Triple Hs return is such a big deal because he didn’t get that pop for being a face, he got it out of pure respect and excitement for him being back no matter what.
it's acc amazing to me that by the end of the year triple h went from being one of the most over faces in january back to being one of the most despised heels in the company by december, 2002 was such a weird but awesome year lol.
His return in 2002 in Madison Square garden was one of the biggest pops ever. I was there. The entire arena roared like animals. It was an exhilarating moment. 💯
Triple H had a good year in 2002. Like he came back from injury, won the undisputed title, had a barnburner with Shawn Michaels becoming the biggest bastard in the business, getting the world heavyweight title twice, starting to get evolution together, being in the first chamber and getting the IC Title (although the unification match is meh its still a accomplishment). His 2002 was very good
HHH was actually the first guy to ever win the IC title after being a multi time World champion, and he didn't view it as a downgrade, he actually held it with pride and respect
He truly understands and respects the business. Just look at the quote from him in this video .... yes, he wanted to go on last at WM18, but it wasn't about him -- it was about the tradition and the great people who had held the belt before him. If he won it in a semi-main it would devalue the belt. HHH lobbied for himself backstage but we don't berate Steve Austin for doing the same. He had a livelihood to protect. He was a snake when he had to be, but he always had genuine talent and wanted to make wrestling better
@@dominiquejones3805 It all worked out for the best. We got that iconic Austin promo and Trips became bigger than he would've had he won the KOTR tournament.
I always felt like the Invasion storyline was rushed sooner because of HHH’s injury. WWF panicked because their major storyline was now over and they needed something to replace it.
That's what has been speculated over the years, I mean when you look back it, it looks like they did. I think it was like a couple of weeks after the injury that WCW started appearing and Shane as well.
I think if HHH was around for the Invasion angle he would've been on team WWF. They could have used the Austin segment after they lost the tag titles and blaming HHH for the loss in the storyline. I believe he would've took The Rock's place in the Survivor Series match against Stone Cold.
@@Hyperion520 Or, ya know, he could've sided with his wife & brother-in-law against his out-of-touch father-in-law, too. Either option could've happened.
Besides Austin helping foley winning the championship from the rock. I think this was the loudest I heard a crowd. I was over my buddies house and we were yelling YEAH HHH
That intro…..gave me goosebumps!! Tripe H was amazing right though till his last match. I just pray he is on the mend after his cardiac arrest. Hero …..START GAME
I remember my friend (RIP) and i watched this on VHS getting so excited to see Triple H make his big return from his quad injury, i'll never forget getting chills seeing the 'Beautiful Day' U2 video which really helped build up the return of Triple H. It's amazing to see how much things changed, Triple H got hurt in May 01 and he left as the most hated wrestler ever only to come back in Jan 02 as a beloved hero. It really showed how much everyone missed him and even i'll admit, i missed Triple H a lot because he was gone for 8 months which was very long and i really wanted to see him back doing what he does best. The pop he got when his music hit in MSG was perhaps the biggest reaction i have ever seen any wrestler received and I still say to this day that this was the best Triple H return ever.
Happy new year to you and everyone who follows the channel. Been steadily catching up with 'reliving the war' lately with the xmas holidays. I keep saving them for workout videos. All your videos are so great on every level. Well structured, great editing, really funny and a lot of respect too. Really hope your channel keeps growing. Amazing work.
Despite some of the obvious, he remains my All Time Favorite Wrestler. There is plenty of well deserved criticism of him but alot of people honestly take it to the point where it's overshadowing the good he's done and how important he was.
Triple H 2002 face run was largely a failure because...well, he is a natural born heel. The return pop was moreso cheering for Paul Levesque the person and not the Triple H character. The man showed his passion for the business and his work ethic is ridiculous. Overall, Trips is a vastly misunderstood guy. Yeah marrying the boss's daughter can only help him, but he won the WWF title and was booked as the company's top heel before being with Steph. He was also an outstanding wrestler before his quad injury; he consistently put up classics with Foley/Rock/Austin and was Meltzer's Wrestler of the Year in 2000 As for the Reign of Terror, it was meant to boost the value of the newly reinstated WHC by portraying Trips as an 80s style NWA heel. The problem with it was poor execution until he feuded with Batista. Steamboat, Rhodes and Sting all became main eventers when they feuded with Flair in the old days whereas RVD, Kane, Booker T, Steiner, Goldberg and Orton all looked like chumps when they feuded with HHH. Even Benoit looked sorta weak despite having Triple H's number.
The return is always great to watch but you're absolutely right... After MSG & the Rumble HHH's return felt watered down. Rock & Hogan was going to have NUCLEAR heat like no other. Even Austin knew that. Plus had they gone with Jericho's original idea perhaps the people would've cared. We had already seen HHH involved in a Mania match involving all of the McMahons in 2000. Nobody wanted to deal with another one. Although it was a solid match, it was a flop for both HHH & Y2J's standard.
