Career Threatening No Holds Barred Match: Triple H vs Brock Lesnar
This match has been getting a lot of hate from the IWC, and honestly I don't get it. It delivered exactly what it promised to deliver: a brutal and intense brawl. For 20 some minutes, The Game and The Next Big Thing tore each other to shreds with vicious throws and stiff shots. They battled all around ringside, even managing to break the table that withstood the Punk elbow of doom. Lesnar did outstandingly well in this match, as he has done since his return, and HHH brought all of the intensity he could muster to make this a memorable contest. Though not touching HHH's last Mania encounter with The Deadman, this was everything their match at Summerslam was not: fast-paced, absolutely brutal, and a huge joy to watch. The crowd seemed to disagree, as they were mostly dead throughout the encounter, but they were likely just chilly, as having an outdoor show in New Jersey tends to have that effect. Lesnar truly made HHH earn his victory, as a large portion of the match consisted of a dismantling of the King of Kings the likes of which have not been seen since he faced Ultimate Warrior in his WrestleMania debut. Brock threw everything he had at his foe, from a multitude of German Suplexes (!) to suplexes through tables, to stiff shots and kicks, to the destructive F-5, but HHH would not break, and fired back with a tremendous offensive spree that included three Kimura Locks and a Pedigree on the steel steps for the win. Other highlights included Shawn Michaels getting F-5'd and later superkicking Paul Heyman, some absolutely vicious chair shots, and Brock Lesnar finally getting his entrance pyro back. This was not a great match. It was, however, a tremendous fight and one that I will likely soon never forget. ****1/4 Apparently the filler mixed tag match was cut due to time, so it was time for the main event of Wrestlemania 29