The murmurs in the Raw locker room started almost immediately after the Superstars – and millions of fans worldwide – heard the familiar gravelly voice and saw the all-too familiar sight: Triple H holding his trusty sledgehammer like a holy scepter.
The vignette was the second video of Triple H that the Raw Superstars and our fans had seen during the show last week, but it clearly had the most impact. The first video showed The Game shortly after he suffered a torn quadriceps at New Year’s Revolution this past January, having surgery and talking about his long recovery ahead. But in the second video, the 10-time World Champion did what he does best – capture attention – as he declared, “In case you have forgotten, I am The Game! And I’m back!”
The Superstars clearly hadn’t forgotten Triple H in the nearly six months since his injury. Eyes widened, and jaws dropped. Questions such as “What does this mean?” and “When is he coming back?” raced around the locker room. King Booker forgot his British accent as he muttered to Queen Sharmell, “Tell me, I didn’t just see that?”
Besides when, another question our fans and Superstars must be pondering is what will Triple H want when he returns. Who will he target? He has said he wants to win an 11th World Championship. However, he also had to be fuming when Randy Orton and Edge took credit for putting him on the sidelines when they were partners as Rated-RKO. In addition, could The Game seek new legends – or legends-in-the-making – to conquer, Superstars he hasn’t faced yet, like Bobby Lashley and Mr. Kennedy?
Only Triple H holds the answers to these questions. For now, Raw Superstars and the rest of WWE had best be on top of their game.