10 Hugely Underrated WWE WrestleMania Matches

3. Triple H Vs. Sheamus - WrestleMania XXVI

Sheamus Triple H WrestleMania 26.jpg
WWE.com

Atypical to the trademark drawn-out Triple H ‘Mania effort, his bout with Sheamus didn’t really accomplish anything in the macro sense - but for a breezy, very well-worked 12 minutes, the man defied one narrative.

Trips and his alleged workout buddy did much to engineer fictional tension in the early going, exchanging hard slaps and harsh words, before Sheamus cut off with some authority several faint hope spots, crafting in the process a bruising match of constant motion beyond the laborious Trips template. Trips fought from underneath, “fought” becoming imperative. He didn’t just go through the motions of a sell-job, instead inspiring anticipation for his big comeback by foreshadowing it constantly under the pretence of desperation, subtly putting Sheamus over as a ring general boasting an arsenal of savvy counters.

Matt Striker threatened to undermine it with his customary inane babbling - “It’s not the size of the fighter but the size of the fight he will bring,” he said, as if Trips was Rey Mysterio - but the work in the ring was far more logical.

The other narrative prevailed, in that Triple H won at the expense of an emerging star - but it was a flattering and professional performance, if not result.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!