TRIPLE H WINS THE ROYAL RUMBLE (1/20/2002)
Since he debuted with the WWF in 1995, Triple H was looking to make an impact. Unfortunately, after gaining momentum and being prepared to win King Of The Ring in 1996, a kayfabe 1 breaking incident occurred at Madison Square Garden known as the Curtain Call 2,and he was punished and forced to build himself back up from the beginning. He’d win the Intercontinental Championship in 1997 and later the WWF Championship in 1999 becoming the industry’s top heel 3. By 2001, Triple H was on top of the world and had begun tag-teaming with arguably the top star in all of wrestling at the time, Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The Two-Man Power Trip as they were called were gearing up to run through the roster and dominate Monday nights, but a severe, potentially career-ending injury caused the end of all their plans. In May 2001, during a tag-team match against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, Triple H would tear his quadriceps but fight through to the end of the match. In the weeks and months after, nobody knew in the audience or backstage whether Triple H would return and if he did, if he could perform at the same level.
During his absence, the WWF went through a rough patch with a misbooked WCW/ECW invasion storyline, a failed Steve Austin heel turn and the impending absence of one of the company’s biggest stars, The Rock, who was preparing to leave for Hollywood. After a nearly disastrous summer/fall in 2001, fans were yearning for a quarterback, the need for a hero to carry them out of the darkness…then one cold January evening in New York, the crowd popped.
Triple H had returned and declared for the Royal Rumble, the WWF’s annual modified battle royal that promises a main event title shot at Wrestlemania. The event had memorable matches including a street fight between Ric Flair 4 and Mr. McMahon and Chris Jericho vs The Rock for the WWF Championship. The main event saw a memorable Royal Rumble match where Tough Enough 5 winner Maven eliminated The Undertaker and included a surprise return of longtime fan favorite Mr. Perfect. When Triple H entered the match at number 22, he cleaned house, eliminating four participants and lasting 23 minutes to the end to win the Royal Rumble match.
Triple H hadn’t lost a step and at Wrestlemania X8, he defeated Chris Jericho for the Undisputed WWF Championship. While other injuries would follow later in his career and even another Royal Rumble victory, something about this 2002 return and win holds a special place in the hearts and minds of wrestling fans and the iconic image of Helmsley lifting both title belts after his win at Wrestlemania stands as an enduring image of the importance of his return.
(Credit: WWE)
Context:
1
Kayfabe: In wrestling terminology, Kayfabe is the term used to describe the illusion of wrestling’s reality. If something is done in kayfabe, it’s being done within the story and the world of pro wrestling meant to convince the audience something is real.
2
The Curtain Call was a pivotal moment in professional wrestling history that occurred on May 19, 1996, at Madison Square Garden during a WWF live event. After the main event, where Shawn Michaels successfully defended the WWF Championship, Michaels, along with his opponents Diesel (Kevin Nash), Razor Ramon (Scott Hall), and Triple H, broke character by embracing each other and acknowledging their friendship in front of the live audience. This was a rare occurrence in a business that heavily relied on maintaining kayfabe (the portrayal of events as real). The incident was controversial because it involved top stars, who were in the midst of prominent storylines, publicly blurring the lines between scripted entertainment and reality. As a result, WWE management reprimanded Triple H, who was set to win the King of the Ring tournament later that year. His punishment was a delay in his push, and the incident is often credited with significantly altering his trajectory in the company, even though it did not end his career.
3
Heel: In wrestling terminology, Heel is a term used to describe the bad guy. Alternatively, a good guy is referred to as a Babyface or Face.
4
Ric Flair had had what many believed to be his last match on the last WCW Monday Nitro the previous March against Sting. This was his first match in the WWF since the second episode of Monday Night Raw in January of 1993.
5
Tough Enough was an MTV competition series where wrestlers competed for a chance to win a WWF contract.