@@Rschr101 The thing is, nobody wanted to boo HHH after his comeback and Austin realized what a failure his heel turn had been (he even regrets the whole thing in hindsight, since it was the very thing that ended the Attitude Era), so the match couldn't happen. Furthermore, Austin wasn't about to stick around for much longer, because he was feeling burnt out, he didn't like the way his character was being pushed down towards mid-card status, and he didn't like that he was being booked to lose to rookie freak of nature Brock Lesnar during the King of the Ring qualifying tournament on a throwaway episode of RAW with no build up given his importance to the company as the guy whose anti-hero rebelliousness basically saved WWF/E from going out of business during the Monday Night Wars, so he quit the company in protest. This led to everyone roasting him, saying, "Austin took his ball & went home" for not giving back to the business that made him. On top of this, he was being arrested & served legal documents on account of the real life domestic abuse he inflicted upon his 2nd wife/fan favorite busty valet Debra (formerly Debra McMichael & currently Debra Marshall), so 2002 wasn't a good year for the "Texas Rattlesnake".
I really enjoyed this video. I remember this well. After his turn he was so dominant as champion. I remember watching the pay-per-views with my buddies hoping he would lose the titles but he just kept winning. Legend for sure. Nothing but respect for his dedication to the business.
He wasn't even close to being the same wrestler post-injury. He became simply too big, his muscles had muscles, and he lacked the nimbleness and speed of his peak in 2000 and early 2001. He had to be carried to great matches by HBK and the likes, whereas before he would've been the one to carry wrestlers. His return was brilliant, mind.
I know I never saw this return live but I grew up watching the classics and this is when I truly liked triple H because I’m pretty sure he had torn his quad and when he returned he was a complete badass and I wanted to be like that.
His return in 2002 in Madison square garden still gives me goosebumps even after all these years because of the biggest pop of the night that he got. I remember every teenager in my high school talking about it and how memorable it was
It's hard for me to believe that its been 20 years since Triple H's 2002 return. Makes me feel old thinking about it 🙁 Also 20 years since I attended my first WWE show in May 9th 2002.
HHH was the benchmark for everyone else because like him or hate him, for anyone to temporarily house themselves just to get back shows a level that I can respect being a fan of HHH for many years. HHH was so over in the early 2000s that people embraced his heel turn and actually gave him the respect he had worked for.
This is the best wrestling channel on RUclips, it evokes so many memories and with the irreverent observations and humour mixed in. Totally perfect. Insane pop for The Game at MSG. Keep up the great work, totally geek out over this channel.
Thank you so much for covering my this. I remember this return of HHH! He is my favorite wrestler so whenever you cover him in any fashion it always puts a smile on my face! Thank you! 🙏
A great comeback and I loved the moment. I didn’t love the angle of Jericho vs HHH and the “Stephanie wouldn’t cheat on me stuff” definitely makes my eyes roll, but I was definitely glad he came back and came back strong.
Man this was and is one of my favourite returns ever. I remember watching it as a 10 year old with my family, and my step dad at the time jumping around in excitement, I remember getting a leather/denim combo jacket because I thought he looked so badass in it, such fond memories from so long ago.
Whilst this return has gone down in WWE folk lore, I still begrudge that it was this very return which started a trend of returns being announced beforehand, as opposed to being a surprise and allowing the audience to feel that shock factor. That said, HHH was my absolute favourite, I bought the HHH special WWE magazine which focused on his recovery and seeing him come back bigger than ever was astounding
I'm from Long Island New York. I went to Madison Square Graden with my Dad that night The Pop was the loudest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. I've been to the Super Bowl, The World Series and Wrestlemania nothing has topped it so far.
January 7th man was one of the most amazing moments in RAW and WWE history. I thought his career was over after that torn quad when he went to make the save on Austin from Jericho. The fact that he finished the match despite how people have felt about him made me respect him. I thought he would get a reaction because cmon it’s the game but that roar of a pop he got when that music hit made it more emotional and special at the Garden in MSG. By the way Wrestling Bios nice touch again on those blends on the intro
They shouldn’t have had Triple H drop the undisputed title the next month after winning it. Sounds like a slap to the face to him after all that hype about his return and the big push he got from that.
Triple H: *Participates in a love triangle storyline with Kurt Angle and Stephanie 2 or 3 years prior where Kurt Angle kisses Stephanie* Also Triple H: “Stephanie wouldn’t cheat on me so that storyline doesn’t work for me, brother.” That aside, this is one of the great things about your channel. This whole Triple H return isn’t often remembered as a big deal in WWE history, but at the time, it was a big deal. Even though I am not a big Triple H fan, even I admit was I excited about his return in early 2002. At the time, I remember this being a big deal. Great video
You have some point but....... You know that kiss was not followed up with a more deeper affair between Kurt Angle and Stephanie. If it was going to go deeper I think he shot that idea down when proposed by Vince McMahon. So I can see triple h being a little bit jealous by putting a affair angle in a straight line.
