Triple H on possible Edge, Paige returns: Health first

We’re getting closer and closer to the Royal Rumble and that means fans digging deeper and deeper for any bit of information on a surprise return in the men’s or women’s match. This year, there are two names of interest, both of whom were forced to retire due to injury: Edge and Paige.

Various rumors and speculation have both returning, and they’ve both either denied as much (Edge) or been playful and used social media to joke about it (Paige). It’s picked up enough steam that Triple H was recently asked about it.

Here’s what he had to say (via Inside The Ropes):

”With both of them, those would be personal choices for them... I shouldn’t say that. Personal choice for part of it and then medical choice for the other part of it, right? There are... WWE is at a different level. It’s hard to even put that into... there is no other level, almost, from a medical oversight standpoint. Every now and then I’ll hear somebody else talk about their medical or something and it doesn’t exist. Fact. Just because you have a doctor every now and then doesn’t mean you have a medical protocol, right? So, for us there are certain parameters. When we believe that it’s not in your best interest, we put the human being first. And their health, their long term health is... life goes on for a long time after this ends. Especially now, the style and the physicality has increased dramatically. So when you get to a place where at some point we’re telling you ‘medically, not in your best interest,’ you can do a lot of things to try to get back to that and if you do then maybe that’s an option but it’s a medical decision that is far from us. If our medical experts say that they believe that this person has done whatever to rehab their situation, and it could be multiple situations in anything, but if they’ve done all of that and they’re now safe to get back in the ring we allow it.”

He went on to talk about Daniel Bryan and his journey back to the ring, stressing that no one believed he would be back but they simply left it up to the medical experts. As soon as the ones who wouldn’t clear him finally did clear him, he was allowed to return. The same would seem to apply here.

He closed with this:

”When you’re talking about people as talented as Edge and Paige, who wouldn’t want them to return? I’m a fan just like everyone else and, yeah, I would love to see them step into the ring and compete. More importantly than that, though, I would like to see them live long healthy lives. ... Their health first, they’re people first. This is all great but at the end of the day it’s not everything.”

That’s certainly not a confirmation they’re returning — not that he would give that anyway — but it’s also not a denial.

Continue to speculate at your own peril, reader.