Triple H at WWE Royal Rumble: Reliving His 1st Battle Royal Win

Triple H won the 2016 WWE Royal Rumble match to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, so it only seemed appropriate to use this week's Throwback Thursday to look at his first victory at the event.

It's been 14 years since Triple H won his first Rumble, officially making him the person with the longest stretch between two victories at the event.

Like this year's show, 2002 did not feature any legends appearing in the Battle Royal, but there were plenty of big names to keep the crowd excited.

Guys like The Undertaker, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, the Hardys and Rob Van Dam were among the crowd's favorites. One memorable moment that was just as famous as The Game's win was when Tough Enough winner Maven eliminated The Undertaker, surprising everyone in attendance.

At one point, it seemed like The Undertaker was destined to win. He entered the match at No. 8 and eliminated everyone else in the ring, giving him a short rest before he was joined by Matt and Jeff Hardy.

Maven came out at No. 11 and shocked the world by drop-kicking Taker over the top rope after Lita and The Hardy Boyz wore him down, but The Deadman couldn't let that stand. He got back in the ring, gave the rookie a beating and threw him over the top rope.

The match got a fresh start with Scotty 2 Hotty and Christian, but things really picked up when Austin entered at No. 19 and proceeded to eliminate several competitors.

He even brought Christian and Chuck Palumbo back in the ring after eliminating them just so he could deliver two Stone Cold Stunners and throw them over the top rope again.

The funniest moment from the whole match came when The Hurricane grabbed Triple H and Austin by their throats, only to have the two WWE legends laugh at him and throw him out of the ring.

It all came down to Angle and The Game. These two men knew each other well. They went back and forth for a few minutes before Triple H clotheslined the gold medalist out of the ring to win a shot at the WWE Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania 18.

This was a rebirth of sorts for Triple H. An injury kept him sidelined for almost eight months leading up to the pay-per-view, forcing him to miss the Invasion angle completely.

Trips would go on to win the title from Chris Jericho at WrestleMania, making him a five-time champion in the process, but he couldn't have done it without his victory at the Royal Rumble.

Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit Triple H has been an important part of WWE's success for the past two decades, and it's moments like his 2002 Rumble win that have made his career so memorable.

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