the pen structure before the bout briefly returned to standard wrestling inside the ring.
Following a technical sequence that demonstrated both men’s legitimate wrestling abilities, they returned to the pen area for the match’s climactic moments.
The contest’s decisive sequence unfolded rapidly: Godwinn Irish whipped Triple H into the pen’s metal gate, the impact slicing open Triple H’s back (an injury requiring 15 stitches after the match).
Sensing opportunity, Godwinn charged at the stunned Triple H, who remained propped against the pen’s edge. At the crucial moment, Triple H executed a backdrop, sending Godwinn into the mud-filled enclosure for the victory.
Despite Triple H’s technical win, Godwinn secured the final moment of the encounter. Following a post-match confrontation where Triple H shoved guest referee Hillbilly Jim, Godwinn retaliated by hoisting the heel into the pen and driving him into the muck (notably, while Triple H’s back wound remained open and vulnerable to infection).
The nearly nine-minute contest achieved multiple objectives: Triple H gained credibility as a legitimate heel performer, fans witnessed the comeuppance of an arrogant character, and both wrestlers proved the match contained genuine athletic merit beyond its novelty presentation.
The combination of technical wrestling, hard-hitting brawling, and memorable spectacle elevated the bout beyond simple comedy into legitimate sports entertainment.
How the Hog Pen Match Won Over Fans (and Left Triple H Needing Stitches)
Henry O. Godwinn and guest referee Hillbilly Jim during the Arkansas Hog Pen Match while Hunter Hearst Helmsley is tangled in the ring ropes at WWE In Your House 5. Photo Credit: WWE.
The Arkansas Hog Pen match achieved remarkable success as a gimmick contest, captivating both the 7,000 fans in attendance at Hersheypark Arena and viewers watching at home. The match’s impact extended beyond the event itself, earning a nomination at the 1996 Slammy Awards for Match of the Year, ultimately losing to the Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon ladder match from SummerSlam. The recognition validated what had transpired in the unconventional encounter.
Vince McMahon’s immediate reaction reinforced the match’s success. In a 2021 interview with Hannibal TV, Godwinn recalled the WWE owner’s response when the wrestlers returned to the locker room.
“When we got back to the locker room, Vince was waiting on us in his office and he said, ‘I cannot believe you guys done that,'” Godwinn said. “That was a hell of a match.”
The success stemmed from the wrestlers‘ collaborative approach and commitment to delivering authentic competition rather than simple comedy. Godwinn explained this philosophy during his 2017 interview with The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling.
“We never went to anybody else and said ‘what should we do?’ and ‘should we do this?’ Hunter and I were the ones who came up with that match, and even Vince said that we could have easily gone the other way and made it a damn comedy-ha-ha match, but he added that there was some substance to it.”
Godwinn continued, “We all really put a lot of effort into what we did and we weren’t out there to dance around and throw slop on each other, we were there to kick each other’s *** and that is what we did.
“I was sore for a few days and I had to do TV the next night and I could hardly move from hitting that concrete.
“We had great chemistry and we had been friends and as far as I’m concerned we will always be good friends. Hunter was a good guy that taught me a lot and I think we actually taught each other a lot.”
The physical toll on both performers underscored their dedication to the contest’s legitimacy. Beyond Godwinn’s soreness from the concrete impacts, Triple H’s injury, which required 15 stitches, demonstrated the real consequences of their commitment to authentic competition within the gimmick framework.
For Triple H, the match represented a career milestone that resonated throughout his subsequent success. Despite achieving numerous accolades in professional wrestling, he continues to reference the Hog Pen encounter as a formative experience.
“As a performer, it was one of the first things that I got to do that was really memorable,” Triple H reflected in 2020. “People still talk about the match to the day with me.”
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When Owen Hart Turned Vince’s Office Into a Barnyard
Vince McMahon reacts in disbelief after discovering live pigs in his office, a prank set up by Owen Hart backstage during Hog Pen Match preparations at In Your House 5. Photo Credit: WWE.
Before the hogs ever hit the pen, another backstage story was unfolding, one that left Vince McMahon far from amused.
When the pig delivery crew arrived at Hersheypark Arena and asked where to store the animals until showtime, Owen Hart immediately volunteered his services as a helpful guide.
Matt Hardy, who was working as an extra that night, witnessed the legendary prank unfold. “I remember Owen came roaring out of the hallway and he said, ‘Hey, you’re the guys with the hogs? I’ll show you where to put them. Come with me, come with me, come with me,'” Hardy recalled on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast. “We kind of followed this because he seemed very suspect when he was doing this. He was up to something.”
Owen’s plan was both simple and brilliant. He removed the nameplate from Vince McMahon’s makeshift office door and directed the delivery crew to store all the pigs inside.
“There’s always a huge sign on Vince’s office and he removes the sign,” Hardy explained. “He said, ‘This is where they go. They all go right in here. We’re going to store them here until showtime.'”
The aftermath was immediate and unmistakable. When McMahon returned to his office, Hardy and the other witnesses watched the chaos unfold.
“Vince comes walking back and he grabs the door, opens it, and a hog comes running out. He looks in and he sees all those hogs. He turns and yells, ‘Owen!’ He knew immediately as soon as the hog ran that it was Owen.”
“Vince was not happy about that and of course, everybody knew who did it but nobody would talk. Vince knew who did it. Owen, that was one of his best ribs man. Vince’s office had the wonderful odor of untrained farm animals who were having trouble controlling their bowel movements in Vince’s little office there at TV.”
The prank exemplified Owen Hart’s fearless approach to ribbing, proving that even the boss wasn’t immune to the King of Pranks’ mischievous schemes. Despite the mess and smell, McMahon apparently saw the humor in the situation, allowing Owen to keep his job and the Hog Pen Match to proceed as planned.
Legacy of the Arkansas Hog Pen Match: WWE’s Most Unique Gimmick Lives On
Henry O. Godwinn hoists Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H) above his head during their infamous Arkansas Hog Pen Match at In Your House 5 in December 1995. Photo Credit: WWE
WWE brought back the Hog Pen stipulation at Extreme Rules 2009, matching Vickie and Chavo Guerrero against Santino Marella (wrestling as his "twin sister" Santina) in a handicap bout. Fans and critics called it one of the event’s weakest matches, a clear step down from the 1995 original.
The failure of the 2009 revival underscored what made the original Arkansas Hog Pen match special. The first Hog Pen match worked because Triple H and Henry O. Godwinn treated the strange setting like a real fight. Their WCW history helped them tell a clear story, and both men leaned into the mud, the pigs, and the risk of injury. Triple H left the pen with fifteen stitches, proof of the match’s physical stakes.
That night became a career marker for each wrestler. It showed Triple H would take on any feud to build his character and gave Godwinn the standout moment of his WWE run. The Arkansas Hog Pen match remains a rare gimmick that connected with fans because the wrestlers took it seriously and delivered a hard-hitting contest.
Sometimes the strangest matches become the most unforgettable ones.
Watch the Arkansas Hog Pen Match from WWE In Your House 5 on December 17, 1995, at Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the Slammy-nominated showdown that left Triple H legitimately injured and cemented this bizarre bout in WWE history:
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"Evan Ginzburg’s stories are a love letter to wrestling, filled with heart, humor, and history. A must-read for any true fan."— Keith Elliot Greenberg
Richard Thompson is an aspiring screenwriter and longtime journalist, having written for online publications such as FanBuzz and MovieWeb. His favorite pro wrestler growing up was Scott Hall, and his childhood dream was to join the nWo. Sadly, while that dream never came true, getting the opportunity to write about wrestling is a solid consolation!
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