[2005-11-27-WWE-Survivor Series] Triple H vs Ric Flair (Last Man Standing)

[ohtani's jacket]

Triple H predictably gets his win back from Taboo Tuesday. The match is okay, mostly thanks to Ric bleeding, but it's excessively long. Ric kicks out of three pedigrees at the end only to go down to a sledgehammer shot. I'm pretty sure one pedigree was enough. 

[Superstar Sleeze]

Ric Flair Vs Triple H - Survivor Series 2005 Last Man Standing

It is funny starting in 2014 with WWE Network I never thought finding pro wrestling would be tough but with all these switches to the library and I don’t have Netflix I am reliant on all the old methods I used as a teenager. What is old is new again. 
 

Ric Flair’s Intercontinental Title is not on the line which telegraphs the finish even as a teenager it was obvious to me that meant HHH would win. HHH didnt embrace being a nostalgia act until Summer of 2006 when he reunited DX. So he was still rebuilding himself to do the job to Cena at Mania 22.

I am surprised I had never seen this match before as I know I have watched the Taboo Tuesday match a couple times. Old Man Flair sucking is pretty overblown. He is very good in this and has been in all the 2005/06 matches I have watched so far. 
 

This match is Wile E Coyote vs Roadrunner with HHH playing the role of Coyote and Flair being the Roadrunner. HHH being younger, stronger and faster than Flair should steam roll him But he keeps trying this complicated and elaborate schemes to maim Flair which keeps giving Flair openings. HHH gets a chair; Flair cracks him with a Kendo Stick. He talks smack; Flair Testicular Claw. HHH Pedigree on the Announce Table; Back body drop. Had a chair in his hands laid down to Pedigree onto the Chair; Flair Low Blow. This led to the only meaningful control segment but we will get back to it. HHH Ring steps smashes Flair goes for the charge; Flair drop toehold. I really enjoyed this narrative. Flair bleeding buckets and the violence really add to it all. Flair had some great chops and punches. He very rarely played such an underdog babyface even against Vader he was still The Man. Here he is fighting for his life. He really sold the desperation. He easily had the best stretch of the match smashing HHH’s nuts into the post. Working the legs against the Ring post the chop blocks, the desperation biting. He was feral. The Figure-4 was a great spot. They could have done a lot more with HHH not being able to stand in a Last Man Standing Match but they basically just went into the finish. It was the Ring steps. Then the Flash Pedigree which was great. Loved the Middle Finger by Flair after two more. The Sledgehammer you know it was coming but that was lame finish. Flash Pedigree, Second One, Flair Middle Finger, Pedigree on the Chair would have the ruled. 
 

The one thing I didn’t mention but really put over the violence was the Screwdriver by HHH to Flair‘s open wound. 2005/2006 WWE was ultra violent. Maybe the most violent stretch in WWE. What hurt this match the most is HHH. Man he is just so soulless. Mechanically everything is fine. His offense was tight and he sold well but man he has no heart, spirit to his work. Easily great but could have been a classic with a better HHH performance. ****