by Alfonso Castillo
Showdown.net/OnlineOnslaught.com

I try to avoid using wrestling cliches at all costs, but I was in the Skydome on Mar. 17 for the big show, and there really is no other way to describe the crowd reaction during the Hulk Hogan Vs. Rock match than “deafening.”

And while the fans’ emotion and enthusiasm for the match was certainly appropriate, I couldn’t help but feel ashamed as hundreds of fans started to file out of the arena before the undisputed championship match even began. Hogan and the Rock may be great showmen, but the contestants of the night’s other main event were great athletes. They deserved better.

But alas, the very same man who returned to Madison Square Garden after an eight-month hiatus to another “deafening” pop reached what should have been the pinnacle of his career Sunday night to a lukewarm response from whatever fans were still in the building.

And so began the fifth WWF Title Reign for Triple H – a man who by all accounts has an unparalleled passion and dedication for professional wrestling and who during his previous stints as champion set a new standard for workrate. But following the paradoxical reactions to WrestleMania’s two showcase matches, the question must be asked: Is workrate worth anything anymore?

And even if it is, after suffering such a serious injury and adding so much muscle to his frame, can Triple H meet the same standards that he set two years ago?

He is the new World Wrestling Federation Undisputed Champion, Triple H.

The Title Victory

In the final match of WrestleMania X8, Triple H entered the ring to a live version of his new theme song. He looked as ripped as ever, but wore a thick bandage on his left leg to sell the previous week’s attack at the hands of the champion. Chris Jericho entered second, wearing green tights and with a championship belt over each shoulder. He was seconded by Stephanie McMahon Helmsley, who for storyline purposes was Helmsley's real opponent in this match.

Jericho shot in on Triple H’s leg to start the match, but Helmsley avoided the blow. The two locked up in the corner and Triple H fired away with some right hands. Helmsley scored a big backdrop on Jericho to almost no crowd response. Helmsley worked on Jericho’s arm then hit him with two big clotheslines.

Back in the corner, Jericho took over the offense with a kick to the stomach and a series of chops to the chest. He whipped Helmsley into the ropes, but the challenger reversed the whip, missed a clothesline, and then caught Jericho with a high knee. But after the move, it was Helmsley who looked hurt, still selling the leg injury.

Jericho backdropped Helmsley over the ropes then climbed to the top. Helmsley recovered in time to climb to the apron and launch Jericho into the first row. He then suplexed him back into the ringside area. Triple H prepped a ringside table, but Jericho stopped him with some kicks to his bad leg.

Back in the ring, Jericho continued to target Helmsley’s left leg. Helmsley fought back, speared Jericho to the mat, punished him with some right hands and then dropped three elbows on him. Now it was the challenger who was attacking the champion’s left leg with a series of kicks to the inner thigh. Jericho raked Helmsley’s eyes, but the challenger maintained the upper hand. He slapped a Figure Four on Jericho, but Stephanie reached in from the ringside area and raked her Helmsley’s eyes.

Helmsley grabbed Stephanie by the hair and pulled her up to the apron. Jericho charged at him, but Helmsley moved, and Jericho collided with Stephanie,  sending her crashing to the floor. Helmsley brought her into the ring and set her up for a Pedigree, but Jericho connected with a missile dropkick off the top rope.

Jericho went back to work on Helmsley’s leg, slamming it into the ring post. Outside the ring, Stephanie, too, kicked away at Helmsley’s leg. Back in the ring, the two contestants traded punches. Jericho soon went back to work on the leg, slamming it to the ground and into the ring post. While near the corner, Triple H was greeted with a slap by Stephanie.

Jericho went to the outside and slapped on the Figure Four around the ring post, ala-Bret. Once back in the ring, Triple H tried a futile comeback, but Jericho took him down with a drop toehold then grapevined the leg. He put Helmsley in a spinning toehold and used the ropes for leverage. Helmsley escaped by kicking Jericho into a corner post shoulder first.

Helmsley hit a big neckbreaker then a clothesline. He covered Jericho for the first pin attempt of the match and got a two-count.  Helmsley continued his offense with some punches, then whipped Jericho into the ropes and dropped him on his knee. Back on his feet, Jericho charged Helmsley, but the challenger moved and awkwardly tossed him aside in a blown spot. Helmsley soon after hit a spinebuster and some more punches. He whipped Jericho into the corner, but Jericho reversed and sent Helmsley over the tope rope and to the ringside area. Helmsley sold the bad wheel again.