To be fair no one knew Rock Hogan was gonna tear the roof of of the place either. Hogan could've stunk up the joint but they pulled off a once in a lifetime performance. Yeah NOTHING could've followed that. Not the way that match played out.
That's what John Cena and Roman Reigns were missing: MAIN EVENT LEVEL HEELS. Edge, Orton and JBL SHOULD have been that for Cena, and Reigns barely had Wyatt and Rollins, but they never suffered any real peril and were mary sue level wreslters that Rey's character from The Disney Star Wars movies is going "whoa that is a little too much plot armor boys"
The ONLY pop Triple H received as a face that would rival the reaction that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin receives since 1997. Then they turned him heel again that same year in 2002 and began his Reign of Terror from 2002-2005 making you wish he was still out of action. Which showed you how good of a heel he was.
You're reliving the war is what brings me back each week. But then you put out episodes like these... and I'm blown away at the quality. The story telling. The research. The emotion you make us feel watching these. It's a work of art.
One of the greatest returns in wrestling history i remember as a 12 year old how hyped i was when HHH came back that night my tv volume was up the crowd was so loud...I just got chillis ..another great Video by Wrestling bios .
Not gonna lie *Triple H* was my favorite heel wrestler I was kind of down when he betrayed *DX* to join *Chyna* in *the Corporation.* Chyna's promo she cut on *Triple H* explaining her defection to *The Corporation* was pretty solid. It's just him and *McMahon* are petty savages the more I learned about him and *McMahon* my interest in watching the *WWE* started to decline after the deaths of *Guerrero and Benoit.*
HHH is underrated. He was perhaps the best heel of his generation, worked through pain to send the fans home happy on multiple occasions and always showcased a match worth watching. Of course people legitimately joke about his 15min promos back in the day and draw attention to the fact that he usually didn't put on a 5* match without another 5* guy in there with him but he constantly drew money, constantly produced good matches and always remained a compelling character. He's no Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels but he deserves enormous respect for his accomplishments and he'll be more important to the company long-term than either of them. Huge star, very intelligent and he came up with expert taglines and catchphrases for himself. He was booked too strongly at times but he made it work more or less overall at the expense of colleagues. If you have an all-time fantasy roster, you need HHH on it -- I'd book Flair vs Hunter in an ultimate villain contest. When you hear about the superhuman stuff HHH did when he was in agony you have to respect him.
I don’t see why people have to be in one camp or the other. I recognize the burying and politicking, but also see him as a top 5 heel of his era and a guy who can have damn good matches when he wanted to, and he wanted to very often. I always see people online who think all he is is the first part and have to actively try to ignore the second part for the first part to be true. He’s both.
HE GOT A STONE COLD POP THAT NIGHT I REMEMBER HIS ENERGY WAS DIFFERENT IF YOU DIDN'T SEE THE ATTITUDE ERA I SUGGEST YOU GO BACK & WATCH FROM BEGINNING TO END CLASSIC SH*T ✅💯
I loved Kurt Angle minimising Triple H’s injury. “So what? He tore a quad? I tear my quad all the time. I tore my quad in the shower this morning, and look...” (starts doing star jumps) 😂
Thank you very much mate I enjoy your channel and your great work. Triple h is my favourite heel. When would you do triple h full collection sir. Keep up the great work thanks take care 👍
Did his relationship with The Clique and the McMahon family benefit him in his career? Yes, of course it did. However, would he have made it without those relationships? A resounding Yes! He has been one of the most determined wrestlers in the last 30 years. After the 'curtain call' incident he was the only one who got serious backlash. Did he whine about it? No, he kept working hard and his onscreen performance didn't suffer. On the contrary, he became better and better. This man was born to be a wrestler and was always an excellent heel.
Absolutely. HE was already a 3 time World Champion right around the time that his STORYLINE relationship with Steph started! Vince CLEARLY saw him as a top guy long before he dated his daughter.
Nah tbh I don’t think he would’ve got very far without those relationships. They were very instrumental in his career going the way it did. Which is the point:
Triple H's Return in 2002 was awesome I'll never forget Watching The January 7th 2002 episode of WWF Raw And Getting chills when His Music Hit The Crowd made it so special that Moment was so awesome and I will never forget it that Moment Right there made me a Fan of Triple H
@@lexkanyima2195 He Really did and wasn't he originally supposed to Come back At The Vengeance 2001 PPV but he returned on the first episode of Raw of 2002.
The toughness of Trips is truly astounding: completely tore the largest muscle in the leg off the bone, yet, completed two big spots in the match + completed the match.... only to be gone for eight *short* months (in relation to the injury). As a military vet, I think it's completely reasonable of me to compare his level of toughness to that of soldiers in times of war (think about: "Hacksaw Ridge" and "Black Hawk Down"). Imagine the Two Man Power Trip going into the Invasion storyline. Although Jericho more than likely would've never achieved acclaim; he would've been the only real "casualty", if Trips never got hurt.
I’m an old school attitude era kid who got back in to wrestling as an adult. I love HHH. He’s the best heel in wrestling history. The ultimate final boss heel. Did he manipulate the business to his own favor? Hell yea. But he’s a heel. In Kafabe and was in real life as well. Now he’s the king.
