10. WWE Championship Match: Triple H Vs. Jeff Hardy (No Mercy 2008)
Arguably Triple H's most underrated rival, Jeff Hardy was the hottest act in professional wrestling in the fall of 2008, his Charismatic Enigma persona striking a chord with an audience desperate for something different than the "Never Give Up" hokum espoused by John Cena and pushed by the WWE machine. Jeff was different, flashier and more dynamic than the rest of the roster and the audience recognized as much. For him to climb to the top of the sports-entertainment industry, though, he would have to get past WWE champion Triple H. Hardy had repeatedly come oh-so-close to snatching the title away from The King of Kings, and he had another shot to achieve his boyhood dream when challenged for the title at October's No Mercy PPV. The story of the match was the challenger's repeated attempts to deliver the Twist of Fate to the champion, only for it to be countered and for him to be shoved away. When he finally did deliver it and scaled the ropes for the Swanton Bomb, it appeared as though SmackDown was about to crown a new champion. He launched himself off the top rope, nailed his finisher and the crowd popped, figuring they were about to witness history unfold. An exhausted Hardy lackadaisically covered his opponent, only for Triple H to grab his arms and score the crucifix pin outta nowhere for the win, proving one more time why the champion was, and forever will be, called The Cerebral Assassin.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
