Triple H's return from a torn quadriceps was presented as heroic, and make no mistake, the fans were happy to see "The Game" once more. The roof nearly came off of Madison Square Garden when he made his first Raw appearance for eight months in Janyary 2002. However, it was pretty apparent that something was a bit off about him (besides the inexplicable addition of what looked like thirty pounds of solid muscle). Instead of being the sneering, calculating technician that knew how to manipulate situations to his advantage, he was now a full-fledged living, breathing He-Man that just pounded his opponents into dust. The best Triple H is the one that controls, not the one that fights the power, because that's hardly believable. His feud with Stephanie made for pretty self-indulgent television, and it was hard to buy him as a top babyface. He just wasn't really that likeable. Crowds did cheer for him during his six-month babyface run, but not at a transcendent level like that of Austin or Rock (or the returning Hulk Hogan). As a result, The Game was back to being a bad guy much sooner than he probably should have been, turning heel just six months or so after his triumphant return.
Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.
