After botching the invasion storyline in 2001, wrestling fans everywhere wondered if WWE were capable of thriving in a world without real competition. It was a fair question made all the more intriguing by the fact that the company had just received a significant influx of new talent that would all need to find a home in this new world where the WWE was the only real game in town. Yet, with the weight of the wrestling world on their shoulders, the WWE came through in spectacular form in 2002. Starting with the tremendous return of Triple H at Madison Square Garden, WWE seemed determined to produce weekly television worthy of beating the very toughest competition - even though there was very little to be found. They apologised for the invasion in their own way by bringing back the nWo and key pieces of talent like Rey Mysterio who were sorely missing during the angle. They gave the wrestling world one of the most awe-inspiring matches of all-time as The Rock took on Hulk Hogan. Shawn Michaels made a stunning return and immediately entered into a heated feud with Triple H. Just when you thought that they couldn't possibly top themselves, they did so week after week after week. Through it all, though, the one storyline everyone seems to remember is the rise of Brock Lesnar. Dubbed "The Next Big Thing" this towering spectacle of a human quickly proceeded to tear through the WWE roster in a way that nobody ever had. His meteoric rise to the top was paved with the blood of Hulk Hogan, The Rock, The Undertaker and anyone else who got in his way. WWE had never quite went as all-in on a superstar so early in their career like they did with Brock Lesnar and it wasn't long before fans found themselves tuning in to see how far they would take him next. All of this and no time to mention the first Elimination Chamber, the Smackdown Six or that gripping ladder match between The Undertaker and Jeff Hardy. How could you begin to cover every single piece of greatness this year gave us?