[2012-08-19-WWE-Summerslam] Brock Lesnar vs Triple H

[Superstar Sleeze]

Brock Lesnar vs Triple H - WWE Summerslam 2012

This is the match that actually inspired me to join PWO. I found PWO in the spring of 2012 and fell in love instantly, but like most people started out as a lurker. I loved this match so much and was surprised a lot of people here didn't like it so I decided to join and speak up. The rest is history. 

I still think this is one of the most underrated matches in WWE history. I am a huge, unabashed Brock mark and this is a stellar Brock performance. Brock has a pro wrestling IQ so much higher than everybody else it is scary. He just has a great feel. He knows exactly what makes sense for Brock Lesnar. We start with the usual Brock bullying and crowding the corner, which is the perfect start. Now watch how HHH clotheslines him over the top rope twice. First off you see the impressive athleticism of Brock. I have seen LeBron James in person live and I am not sure if he is the greatest athlete I have ever seen because Brock is just that damn freakish. Brock is a great bumper and at his size all his bumps look great. The key is how does he sell it. He is NOT selling pain. He is selling shock. Big difference! That's pro wrestling IQ. 

Then we go into Brock Beast Mode. He literally takes the gloves off. How does he take control a cheap shot to the back of the head. Michael Cole does a great job pointing out you would be docked one point in UFC and the next time would be a DQ. Brock is an asshole. He is a bully. That is not a respectful move. Great job by Cole putting over this heelish action. Then it is a focused attack on the arm. It is Brock Lesnar in all his reigning offensive glory. Slamming HHH on the bad arm (he broke it in the build to the match). I loved the King Kong Spot where Brock tips the announce table on its side, ascends it and then leaps into the air and crashed down on HHH. HHH was great with peppering in hope spots and shots to make Brock cut him off. His arm is in pain, but he can still fight back and he showed that. This was the Brock show but HHH was doing a good job. Brock was great with all the cutoffs. What is also great is how they foreshadow the big turning point. HHH is throwing kneelifts and punches to Brock's gut constantly. By the time we get into the latter stage of the match, we see the best Brock, the wounded bear Brock. 

Andre and Vader had this special charisma when it came to selling. They were even more dangerous as these "wounded bears". Perhaps the greatest of them all is Brock Lesnar. I have consistently said that Brock Lesnar is the seller on the WWE Roster since 2012. AJ Styles is a close second just as AJ is the best bumper and Brock is a close second. You can already see Brock selling those shots the stomach. How it is slowing him down and the grimace on his face. Then when HHH pulls him into the pointed edge of the announce table stomach, wow, some of the best selling of all time. Brock Lesnar put on an absolute master class in selling. HHH to his credit stayed on it. Every punch and kneelift was to the gut. Brock was milking it. It had me on the edge of my seat just like back in 2012. Pedigree was a great final hope spot. Then the BALLSHOT~! I forgot about that. The match was effectively No DQ, No Countout because HHH told the ref to let everything go. Here you have the man who is supposed to bring legitimacy back to WWE. He is the Shootfighter and he has to stoop to a low blow. That's great fucking heeling! I love that shit! I love when a monster heel cheats because it just much more terrible. It also puts over how desperate he was. I liked the F-5 kickout to give HHH a little love and protection. The one part of the match I didnt dig was the finish. I think first Double Wristlock (I refuse to call it a Kimura, we are in pro wrestling) should have ended it. The Pedigree -> Flash Submission is stupid modern day wrestling where moves don't matter. What is so great about this match is every move up until the finish had consequence and had meaning. 

I am sour on the finish, but it does not negate how tremendous this match is especially as a standalone Brock performance and you see all three aspects of Brock that make him great, Brock the Bumper, Brock the Asskicker and Brock the Seller. Come in with an open mind and give this a shot. ****1/2

[Cowboy Hats 4.0]

 

[ShittyLittleBoots]

This is a solid match with a pretty great Brock Lesnar performance. Everything he does here is on point; from the beginning where he does the usual Lesnar bullying, to then selling the "mood change" perfectly when HHH got one-up on him. His big heat segment on HHH was good too; they established & treated Kimura as a huge deal right from the get go, and him working over HHH was all about doing damage to that arm, of course to set up what was eventually gonna be the finish. It's good stuff & HHH sells being in peril really well tbh, even better than I would have expected. The way the momentum swifts to his favor w/ him attacking Lesnar's mid-section is awesome, and I can't praise Lesnar's selling enough. He sells the initial shock & the shots like they're killing him, and his selling remains perfect till the very end. It's a good match, but not great. Not all of it is very compelling to watch & there are points when it moves into straight-up uninteresting-territory, but it's still good & the performances by both men (especially Lesnar) were really damn good. The infamous post-match is also obviously hilarious. ***