Maybe it was the fact that he tapped out to Benoit and lost cleanly. Maybe it was the fact that HBK didn't even figure into the finish of the match. But when the Game's music hit and he came out on RAW- I marked out for the guy...and I haven't done that in a long time. I think by showing vulnerability, HHH has earned my respect once again.
Great job, H. Nice RAW promo, too.
I was there....When Chris Jericho beat Austin and Rock in the same night to become the first ever Undisputed Champion! (And for the incredible Eddie/ Edge "no DQ"!!!)
Yes, indeed. I'm not a Triple H fan, nor have I been easily confused with one since like 1999. In fact, there are times when I hate the man's bleedin' guts.
But he put Benoit over clean at WrestleMania, tapping in the middle of the ring, and Benoit got a tremendous start to his long-overdue reign as World Heavyweight Champion. And for that, Triple H deserves respect. For that matter, so do Shawn Michaels for his role in the match and Vince McMahon for making it possible in the first place and pulling the trigger with Benoit as the champion.
I didn't mark out for Triple H when he came out on RAW... certainly not the way I marked out for Chris Benoit, title in hand... but I did applaud for “The Game”, and that's the first time in a long while I've done anything but roll my eyes when he's come to the ring.
“Chris Benoit, finally, is the Heavyweight Champion of this world!” --Jim Ross, WrestleMania XX
Weiner of the Day Title History:
Won the title on 5/27/02 from Lunacy in a hardcore match; lost the belt the following day to wheresitat42 via offbeat shenanigans
Regained the title on 7/3/02 by pinning SKLOKAZOID in a triple-threat match; lost the belt the next day to NickBockwinkelFan via heel chicanery
Certified RFMC Member-- Ask To See My Credentials!
What can I say, I haven't seen him go that nuts before until last night. Good stuff on the part of HHH. In our blinding hatred of him, the other thing we seem to have forgotten about him was the fact that he gives good "anger" better than most. Big ups, Trip.
After a quarter of a century on this planet, there's three things I know for sure... 1)Ain't nothing like a Dirty Pair marathon on New Year's Eve. 2)I'd make a fine Mrs. HHH II. 3) I'd make an acceptable Mrs. Orton. 1400 reasons to luv me!
I agree. Not only did he show me a lot at Mania with the performance he put on (Benoit and HBK didn't carry him, he pulled his own weight), but the way he lost the belt was top-notch, and his promo on Raw was tremendous.
It was almost as if HHH was saying that Benoit wasn't the real champion, but at the same time, convincing the fans that he IS. Beautiful.
(edited by CANADIAN BULLDOG on 16.3.04 0725) What will happen, including every last detail, at this weekend's Wrestle Mania XXX? What former minor-league wrestling promoter was caught in a Sex Scandal? Folks, I can't talk about on TV, but check out the latest Inside The Ropes!!! Check out the brand new ITR Website, featuring the ridiculously expensive Canadian BullBLOG!!!
While all of that may be true and props to HHH if it is, here is one possible scenario. In the lottery Benoit goes back to SD. Eddie stays on SD as the champion. This sets them up to feud and leaves Raw w/out a champion. Vince hands the belt back to HHH as the last champion rather than having a tournament. This sets up HBK and HHH again.
Meh. I'll reserve my praise for a little while, to see how long he behaves himself. But he definitely did the right thing at 'Mania, can't take that away from him.
I'd tell you to kiss my ass, but I don't want to get it infected.
Originally posted by Hogan's My DadMeh. I'll reserve my praise for a little while, to see how long he behaves himself. But he definitely did the right thing at 'Mania, can't take that away from him.
Like those few who said Wrestlemania XX was not worth the money, some people will never be happy. It appears that nothing short of HHH's permanent retirement and banishment to a deserted island so that he can never, ever again be champion will be enough for some people. Just what constitutes "behaving himself" long enough?
I don't know if I would say that I have more respect for HHH now, as many of the things that happened over the course of the last 4 years were pretty bad.
Still, he did his job and put someone over. He made Benoit look like a real champion at WrestleMania XX. He has a clean slate right now, yet still has the potential to make another mess.
He showed me absolutely nothing...he lost once, big whoop...he's fucked the careers of many people for the time being...in the end, I believe he did the job only to make himself look better...in 4 months, people will bitch about him again...
"Win if you can, lose if you must, but in the end, always cheat..." - Jesse "the Body" Ventura
Staying away from the belt for a bit, meaning longer than a month or two. Not undermining Benoit's push in any way. What do you want me to do, start a fan club? He deserves props for 'Mania, which I said, but if he gets the belt back soon or does to Benoit what he did to virtually every other challenge of the last two or three years then, I'm sorry, the bad will outweigh the good.
As for Mania, I liked it. It's not your place to say what people should and shouldn't like. It's a matter of personal taste, really. The people who didn't like aren't necessarily impossible to satisfy, maybe they just, you know, didn't like it. Being in the minority doesn't make them wrong.
I'd tell you to kiss my ass, but I don't want to get it infected.
HHH did the right thing, and that's the first time I've said that in a long time. He did the clean job to Benoit. I have my reservations, though. HHH is never far away from the belt, and my fear is that Benoit will have to re-pay the job at Backlash in Edmonton. Hopefully, HHH continues to do the right thing and stays out of the title picture for a while.
"America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people." -- George W. Bush
Thread ahead: WrestleMania 21..Wait, 21!? Next thread: Wrestlemania order - Roman Numerals weren't always used. Previous thread: What transpired last night at Wrestlemania XX means so much for the business than we think.
That does beg the question... would they remember the fact that he lost, or the fact that he was more than competitive the whole time? I'm saying the latter, but that's just me.