7) No DQ – No Holds Barred
Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) vs. Triple H (w/ Shawn Michaels)
In 2012, Lesnar collided with the WWE COO at SummerSlam, breaking Triple H’s arm and destroying his best friend Shawn Michaels in the process. Redemption/retribution seems to be the common theme of WrestleMania this year, but I’d add vengeance to this match as well. Lesnar, a former UFC Champion, destroyed Triple H throughout the match, putting him through almost twenty minutes of hell. However, the Game woudn’t go down no matter how many submissions, and no matter how many announce tables were destroyed in the process of this war. In the end, Triple H found some last-minute momentum and delivered the Pedigree on top of the steel ring steps to put the beast away.
Results: Triple H def. Brock Lesnar via pinfall; Pedigree
I’m sure this match won’t be everyone’s cup of tea – it was long, very slow and focused more on the dominance of Lesnar than telling a back-and-forth story. I can only imagine there are more than a few fans upset that Brock Lesnar has now lost to the only two opponents he’s had since returning. To that I say…who cares? Brock is only in this for the money – always has been. He’s never going to be a full-time employee again; why bother putting him over? After that match, do you really think “The Anomaly” came off looking weak?
It’s worth noting that Triple H is among my all-time favorite pro wrestlers. I may be among the minority, but I was actually excited for this match, just to watch The Game kick Brock Lesnar’s ass. It took me back to the days of just being a pure wrestling fan; watching my favorite guy get the win over the big bad monster. I love the submission work later on with the Kimura Lock. My biggest issue was that they just didn’t go deep enough – didn’t get personal enough – for me to really invest emotionally in the outcome. I feel WWE could have brought out Stephanie, Vince, maybe ever the kids. Shawn Michaels was barely involved, and even so just to knock out Paul Heyman.
Bottom line is that I enjoyed this match for what it was, but I’ll admit it could have been better. Things can always be better. But for two part-time guys who dont’ get a lot of ring work in between shows, they both put on a hell of a match. Brock continues to look like he never left – still with some of the best throws in the business.
Grade: B+