Say what you will about him, but there's no doubt that the 2002 return in MSG is still, after 20 years, the greatest wrestling return ever. The pop from the crowd always hits a special place in my heart.
If there’s only 1 certain gr8 trait about hhh that everyone would agree with it’ll b this: he looks awesome with his denim vest worn OVER his leather jacket!
That's why he's Triple H,The Game,The Cerebral Assassin and The King of Kings. After he returned at Madison Square Garden in New York City New York on January 7th,he went on to win the 2002 Royal Rumble match and then win the WWF Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania 18 at the Toronto SkyDome in Toronto Ontario Canada.
One of the best moments in wrestling history. I'll never forget when he says "Just in case you forgot just who the hell I am.... I AM THE GAME"
Definitely subjective
Yeah Austin beating Lita with that chair was way better
@@baronvonsvengoonie1767
Well nah ya think? 😂
@@nathantturnert1631 Do you think he meant it when he told Daniel that ?
The Lame, maybe.
His long-ass speeches opening every Raw for what felt like forever is most of what got me out of wrestling until AEW.
Triple Hs return is such a big deal because he didn’t get that pop for being a face, he got it out of pure respect and excitement for him being back no matter what.
100% FACTS
Correctly said. 🙌
It was totally out of character. It was for the man who portrayed Triple H.
it's acc amazing to me that by the end of the year triple h went from being one of the most over faces in january back to being one of the most despised heels in the company by december, 2002 was such a weird but awesome year lol.
Absolutely agree such an important moment.
I think triple h couldn't believe it him self he got that pop.
His return in 2002 in Madison Square garden was one of the biggest pops ever. I was there. The entire arena roared like animals. It was an exhilarating moment. 💯
was also there, and the first RAW and MSG! Was a great time!
@@CaptnMasm yes your right. It was a wild night 😁👍
My favourite part of that pop is how it rises between when his music hits and as he walks out
Remember watching it live. It is definitely one of the greatest pops and returns of all time.
The greatest return of all time
I've torn my quad many years ago and it's one of the worst pains I've ever felt. It amazing he was able to continue that match.
Say what you want about Trips. His toughness and commitment to the business is second to none.
It that u Nash 🤔
Steroids help.
@@selfishyounggod6109 lmmfao 😂😂😂😂
Cant imagine what that walls of jericho felt like
Always gives me goosebumps seeing him go crazy on the entrance ramp during his return.
The fans let him know how much we respected him 4 real
Triple H had a good year in 2002. Like he came back from injury, won the undisputed title, had a barnburner with Shawn Michaels becoming the biggest bastard in the business, getting the world heavyweight title twice, starting to get evolution together, being in the first chamber and getting the IC Title (although the unification match is meh its still a accomplishment).
His 2002 was very good
HHH was actually the first guy to ever win the IC title after being a multi time World champion, and he didn't view it as a downgrade, he actually held it with pride and respect
But controversy of The Reign of Terror
@@Nostalgicguy2242 🤨
It was this moment we realized how much we missed him even though we hated him
Good point. I hated him with a passion but was glad to see him back.
Yeah, I remember I hate HHH with a passion because he played a heel character very good.
I think Triple H unintentionally changed some people's minds about him when he took over NXT and made it the best thing Pro Wrestling in the 2010s
20 years of epic proportions and Triple H's return is still awesome. Hellish, yes!! But you can never keep a King down! What a great time!!
Him returning was absolutely incredible. 2002 was an amazing year.
It was but I wished he was around for the invasion storyline knowing HHH history I have him turning on Vince and the WWE lol
@@pedrogates3189 wouldn’t have worked since he was a jobber during his only WCW run
The biggest pop of his career when he returned on Raw that night. Even I was glad to see him.
@@pedrogates3189 he probably would have brought dx and nwo during the angle
@@pedrogates3189 I’m starting to think he dodged it on purpose
Up to that point I don’t think I ever heard people cheer so loud for HHH
I personally was never as excited to see Trips as when he returned that night. It was perfectly set up and the crowd response made it so much better.
@@Treklosopher all facts man… it was crazy
Smarks would have you believe that triple h was never over
I think when he saved X Pac it was really loud
Still never have
Damn, hard to believe that Hunter's return happened nearly 20 years ago.
Then again in 07
Yea we're old
@@illkid86 that is different
@@lexkanyima2195 same leg injury
I know hopefully he’s doing better now
Still remember watching this as a 9 year old kid now 20 years later at age 29 it’s still awesome
Same my amigo
He truly understands and respects the business. Just look at the quote from him in this video .... yes, he wanted to go on last at WM18, but it wasn't about him -- it was about the tradition and the great people who had held the belt before him. If he won it in a semi-main it would devalue the belt. HHH lobbied for himself backstage but we don't berate Steve Austin for doing the same. He had a livelihood to protect. He was a snake when he had to be, but he always had genuine talent and wanted to make wrestling better
That MSG pop was insane....
