#129: Triple H vs. Roman Reigns, WWE WrestleMania 32 (4/3/2016).
This is for Triple H's WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Much has been said about this match, and it's mostly bad. I am in the minority when I give my opinion of this match. I like it. I don't think the issues surrounding this match involve the match itself, Triple H or Roman Reigns. No, the issue is the booking. This was arguably the peak of the Roman Reigns experiment, where Vince McMahon only saw the second coming of John Cena when he looked at Roman Reigns.
History has told us that this was fucking stupid. The Tribal Chief wipes his ass with the Big Dog! Still, I think the story coming in was well done, and it had history to it. The issues between the two can be dated back to 2014, when Triple H helped orchestrate Seth Rollins' betrayal of The Shield. So, it's not like these two had no reason to wrestle.
But instead of Roman Reigns being a badass looking to destroy Triple H, he was a smiling, wise ass John Cena bootleg that simply didn't work. He was supposed to be the conquering babyface, but the fans booed him often. Triple H was supposed to be the evil authority figure, but he was cheered like he was the coolest person alive.
Also, another issue with this match is the fact that in the middle of the Road to WrestleMania 32, WWE decided to not promote this match, and instead promote a WWE Title match between Triple H and Dean Ambrose for the Roadblock event weeks before this. Ambrose, by the way, was the man that fans overwhelmingly wanted to see in Roman's spot HERE, at WrestleMania, in the main event.
So, yeah. A little muddled on the way here. But how is the match?
Stephanie McMahon does a weird Mad Max inspired speech to lead Triple H to the ring to a decent pop. Roman Reigns comes out to a universally negative reaction from the fans. And listen, I was there in attendance: they really were booing the shit out of him.
They lock up, and we get a sloppy side headlock takedown by Triple H. Big shoulder tackle by Roman. Triple H hip tosses Roman over the top rope to the floor. Triple H smuggly invites Roman back inside.
"Roman sucks" chants. They lock up again, and Triple H takes control of the arm. Roman with a big right hand to Triple H, and he sends a Suck It taunt his way. They stare each other down in the middle of the ring, and they lock up again.
Roman with a strike again, and a headbutt. Triple H responds with a clubbing blow to the back of the neck. Roman is up, and Triple H does it again. He digs his knuckles into Roman's nose. Roman fights back with strikes, and a clothesline.
Roman runs the ropes and hits another clothesline. Roman drops Triple H throat first across the top rope, then connects with the Drive By for a 2 count. Roman hits several clotheslines in the corner. Stephanie distracts the ref, and Triple H hits a low blow.
Inverted atomic drop by The Game, and another. "Roman Sucks" chant in the background. Triple H punches at the nose again in the turnbuckle. More strikes by the champion. Roman tries to fight back with punches. He walks into a Spinebuster by Triple H for 2.
He continues his focus on the nose of Roman. Triple H sends Roman to the floor. He grabs Roman and slams his head off the announcer's table - the same way he broke his nose before. Roman blocks an attack and bounces Triple H off the table.
Triple H sends Roman across the table. They exchange fisticuffs on the table, and Triple H connects with a Swinging neckbreaker that lands Roman right on the floor. Roman gets on the apron, and Triple H drives his knee into his face.
Triple H comes off the middle rope with a diving knee on Roman's neck. He covers, and Roman kicks out. Triple H with an Inverted Suplex, dropping Roman rib first on the ropes. He goes for the diving knee, but Roman catches him with a right hand.
Roman boots Triple H down. He clotheslines Triple H in the corner, and runs into a boot to the face. Triple H runs into a Samoan Drop immediately after, and he kicks out at 2.
Roman signals for the Superman Punch, but Triple H rolls to the outside. Roman goes to the floor, and comes off the Steel steps with a diving clothesline. Roman throws Triple H into the steel steps, tipping them over with ease.
"NXT" chant breaks out. Triple H now sends Roman into the opposite Steel steps. Then, he throws Roman across the announcer's table again. As Triple H is recovering, Roman comes back with a spear that sends both men through the ringside barricade.
Roman and Triple H are back in the Ring. "Nakamura" chant breaks out next. Roman goes for the Superman Punch, but Triple H counters into an arm bar. He drags him to the middle of the ring. He's torturing the limbs like Bryan Danielson! I'm kidding.
Roman tries to roll free, but Triple H Figure Fours the arm. I can't stress that this is a moment where the fans should be willing Roman, the baby face, on to survive, and they are as quiet as an alleged crowd of 100,000 plus can be.
Roman lifts Triple H up and powerbombs him to break the hold. He covers, and Triple H kicks out. Triple H goes right back to the arm with an arm bar. Roman again powerbombs Triple H to break the hold.
Triple H blocks a spear attempt with a knee to the face. He goes for the Pedigree, but Roman launches him to the outside instead. "'Ole" chant breaks out. Roman goes to dive to the outside, but Triple H catches him with a punch to the face.
Roman spears Triple H, but Stephanie pulls the referee out. He goes back in, and only counts 2. Stephanie is in the Ring, arguing with the referee. Roman ends up spearing her by accident, in what was legitimately the first real pop of the match.
Triple H hits the Pedigree to Roman, but the challenger kicks out. Facebuster to the knee by Triple H, and Roman rebounds off the ropes with the Superman Punch. Roman gears up for a spear, but Triple H cuts him off with the Harley Race knee. He covers, and Roman kicks out.
Stephanie hands Triple H the sledgehammer. Roman with another Superman Punch. And another. He runs the ropes three times, avoids a hammer blow, and hits the Spear to win the match and his 3rd WWE Championship. That might very well be the most disinterested crowd reaction for a 3 count in a WrestleMania main event ever.
The booking here didn't do anyone favors. Triple H was cheered as a heel, and Roman was either booed or given nothing as the next big babyface. The result was so nauseatingly (is that a word) predictable, that fans in attendance didn't pop hard for the finish. They knew it was coming, and that meant that this show - 7 hours if I remember - was finally ending. This was WWE booking at its finest - done only to please the booker.
Still, despite the negative context surrounding this match, I don't think the match itself is bad. In fact, I like it a lot. The work was good, Roman's selling of the arm was consistent, and Triple H came in the best shape he'd been in since the early 2000s. It took its time, and told a story. It did lack intensity, though, which I didn't like. These two were at war coming into this event, and then they just wrestled. It wasn't a bad match, but it certainly could've been a little more violent to coincide with the build.
Oh, and don't book Roman Reigns to be John Cena. It never works.