Last Monday night, the year 2007 may have been coming to an end, but Triple H's problems were just beginning. 

Thanks to William Regal, The Game lost to Ric Flair and was pushed out of contention for the Royal Rumble, throwing up a significant roadblock on his path to a 12th World title. At first, only Flair had something to lose -- his career -- but Regal told The Cerebral Assassin that if he lost to the "Nature Boy," he would lose his coveted Royal Rumble spot.

When Triple H saw his Rumble spot get knocked out with one Regal brass knuckles blow to Flair's skull, the face of an exhausted Game was awash with both relief for his mentor, whose career was saved, and disappointment. (WATCH)

With bitter reality sinking in, what could possibly be Triple H's state of mind in the weeks leading up to the Rumble? His thoughts inevitably were harkening back to last year, when he missed Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 23 because of a torn quadriceps he suffered during New Year's Revolution. After eight months of exhaustive rehabilitation, The Game finally returned at SummerSlam with hopes of redemption by winning gold at the main event at WrestleMania -- a feeling he's well-acquainted with and craves.

If anybody embodies desire in WWE, it is The Game. His thirst for competition and desire for World Championship gold fuels him. He strives to be the best and knows he can only be truly considered the crème de la crème of WWE by winning on two of WWE's greatest stages -- Royal Rumble and the Grandaddy of Them All, WrestleMania.

Now, all his hard work -- the long, painful road to redemption -- seems to have been for nothing. That's where the rage enters. After suffering such a loss -- even to an ally -- The Cerebral Assassin will undoubtedly feel the need to reassert his dominance, perhaps by inflicting pain upon the Raw GM. However, he -- like everyone else -- must wonder why Regal interfered in his match.

There's also the matter of the Royal Rumble. It is unlikely that Triple H will simply go away without so much as a peep. More than likely, he's calculating just what it will take to regain entry into the Jan. 27 Madison Square Garden spectacular and back on a path to a coveted WWE Championship.

To that end, what moves will Triple H make to recapture his footing? Regardless of which course of action The Game chooses, don't be surprised if you see a trail of battered bodies along the path.