Daniel Bryan is in exactly the same position as Triple H was leading up to the 2002 Royal Rumble. In May 2001, in a match that is lost in WWE history, The Game and Stone Cold Steve Austin defended their Tag Team Championships against Chris' Jericho and Beniot. During the match, while trying to prevent Jericho hitting The Walls on Stone Cold, Hunter's quad quite literally detached from the bone and rolled up his leg, putting his career in serious doubt. Ninety-nine percent of the world's population wouldn't have been able to walk but HHH continued the match and even had The Walls put on him while on the announce table. In retrospect, knowing what happened, the remainder of the match is truly gruesome viewing. The Game missed eight months of action and the entire Invasion angle. He returned on Raw a couple of weeks before the Rumble to much fanfare after being a heel beforehand. He delivered a heartfelt promo before being interputed by Kurt Angle, who of course belittled the injury as he won an Olympic gold medal with a broken neck. HHH returned to in-ring competition at the Rumble, entering at number 22. Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was in the ring alone after dispatching everyone in his path, was waiting for the game and the two went to battle, forgetting their former alliance. In true fairy tale fashion, Triple H won the 2002 Royal Rumble after eliminating Kurt Angle. He would go on to WrestleMania XVIII and defeat defending WWE Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho for the belts.
