4. WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Triple H and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Vs. Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit (Raw, May 21 2001)
Arguably the greatest match in Monday Night Raw history is a memorable one in the career of Triple H for all the wrong reasons. It was on that night, May 21, 2001, that he suffered his first torn quadriceps injury. After two years of developing into the best wrestler on the planet, he was forced to the sidelines thanks to an injury suffered in the most innocuous of circumstances. Before the fateful moment that he planted his leg, prepped to deliver a blow to the back of Chris Jericho's head, The Game had been putting in a hell of a shift in a phenomenal match for the WWE Tag Team Championships that he and partner Steve Austin had held for over a month. Their opponents, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, had become No. 1 contenders the night before and wasted little time cashing-in their title opportunity. The action broke down late in the match, with Triple H and Benoit fighting to the floor while Y2J trapped Austin in his signature submission hold, the Walls of Jericho. It was at that moment that The Cerebral Assassin attempted to break the hold via stiff forearm to the back of the head, only to obliterate the largest muscle in the human body. His quad torn completely off the bone, he somehow continued to fight, even enduring a Walls of Jericho on the announce table. His gutsy performance was not enough to secure the titles, though, as Jericho and Benoit emerged victorious. As he laid on the mat outside the squared circle, feeling as if he had "been shot in the thigh", Triple H had cemented his legacy as not only one of the toughest stars to ever lace a pair of boots but, at the same time, one of the most devoted in wrestling history. No one not absolutely in love with the business would have put his body on the line for the sake of a single television match the way he did.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