The home of the Curtain Call that cost Triple H a push
@@dominiquejones3805
It all worked out for the best. We got that iconic Austin promo and Trips became bigger than he would've had he won the KOTR tournament.
I get an MSG pop every time I go to Panda Express.
I always felt like the Invasion storyline was rushed sooner because of HHH’s injury. WWF panicked because their major storyline was now over and they needed something to replace it.
But it was over
They could have milked the invasion out for years if they would have done it right!
That's what has been speculated over the years, I mean when you look back it, it looks like they did. I think it was like a couple of weeks after the injury that WCW started appearing and Shane as well.
It's a huge plus that HHH missed the Invasion. As if those poor WCW guys didn't get buried enough.
I think if HHH was around for the Invasion angle he would've been on team WWF. They could have used the Austin segment after they lost the tag titles and blaming HHH for the loss in the storyline. I believe he would've took The Rock's place in the Survivor Series match against Stone Cold.
@@Hyperion520 Or, ya know, he could've sided with his wife & brother-in-law against his out-of-touch father-in-law, too. Either option could've happened.
Besides Austin helping foley winning the championship from the rock. I think this was the loudest I heard a crowd. I was over my buddies house and we were yelling YEAH HHH
The bump that Angle took in that Rumble match at the end to be thrown out by Triple H was absolutely sick.
Man loved the two man power trip hate that it ended so shortly
That intro…..gave me goosebumps!! Tripe H was amazing right though till his last match. I just pray he is on the mend after his cardiac arrest. Hero …..START GAME
I remember my friend (RIP) and i watched this on VHS getting so excited to see Triple H make his big return from his quad injury, i'll never forget getting chills seeing the 'Beautiful Day' U2 video which really helped build up the return of Triple H. It's amazing to see how much things changed, Triple H got hurt in May 01 and he left as the most hated wrestler ever only to come back in Jan 02 as a beloved hero.
It really showed how much everyone missed him and even i'll admit, i missed Triple H a lot because he was gone for 8 months which was very long and i really wanted to see him back doing what he does best.
The pop he got when his music hit in MSG was perhaps the biggest reaction i have ever seen any wrestler received and I still say to this day that this was the best Triple H return ever.
Which is like a key player
Love him or loathe him, HHH is a wrestling icon and his dedication was unmatched. Truly one of the industry's most remarkable players.
Happy new year to you and everyone who follows the channel. Been steadily catching up with 'reliving the war' lately with the xmas holidays. I keep saving them for workout videos. All your videos are so great on every level. Well structured, great editing, really funny and a lot of respect too. Really hope your channel keeps growing. Amazing work.
HHH's return was spectacular. I remember that moment ver vividly. I love the massup of his theme songs you've used.
Haa!
Did anyone else pause this for a minute and go watch his return real quick then come back to finish this video?
😄👍
Despite some of the obvious, he remains my All Time Favorite Wrestler. There is plenty of well deserved criticism of him but alot of people honestly take it to the point where it's overshadowing the good he's done and how important he was.
He is one of the best heels in the business
Triple H 2002 face run was largely a failure because...well, he is a natural born heel. The return pop was moreso cheering for Paul Levesque the person and not the Triple H character. The man showed his passion for the business and his work ethic is ridiculous.
Overall, Trips is a vastly misunderstood guy. Yeah marrying the boss's daughter can only help him, but he won the WWF title and was booked as the company's top heel before being with Steph. He was also an outstanding wrestler before his quad injury; he consistently put up classics with Foley/Rock/Austin and was Meltzer's Wrestler of the Year in 2000
As for the Reign of Terror, it was meant to boost the value of the newly reinstated WHC by portraying Trips as an 80s style NWA heel. The problem with it was poor execution until he feuded with Batista. Steamboat, Rhodes and Sting all became main eventers when they feuded with Flair in the old days whereas RVD, Kane, Booker T, Steiner, Goldberg and Orton all looked like chumps when they feuded with HHH. Even Benoit looked sorta weak despite having Triple H's number.
exactly... trips was emulating 80s era flair,but no one explained to creative that you gotta put the faces over,too
The return is always great to watch but you're absolutely right... After MSG & the Rumble HHH's return felt watered down. Rock & Hogan was going to have NUCLEAR heat like no other. Even Austin knew that. Plus had they gone with Jericho's original idea perhaps the people would've cared. We had already seen HHH involved in a Mania match involving all of the McMahons in 2000. Nobody wanted to deal with another one. Although it was a solid match, it was a flop for both HHH & Y2J's standard.
Should have been Austin and HHH for the title at Mania 18. Jericho was a joke of a champion.
