Challenge Match
Sheamus vs. Triple H
How: Triple H challenged Sheamus on RAW last week, and our favorite ginger accepted.
Heat Check: This match was built in earnest over Triple H being the first guy that they'll honestly acknowledge pinning Sheamus (sorry Dustin, you don't count to the WWE) at Elimination Chamber. Sheamus was about to killify John Cena when Trips low-blowed him, Pedigreed him and eliminated him, concussing him in the process. A few weeks later, Sheamus got his heat back by Pearl Harboring Trips. Last week, the ink was dry on the contract and coming up this week, a handicap match melding this match together in with Legacy's disintigration.
Analysis: So, this match may just go and suck. Apologies, but this really is the first match on the card that doesn't really look great from a wrestling quality standpoint, but let's be honest here, it does two things. One, it keeps Triple H out of the main event and... well there is no two, only Zuul. It's a sub-main event match featuring two main event players. That's the kind of thing that you want on WrestleMania. I expect a lot of brawling, as it's both guys' strong suits. I also expect some shenaningans, as this match will probably end up in some kind of tables match at Extreme Rules, seeing as that's how Sheamus won his first title and since WrestleMania feuds never end at WrestleMania anymore.
But therein lies the rub and my biggest problem with the build of this match. I'd be all well and good with Triple H's "you have to go through me at WM to be a star!" rubric if it weren't for the fact that Sheamus has already defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship. Call me old-fashioned, call me a mark, call me a Triple H hater, but I don't think beating Triple H in a regular wrestling match really rates higher on the kayfabe scale than, y'know, BEING THE NOMINAL BEST IN THE COMPANY. The sad part about it though is that Sheamus' reign was an afterthought when he had the freaking belt, and in the eyes of the kids, beating Trips would probably be the bigger thing.
Who Should Win: Sheamus. You want to build a main-eventer? Fine, build one, but do it all the way. Don't Kofi Kingston him. Give him the big moment and start him on his way to his second title reign where he'll actually be the focus of the fucking company this time.
Who Will Win: Triple H, because there's no title on the line and he's not facing Undertaker. ETA - Or the Ultimate Warrior... bahahahahaha, ah Warrior, you did serve a purpose once.
Photo Credit: WWE.com
