The 2023 Royal Rumble coming up in in January and fans are already speculating which WWE legends could could up at the event. Last year saw the one-off return of the controversial son of Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, to the company. However, his return was the only legend to come back in the match, although celebrities Bad Bunny and Johnny Knoxville also appeared in the Rumble.
Previous years have proven to be the stomping grounds for the legends of wrestling making their one-off returns to the WWE. 2021 had Christian, Carlito, Kane and The Hurricane making huge appearances, while previous years have given legends like JBL, Rob Van Dam, Goldberg and Jim Duggan the chance for one last appearances and one final huge pop from the fans that grew up watching them on TV and imitating them on the playground every Monday morning.
Triple H is one wrestler who has not been seen inside the ring for a while and has a history of Royal Rumble returns. His comeback to win the 2002 match is legendary, as is his infamous number 30 entrance to steal the WWE Championship from Roman Reigns 14 years later. A one-off return for the man-in-charge would be well received by the fans in attendance and could spark a call for one more match at this years Wrestlemania.
Will Triple H Be At The 2023 Royal Rumble?
Triple H will not be in the 2023 Royal Rumble as he was forced to retire last year due to a cardiac arrest. His heart health has been touch and go over the past few years and the 14 time world champion was forced to announce his retirement inside the ring during the opening segment at Wrestlemania 38: Night 2.
He revealed that he suffered a “Cardiac Event” that meant he had to hang up his boots and retire from wrestling. He revealed in an interview that he had a defibrillator in his chest which has ruled out any chance of coming back in for one more match.
“For me, as far as in-ring, which I get a lot, I’m done,” Triple H said in an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. He also revealed he now has a defibrillator in his chest and will not risk his wellbeing, in case of leaving his daughters fatherless.
“I won’t – I would never wrestle again. First, I have a defibrillator in my chest. Which, it’s probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on live TV.”
His last match was on a WWE house show in Japan, where he teamed with Shinsuke Nakamura to take on Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode. The Games team won the match and sent him out with a victory, much to the delight of the crowd cheering on for their hometown hero and the legendary former WWE Champion. His last Wrestlemania match took place in 2019, when he faced off with former teammate Batista. The match ended up being Batista’s last match in the company before he would retire from the company.
Since retiring, Triple H has taken on a huge amount of responsibility in the WWE. Since the shocking resignation and retirement of Vince McMahon in July 2022, The Game has taken over the job of Head of Creative in WWE, whilst his wife Stephanie and WWE President Nick Khan focus on the corporate side. He also appointed long-time friend and former teammate Shawn Michaels as the new leader of NXT, with rumours that he could appear in the Royal Rumble in his home state also making the rounds in recent weeks.