It shocked few discerning fans that Triple H and Randy Orton had failed yet again to get anybody to give a single sh*t about their rivalry. But knowing was only half the battle.
A pair with the antithesis of chemistry on their best day (smash-cut to "SCENE MISSING" slide...), the layout, placing and pacing really didn't help. 'The Game' went in as Champion, but looking for redemption after Orton had terrorised the McMahon family. He was, however, held back by rules that prohibited him going beyond ordinary in-ring violence. Only he wasn't, because he still won.
The stipulation served as a pair of handcuffs. The 25 minute run-time was indefensible in a court of their peers. Following Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker was the death sentence.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
