[2004-03-14-WWE-Wrestlemania XX] HHH vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit

[Superstar Sleeze]

World Heavyweight Champion Triple H vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit - Wrestlemania XX

 

I think with triple threat matches you basically have to resign yourself from trying to have a story-based match and just commit to having a balls to the wall, action-packed affair. Instead of fighting against having a third person, you embrace it by just going all out and making sure there is never one dull moment. There really shouldnt be because basically everybody gets a built in breather. I will say HHH was the MVP of this match. After a terrible, terrible 2003 (aside from the last match of the year), he was the total lynchpin of this match. Everything flowed through him and he did an admirable job. As the lone heel in the match, he spent the most time in the match basically having one one on matches with each opponent. I loved the escalation of this match and the feeling of competitive struggle to do all you can to win the match. Benoit and Michaels really brought out the best in each other and even though HHH did a great job I would have liked to seen more of them (definitely check out their RAW 5/3/04 match if you havent). The escalation of the finisher teases from the outset was the perfect way to set the tone that everyone meant business. They had some fun triple threat spots like the HHH ramming Benoit into the apron and then baseball slide into Benoit, HHH whipping HBK bad shoulder into Benoit's tree of woe and the awesome suplex throw of Benoit through the table. Until, I wrote all that I did not notice how much HBK/HHH worked together. I think it was a very subtle nod that this was Benoit's night not Shawn's by making Benoit the ultimate babyface. In New York, which historically never really liked Shawn, Benoit was way more over. Benoit having to earn his diving headbutt was great escalation. Shawn hitting a German was the best heel heat of the match. I think that was one thing the match did lack was stronger heelishness from HHH, who kept up with both guys but could have done more to raise the crowd's ire. I think more hijinx would have been a boon to this match. Shawn is the king of the bladejob. This may be his greatest one ever for speed, secrecy and amount of blood. HHH tapped a nice gusher himself. The pop for the Sharpshooter was awesome and Michaels hit a pitch perfect superkick to break it up. I would have liked to seen Michaels eliminated in more grand fashion than being thrown over the top rope. The Crippler Crossface sequence with HHH was just as fresh in my memory as it was in 2004.

I stopped it before the celebration with Eddie. Too damn depressing. Watching this match emotionally cold, there actually was not much emotion in the match to even get you behind Benoit. You had to be invested in the Benoit character beforehand to be invested because the match was so focused on action.

 

They did a great job with the escalation in this match. The suplex of Benoit on the table was a great red herrig to play into the idea he was an afterthought in the HBK/HHH show and that was going to be blown off only for him to return and win. I think this is another early 00s match that is hurt by not having a stronger heel presence even though HHH played ring general well. Would have liked more hijinx. As an action-packed main event spotfest, this is tough to beat. ****1/4

[cactus]

Has there been a match that been more tainted by future events than this? Both Triple H and HBK get colour and bleed 70's style gushers. Benoit attempts a crossface early and it establishes the move as a huge threat. HHH and HBK form a brief alliance to take out Benoit by driving him through the announce table. Benoit finally tapping out peak Reign Of Terror Triple H was very cathartic and it felt like a huge deal. Everyone brought their A-game for this and it shows. Eddie hugging Benoit as the confetti engulfs the Garden was a huge emotional moment for me, that's now soiled by what would happen just three years later. 
★★★★½

[ohtani's jacket]

This was a decent match as far as triple threat matches go. It was fairly scripted, but it could have been a hell of a lot worse. The New York smark crowd was fully behind Benoit and booed Michaels and Triple H any time they caught a sniff of a near fall, but they were a bit of a lazy crowd and sat on their hands until the finishers came into play. Michaels sure did like to blade during his comeback, and Triple H also hit a gusher. I was divorced from, the WWE by this time, but I can imagine being on the edge of my seat if I'd been a fan. They teased the "will he or won't he?" aspect of Triple H losing extremely well, and the final tap out was an incredible visual that would be a hell of a lot more iconic today if not for the horrors that followed. The Benoit/Guerrero stuff at the end is what it is. I prefer to view it in the moment rather than pick it apart retrospectively. It does feel a little strange that so little of their journey happened in the WWE yet that's where their dreams culminated. Kind of weird seeing all these happy endings to title matches given the current matches with Reigns on top.