WWE WrestleMania 33: Assessing The Potential Of All 14 Matches
5. Triple H Vs. Seth Rollins - Unsanctioned Fight
This is one of two matches with enough intrigue and potential surrounding it to claim Match Of The Night Honours.
Triple H's credentials as an all-time great are debatable. His inconsistency is neatly represented by his body of work at the Show of Shows. His match with Daniel Bryan was an absolute triumph, a dramatic, submission-heavy masterpiece in which 'The Game' either succumbed to his famed hubris by going hold for hold with Bryan, or wrestled his kind of match to properly put him over. In a bout informed by real-life intrigue, it was open to interpretation.
Not open to interpretation were his matches with Randy Orton (25) or Brock Lesnar (29) - tedious bores in which he indulged his incongruous hard man babyface character. WrestleMania 33 affords him scope to revert to the persona which compel many - even Harley Race - to assert that he is as good as he says he is.
The match would be almost bulletproof, Triple H's patchy 'Mania record aside, but for one disquieting fact: Seth Rollins is struggling for genuine acceptance in the face role. His heartfelt sit-down interview with Corey Graves a few weeks back was received with abject silence, punctuated only by obnoxious chants of "CM Punk!" His valiant confrontation of and subsequent beatdown by Triple H drew a far better reaction, but fans haven't been given quite enough cause to forge a legitimate bond with him.
It's a big night for Rollins. The unsanctioned stipulation, long-gestating reality-infused storyline and inherent, sympathy-generating narrative all provide him with a platform on which to put on a breakthrough match similar to Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13.
Nothing will change the landscape quite like that match did - but even a diminished return would represent a main event career-making performance for 'the Architect'.