@@Rschr101 The thing is, nobody wanted to boo HHH after his comeback and Austin realized what a failure his heel turn had been (he even regrets the whole thing in hindsight, since it was the very thing that ended the Attitude Era), so the match couldn't happen. Furthermore, Austin wasn't about to stick around for much longer, because he was feeling burnt out, he didn't like the way his character was being pushed down towards mid-card status, and he didn't like that he was being booked to lose to rookie freak of nature Brock Lesnar during the King of the Ring qualifying tournament on a throwaway episode of RAW with no build up given his importance to the company as the guy whose anti-hero rebelliousness basically saved WWF/E from going out of business during the Monday Night Wars, so he quit the company in protest. This led to everyone roasting him, saying, "Austin took his ball & went home" for not giving back to the business that made him. On top of this, he was being arrested & served legal documents on account of the real life domestic abuse he inflicted upon his 2nd wife/fan favorite busty valet Debra (formerly Debra McMichael & currently Debra Marshall), so 2002 wasn't a good year for the "Texas Rattlesnake".
Then Hogan beat him in a mid-ass match at backlash LOL
I really enjoyed this video. I remember this well. After his turn he was so dominant as champion. I remember watching the pay-per-views with my buddies hoping he would lose the titles but he just kept winning. Legend for sure. Nothing but respect for his dedication to the business.
He wasn't even close to being the same wrestler post-injury. He became simply too big, his muscles had muscles, and he lacked the nimbleness and speed of his peak in 2000 and early 2001. He had to be carried to great matches by HBK and the likes, whereas before he would've been the one to carry wrestlers.
His return was brilliant, mind.
Yeah he was on the juice heavy after his injury. His physique in DX seems more natural for him
I know I never saw this return live but I grew up watching the classics and this is when I truly liked triple H because I’m pretty sure he had torn his quad and when he returned he was a complete badass and I wanted to be like that.
His return in 2002 in Madison square garden still gives me goosebumps even after all these years because of the biggest pop of the night that he got. I remember every teenager in my high school talking about it and how memorable it was
It's hard for me to believe that its been 20 years since Triple H's 2002 return. Makes me feel old thinking about it 🙁
Also 20 years since I attended my first WWE show in May 9th 2002.
Thats was right after wwf became wwe
@@mariowalker9048 Yeah.
HHH was the benchmark for everyone else because like him or hate him, for anyone to temporarily house themselves just to get back shows a level that I can respect being a fan of HHH for many years. HHH was so over in the early 2000s that people embraced his heel turn and actually gave him the respect he had worked for.
This is the best wrestling channel on RUclips, it evokes so many memories and with the irreverent observations and humour mixed in. Totally perfect. Insane pop for The Game at MSG. Keep up the great work, totally geek out over this channel.
Thank you so much for covering my this. I remember this return of HHH! He is my favorite wrestler so whenever you cover him in any fashion it always puts a smile on my face! Thank you! 🙏
I bloody love "My Time", you never cease absolutely CRUSHING the music mixes
I was at the Raw when HHH returned. To this day it’s still the loudest pop I ever heard. The whole building was shaking. An incredible moment.
Your moms in my business
One of the absolute best to ever lace up a pair of boots. He doesn't get enough credit for just how great he is
A great comeback and I loved the moment. I didn’t love the angle of Jericho vs HHH and the “Stephanie wouldn’t cheat on me stuff” definitely makes my eyes roll, but I was definitely glad he came back and came back strong.
Man this was and is one of my favourite returns ever. I remember watching it as a 10 year old with my family, and my step dad at the time jumping around in excitement, I remember getting a leather/denim combo jacket because I thought he looked so badass in it, such fond memories from so long ago.
He'll always be my favorite WWE superstar of all time and he'll always the reason why I became a WWE fan
Me too bafo, especially during the evolution time
Whilst this return has gone down in WWE folk lore, I still begrudge that it was this very return which started a trend of returns being announced beforehand, as opposed to being a surprise and allowing the audience to feel that shock factor.
That said, HHH was my absolute favourite, I bought the HHH special WWE magazine which focused on his recovery and seeing him come back bigger than ever was astounding
I was in The Garden that night. It was amazing. It's still amazing.
I'm from Long Island New York. I went to Madison Square Graden with my Dad that night The Pop was the loudest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. I've been to the Super Bowl, The World Series and Wrestlemania nothing has topped it so far.
January 7th man was one of the most amazing moments in RAW and WWE history. I thought his career was over after that torn quad when he went to make the save on Austin from Jericho. The fact that he finished the match despite how people have felt about him made me respect him. I thought he would get a reaction because cmon it’s the game but that roar of a pop he got when that music hit made it more emotional and special at the Garden in MSG.
By the way Wrestling Bios nice touch again on those blends on the intro
That pop was so loud it still gives me chills!
The Austin HHH tag team angle before the injury was awesome though 🖕🖕🖕
They shouldn’t have had Triple H drop the undisputed title the next month after winning it. Sounds like a slap to the face to him after all that hype about his return and the big push he got from that.
Hulk Hogan was playing his backstage politics.
@@ZAY109 it is Vince, not Hogan
I've always loved HHH. Such a great heal.