Jericho prepped another commentator’s table then draped Helmsley onto it. He tried for the Walls of Jericho on the table – the famous move that tortured Helmsley the night of his quadricep injury – but Helmsley escaped. He went for the Pedigree, but Jericho backdropped him and sent him crashing through an adjacent table.

Jericho tossed the challenger back in the ring and hit the Lionsault for a two-count, then another. He went for the Walls of Jericho inside the ring, but Helmsley revived and managed to fight his way out of the move. Jericho charged at him, but Helmsley moved and drove him into the corner. Helmsley kicked him in the mid-section and went for the Pedigree, but Jericho forearmed him in the left leg, broke the move, and slapped on the Walls.

Helmsley struggled in the hold and looked to be out at one point, but managed to fight on and get to the ropes. Referee Earl Hebner broke the hold and Jericho thought he won. Frustrated, the champion went to the outside to retrieve a steel chair as Stephanie distracted the ref. As he approached Triple H with the weapon, Helmsley kicked it into Jericho’s face, then planted him with a DDT onto the chair for a two count.

Stephanie grabbed the chair and entered the ring, but Hebner took it from her. As she argued with Hebner, Triple H grabbed Stephanie, had some words with her, then planted her with a Pedigree for the biggest pop of the match. But the crowd’s enthusiasm was short lived as Jericho returned to the ring and laid out Helmsley with a chair for a two-count.

Back on their feet, Jericho kicked the challenger in the midsection, then tried to deliver his own version of the Pedigree, but Helmsley catapulted him into the turnpost. Jericho landed on the middle turnbuckle then dove towards Helmsley. Helmsley caught him with a kick in the stomach, then hit the Pedigree. He covered Jericho as the referee counted the pin and awarded Helmsley the championship.

The post-match celebration saw Triple H on his knees in center ring, emotionally clutching his two new championship belts. After a few minutes he took the mic and announced to the wrestlers in the backroom, “It’s time to play the game!”

The moment would have packed more of a punch if A) Two thirds of the fans hadn’t left the Skydome by then and B) The fans who stuck around gave a damn.

The Title Reign

Triple H showed up in Montreal for the post-WrestleMania RAW to cut his first promo as WWF champion in which he went through the usual routine about how he worked hard for the title and would take on all comers. Of course no important WWF television segment would be complete without the presence of Stephanie McMahon, who came out and challenged Helmsley for a rematch on behalf of Jericho. Helmsley initially refused, but when Stephanie put her own career on the line if Helmsley won, he accepted.

On that week’s Smackdown! The three returned to the ring for another lengthy promo. This time Helmsley used the opportunity to air a highlight reel of Stephanie’s most embarrassing moments. Stephanie then made the upcoming rematch a three-way with herself included.

The match took place on the following Monday’s RAW. Rather than take the dive for Jericho, at various points in the match Stephanie actually sabotaged Jericho’s efforts in an attempt to win the title herself. She almost pinned both men when they knocked each other out with the championship belts. But in the end, Helmsley  pinned Stephanie after a sidewalk slam. The crowd bid Stephanie good riddance.

Helmsley appeared on last Monday’s RAW to accept a brand new World Championship belt from Ric Flair. The belt is supposed to be a combination of the designs of the WWF belt and the former WCW belt. Undertaker interrupted the ceremony and did his usually bitching about not being respected. Helmsley came into the ring and the two agreed to a match at Backlash.

WWF writers apparently second-guessed their choice for the pay per view and replaced ‘Taker with Hogan on Smackdown! Hogan, returning to his red and yellow roots, confronted Triple H center ring in a memorable segment. Triple H told him he respected him and looked up to him, but would gladly beat him on at the show. Hogan spouted off his usual Hogan-isms and tore off his T-shirt to a huge pop.

So Helmsley is 1-0 since winning the championship nearly three weeks ago. The bright side is, the WWF seems to be placing more importance in the WWF Championship by making champion available to both brands of the company. Having Flair and McMahon both vying for Helmsley’s services may give the title an air of importance it’s been lacking for a while.

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Alfonso Castillo, 24, is has been a wrestling fan since he was six-years old.
He has been writing the "Fonzo's Title Wave" column since 1999. The host of
the Showdown radio audio program on www.Showdown.net currently lives in
Queens, NY and works as a reporter for a New York metropolitan area newspaper.

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