SLAM! Wrestling Editorial: Triple H back in the game
By NICK TYLWALK -- For SLAM! Wrestling
From all accounts, the fan reaction at Madison Square
Garden was deafening. Unquestionably, the returning
star was emotional. And the ratings for this week's
episode of Raw seem to indicate that casual WWF fans
cared enough to tune in. Yet the one question that
can't be avoided is, "That's it?"
In case you hadn't heard (unlikely, given the
massive amount of publicity generated by the WWF's
hype machine) or were just thawed out from a block of
ice, Triple H made his triumphant return after almost
eight months on the shelf with a nasty thigh injury.
Scratch that. It was a nice return, to be sure, but
something was missing that kept it from making a
lasting impression.
The problem wasn't in the set-up. Showing an
unusual amount of restraint, Vince McMahon had no role
in Raw's final segment. Triple H was allowed to walk
out on the stage, soak in a much deserved ovation and
pose in the ring as the roars continued. He even got
a chance to formally reintroduce himself before Kurt
Angle crashed the party.
No qualms there. Angle's jealousy was eminently
believable and well within the bounds of his
established character. Even Helmsley's subsequent
demolition of Angle made sense, as he had to take
someone out to prove The Game was back.
But that was it. Pedigree, music, good night and
thanks for coming. Maybe the return of one of the
WWF's top performers should have been enough, but in
this day and age of sports entertainment, we as fans
have been conditioned to expect more.
It's not like there was a lack of questions
surrounding the comeback. Would Triple H be a heel or
a face? Only Angle's interruption even gives us a
clue. What about the status of his relationship with
his loving wife Stephanie? Looks like we'll have to
wait until Smackdown.
And what about Helmsley's unresolved issues with a
certain Texas Rattlesnake? When last we saw him, a
heel Triple H was terrorizing the WWF alongside Steve
Austin. The injury came just as their partnership
seemed to be unraveling, and vignettes shot at the
time of Triple H's surgery suggested that Stone Cold
would be the first man on his hit list when he
recovered. Hey, if The Rock can forgive Austin for
what happened at last year's WrestleMania, I guess we
can buy Hunter and Steve sharing a few brews.
It was, of course, only one night. Nothing short of
Triple H decimating Chris Jericho to claim the Unified
World Title and kicking Steph to the curb would have
lived up to the hoopla, and that just wasn't going to
happen. Unfortunately, therein lies the point. Too
often pro wrestling simply sets the bar too high, and
Monday proved that even the industry leader isn't
immune to this affliction.
Millions of fans can't be wrong. The ratings were
up substantially for Monday's show, so it's hard to
second guess the WWF's decision to do what it did. It
sure would have been sweeter though, if we hadn't been
promised unforgettable and received nice instead.
Until The Game has more time to get cranked up, nice
will have to do.