Triple H: *Participates in a love triangle storyline with Kurt Angle and Stephanie 2 or 3 years prior where Kurt Angle kisses Stephanie*
Also Triple H: “Stephanie wouldn’t cheat on me so that storyline doesn’t work for me, brother.”
That aside, this is one of the great things about your channel. This whole Triple H return isn’t often remembered as a big deal in WWE history, but at the time, it was a big deal. Even though I am not a big Triple H fan, even I admit was I excited about his return in early 2002. At the time, I remember this being a big deal. Great video
You have some point but....... You know that kiss was not followed up with a more deeper affair between Kurt Angle and Stephanie. If it was going to go deeper I think he shot that idea down when proposed by Vince McMahon. So I can see triple h being a little bit jealous by putting a affair angle in a straight line.
To be fair no one knew Rock Hogan was gonna tear the roof of of the place either. Hogan could've stunk up the joint but they pulled off a once in a lifetime performance. Yeah NOTHING could've followed that. Not the way that match played out.
Jericho said himself that Hogan/Rock would be impossible to follow and should be the last match.
I’ll never forget the pop he received that night and for a legit ahole heel it was crazy lol
This Triple H was my idol and my favorite wrestler ever. He was such a kickass performer and he’s a legend
Been waiting on this all day!!! Happy New Year my guy and Thanx for always coming thru for us... WrestlingBios 4Life!!!
Dont care who u are, but this return is the biggest and most anticipated in wwe history, this was absolutely HUGE
If you "either love him or hate him", I definitely love Triple H! He's one of my all-time favorite wrestlers.
Austin and Rock needed a villain like HHH to be great heroes. Attitude era isn't what it is without this piece of the puzzle.
That's what John Cena and Roman Reigns were missing: MAIN EVENT LEVEL HEELS.
Edge, Orton and JBL SHOULD have been that for Cena, and Reigns barely had Wyatt and Rollins, but they never suffered any real peril and were mary sue level wreslters that Rey's character from The Disney Star Wars movies is going "whoa that is a little too much plot armor boys"
Notif gang, Wrestling Bios 4Life
I’ll NEVER forget this night, I was there & my 8 year old self almost cried watching my GOAT return
A proper Raw moment the big return of Triple H. Thank you for another quality video all the best for 2022 🥃
I am not nor ever have been a big Triple H fan, but I love this channel.
Ahh, yes. Triple H's return in 2002: The prelude to the Reign of Terror.
Good old days 👍
Anyone person who says “reign of terror” shows that they don’t know anything about wrestling
@@shadowcounter9897 shut up dude, you dont need to have knowledge that this was really a reign of terror
@@RaulSHermano It wasn’t, if it was your precious Benoit, Daniel Bryan, Bret hart you would’ve loved it.
@@shadowcounter9897 you make a good point. Bret Hart was such a big mark for himself and his fans don't acknowledge it
The ONLY pop Triple H received as a face that would rival the reaction that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin receives since 1997. Then they turned him heel again that same year in 2002 and began his Reign of Terror from 2002-2005 making you wish he was still out of action. Which showed you how good of a heel he was.
Its a top 15 material in terms of loudest ovations but like you said Steve Austin had many of these so he's still #1.
Theres only one word to describe HHH in 2002 JACKED
You're reliving the war is what brings me back each week. But then you put out episodes like these... and I'm blown away at the quality. The story telling. The research. The emotion you make us feel watching these. It's a work of art.
One of the greatest returns in wrestling history i remember as a 12 year old how hyped i was when HHH came back that night my tv volume was up the crowd was so loud...I just got chillis ..another great Video by Wrestling bios .
One of the best birthday presents I ever got. Watched it live. Still get goosebumps when I watch it
I loved the return but imagine if it was unannounced!
Not gonna lie *Triple H* was my favorite heel wrestler I was kind of down when he betrayed *DX* to join *Chyna* in *the Corporation.* Chyna's promo she cut on *Triple H* explaining her defection to *The Corporation* was pretty solid. It's just him and *McMahon* are petty savages the more I learned about him and *McMahon* my interest in watching the *WWE* started to decline after the deaths of *Guerrero and Benoit.*
Oh yeah here we go triple h is the game
I remember the pop when hhh came back, it's was crazy but it shows the fans appreciate a good wrestler/worker over what side they play
Idc what anyone says, the older i get, the more i learn about the business, the more i think HHH is the GOAT.
HHH is underrated. He was perhaps the best heel of his generation, worked through pain to send the fans home happy on multiple occasions and always showcased a match worth watching. Of course people legitimately joke about his 15min promos back in the day and draw attention to the fact that he usually didn't put on a 5* match without another 5* guy in there with him but he constantly drew money, constantly produced good matches and always remained a compelling character. He's no Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels but he deserves enormous respect for his accomplishments and he'll be more important to the company long-term than either of them. Huge star, very intelligent and he came up with expert taglines and catchphrases for himself. He was booked too strongly at times but he made it work more or less overall at the expense of colleagues. If you have an all-time fantasy roster, you need HHH on it -- I'd book Flair vs Hunter in an ultimate villain contest. When you hear about the superhuman stuff HHH did when he was in agony you have to respect him.
