10 Great WWE Raw Matches From The Original Brand Split
6. Shelton Benjamin Vs. Triple H - March 29, 2004
Two years after the initial draft, WWE higher-ups decided to shake up the rosters with the first brand lottery. Raw and Smackdown would each get six "randomly" selected stars from the other show, and then have an opportunity to make trades. Raw got Shelton Benjamin, splitting up The World's Greatest Tag Team, while Smackdown got Triple H, Raw's top star.
GM Eric Bischoff managed to get Triple H back on Raw with a series of trades, but "The Game" was in a bad mood. He beat up The Hurricane en route to getting added to Backlash's main event, then attacked Shelton Benjamin from behind backstage. Benjamin, however, demanded a match with HHH in order to give him his comeuppance.
The match saw Benjamin nearly pin Triple H in the early goings, then get under his skin with some mind games. HHH eventually took control, but Benjamin fought back, trading near falls with "The Game." Ric Flair tried to help his charge pick up the win, but Chris Benoit neutralized his interference, allowing Benjamin to hit Triple H with a Stinger Splash, then roll him up for an upset win.
This fantastic match could have been a springboard to making Benjamin a main-eventer but, sadly, WWE never pushed him properly.