'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Triple H has competed in multiple match stipulations in his illustrious WWE career. But the former World Champion has his fair share of forgettable moments related to the Elimination Chamber Match. As it turns out, a mistake in the match saw The Game sustain a life-threatening injury.
The first Elimination Chamber Match happened at the Survivor Series Premium Live Event 2002. Chris Jericho, Booker T., Kane, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Rob Van Dam competed in what turned out to be an iconic match. During the match, RVD delivered a Five-Star Frog Splash on HHH from the top of one of the pods. However, the latter botched the move as his knee connected with Triple H's throat instead of the mat.
Trending
Both men had visible reactions after the move. RVD clutched his knee while The Game turned over and kicked his feet furiously while holding his throat. His throat began to swell up, which closed his airway. In a past interview, the Chief Content Officer shared that despite the immense pain and that he couldn't talk, he decided to continue and finished the more than 39-minute match.
The injury was deemed life-threatening as The Game stated that doctors told him accidents like those could have crushed his windpipe. Although The King of Kings doesn't blame RVD, the latter still felt bad and admitted it was his fault.
What did Triple H notice before RVD landed on his throat?
Since the Elimination Chamber was still a new concept in 2002, many of the superstars involved found it difficult to calculate and initially perform well in the structure. As it turns out, even Triple H may have noticed some early signs of RVD's move going wrong.
On WWE Network's Ruthless Aggression, Triple H shared that while lying on the mat, he watched RVD go up the pod and noticed his opponent couldn't stand straight. The Game even wondered how RVD looked awkward and was unsure if he could jump from that high up.
“As I was laying there and I saw him go to the top of the pod, I was thinking, ‘Oh s***, he can’t stand up straight.’ I’m looking and I’m thinking, ‘That looks really awkward. I don’t know if he can jump from there.’ It was just going tragically in the wrong direction, like I’d walk over to somebody and they’d hit me, and as soon as I’d take a bump, I can’t breathe again. It would all just inflame back up.”
What happened to the WWE Elimination Chamber years later?
Years later, the WWE Elimination Chamber began to occur annually and even had its own Premium Live Event, but this also meant the menacing structure inflicted more injuries. However, the company changed the design of the cage in 2017 and made it higher.
Although it looks less menacing now as it no longer has that claustrophobic feel the smaller cage looked, it's safer for WWE Superstars and easier for transportation.
Share your favorite memory from the previous Elimination Chamber Matches in the comments section below.