Sick cover of My Time & The Game by Wrestling Bios. 🔥🔥🔥
the games is the best entrance in my opinion.. it's well choreograph.. every movements were exactly fit on the music everytime he do it..
The U2 "It's A Beautiful Day" build up vignettes really sold it.
I don’t see why people have to be in one camp or the other. I recognize the burying and politicking, but also see him as a top 5 heel of his era and a guy who can have damn good matches when he wanted to, and he wanted to very often. I always see people online who think all he is is the first part and have to actively try to ignore the second part for the first part to be true. He’s both.
Out of every return moments Triple H return in 2002 is the world no the G.O.A.T moment of ever
Greatest return in WWE history HANDS DOWN!!!
HE GOT A STONE COLD POP THAT NIGHT I REMEMBER HIS ENERGY WAS DIFFERENT IF YOU DIDN'T SEE THE ATTITUDE ERA I SUGGEST YOU GO BACK & WATCH FROM BEGINNING TO END CLASSIC SH*T ✅💯
The biggest pop I ever heard. I leaped off my couch when he came out. Greatest heel of all time imo
It's all about the game and how you play. It was awesome seeing him return from the major injury.
Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
I loved Kurt Angle minimising Triple H’s injury. “So what? He tore a quad? I tear my quad all the time. I tore my quad in the shower this morning, and look...” (starts doing star jumps)
😂
When you heard that theme music you knew it was time to play the Game
Thank you very much mate I enjoy your channel and your great work. Triple h is my favourite heel. When would you do triple h full collection sir. Keep up the great work thanks take care 👍
WrestlingBios is the best food for a wrestling soul
Did his relationship with The Clique and the McMahon family benefit him in his career? Yes, of course it did.
However, would he have made it without those relationships? A resounding Yes!
He has been one of the most determined wrestlers in the last 30 years. After the 'curtain call' incident he was the only one who got serious backlash. Did he whine about it? No, he kept working hard and his onscreen performance didn't suffer. On the contrary, he became better and better.
This man was born to be a wrestler and was always an excellent heel.
Absolutely. HE was already a 3 time World Champion right around the time that his STORYLINE relationship with Steph started! Vince CLEARLY saw him as a top guy long before he dated his daughter.
Nah tbh I don’t think he would’ve got very far without those relationships. They were very instrumental in his career going the way it did. Which is the point:
Triple H's Return in 2002 was awesome I'll never forget Watching The January 7th 2002 episode of WWF Raw And Getting chills when His Music Hit The Crowd made it so special that Moment was so awesome and I will never forget it that Moment Right there made me a Fan of Triple H
He came back at the right time
@@lexkanyima2195 He Really did and wasn't he originally supposed to Come back At The Vengeance 2001 PPV but he returned on the first episode of Raw of 2002.
@@benespinosa6725 but what happens after that it got confused in the build up to Wrestlemania 18
@@lexkanyima2195 it really got confusing you're absolutely right about that
@@benespinosa6725 there so many problems behind the scenes espacially for Austin at that time.
The toughness of Trips is truly astounding: completely tore the largest muscle in the leg off the bone,
yet, completed two big spots in the match + completed the match....
only to be gone for eight *short* months (in relation to the injury).
As a military vet,
I think it's completely reasonable of me to compare his level of toughness to that of soldiers in times of war (think about: "Hacksaw Ridge" and "Black Hawk Down").
Imagine the Two Man Power Trip going into the Invasion storyline.
Although Jericho more than likely would've never achieved acclaim;
he would've been the only real "casualty", if Trips never got hurt.
I’m an old school attitude era kid who got back in to wrestling as an adult. I love HHH. He’s the best heel in wrestling history. The ultimate final boss heel. Did he manipulate the business to his own favor? Hell yea. But he’s a heel. In Kafabe and was in real life as well. Now he’s the king.
Say what you will about him, but there's no doubt that the 2002 return in MSG is still, after 20 years, the greatest wrestling return ever.
The pop from the crowd always hits a special place in my heart.
Man your work is such Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y ! Ever thought of doing a video on JBL’s WWE Championship run ? You’re the Man ! WBWO 4 Life !
He came back jacked, and came back the best in the game
One of the goats of all time
If there’s only 1 certain gr8 trait about hhh that everyone would agree with it’ll b this: he looks awesome with his denim vest worn OVER his leather jacket!
I was like 13 when i saw hhh comeback it was EPIC.
That's why he's Triple H,The Game,The Cerebral Assassin and The King of Kings. After he returned at Madison Square Garden in New York City New York on January 7th,he went on to win the 2002 Royal Rumble match and then win the WWF Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania 18 at the Toronto SkyDome in Toronto Ontario Canada.
One of my favorite moments in wrestling.
I remember when Triple H came back in 2002. It was a cool moment.
Thank you for reading my book report.
GREAT VIDEO!! Wow, it's just amazing the details and your video's are always SO Impressively put together!!!!!