As seen during the Royal Rumble PPV, Triple H made a surprise return to eliminate Roman Reigns, and went on to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Roman is set to face Brock Lesnar and Dean Ambrose in a triple threat match at WWE Fastlane, with the winner facing Triple H in the main event at WrestleMania 32.
The WWE officials, as of this writing are rumored to go ahead with Roman Reigns as the number one contender, and the feeling in the company is that a win over Triple H at WrestleMania would give Roman Reigns a huge rub. Roman Reigns is still seen as the next face of WWE, and the officials feel that a win over Triple H for the title at WrestleMania would give Roman his WrestleMania moment.
At the Royal Rumble PPV, Triple H set a new record for the longest duration between Royal Rumble match wins. Triple H last won the Rumble match back in 2002, and it took 14 years for the Cerebral Assassin to win another Rumble match.
In doing so, Triple H also became the second oldest performer to have won the Rumble match at the age of 46. Vince McMahon holds the record, however, when he won the Rumble match back in 1999, at 53 years of age.
More records were broken during the Royal Rumble PPV, with Triple H joining Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Batista, John Cena and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin as the superstars to have won the Rumble match more than once. Austin still holds the record for winning the most number of Rumble matches, with 3 victories.
Triple H’s victory also means that he is now the third oldest WWE Superstar to become world champion. Hulk Hogan’s run as the WWE champion back in 2002 puts him at number two, as he was 48 years old, and Vince McMahon tops the list with his championship reign in 1999, when he was 54.
