HHH vs Brock Lesnar: A decade in the making

This Sunday will see one of the most hyped matches of the Summer, Triple H will go one on one against the behemoth known as Brock Lesnar. Now, if you’re a young fan, you’ll be excited with this news. HHH is one of the biggest names in the WWE, and Brock Lesnar is one of the biggest names in Sports today. Not only is Brock an NCAA Champion, he has also been the youngest WWE Champion when he defeated the Rock at Summerslam 2002, exactly 10 years ago. Other than that, he tried his hands for the Vikings in the NFL, and is the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, when he also was the #1 ranked MMA Heavyweight fighter in the World!

Now many of the old school WWE fans feel this match is a little too late for their liking, and ofcourse, they’re entirely right. The reason for the delay is the ‘King of Kings’ himself. If you’re wondering why, you’ll get your answers soon. You’ll also know why come this Sunday, HHH is the favorite to win their match.

When Brock debuted in the WWE back in ’02, he was on a meteoric rise. In just 3 months after debuting, Brock reached Main Event level status, by becoming the King of the Ring 2002. All the old school fans would know that King of the Ring was the stepping stone for the future main event stars, like Bret Hart or Stone Cold Steve Austin after they won the King of the Ring tournament. Little did anyone expect that within 6-7 months after debuting, Lesnar would go on to capture the WWE title, making him the youngest Superstar to win the WWE title! On route, he even demolished the legendary ‘Immortal’ Hulk Hogan. Furthermore, he was directly feuding with main event stars like RVD, HHH, Undertaker, Rock etc. That is a huge push for any youngster, and it is no secret that WWE started investing heavily on Brock Lesnar, their new “Phenomenon” of sorts.

Some people might even remember the Rock vs HHH vs Brock match in ’02 at Vengeance. After Brock had won the title, it became evident on RAW that HHH would be his next opponent. So, why has it taken a decade for this match to happen? If it had happened in ’02, it would have been even more profitable, as HHH was in his prime, and Brock was the unstoppable object in the WWE. Why did WWE miss the ball by waiting this long? The answer is simple and logical, if you believe the dirt sheets and the experts: HHH didn’t want the match to happen.

If you’ve read my previous article, I put a little insight on how some talents push their way to play ‘dirty’, to get what they want, to stay at the top. HHH is the husband of Stephanie, and the son-in-law of the Chairman of the Company. But why would he do that? What was in it for him? The answer, again, is simple. WWE were investing heavily on Brock, which meant he’d be the top guy, and would remain the top guy. Which inturn would mean he would defeat HHH in their match to retain the title. So, would a guy like HHH who has all the power in the World in the Company be satisfied being the ‘second’ guy? Certainly not. And this theory has been proven in the coming months.

Lesnar went on to defeat arguably the biggest name in the business, the Undertaker, and cemented his place as the top guy in the Company! In fact, Taker has never beaten Brock clean in a one-on-one match! It is a testament to how heavily WWE were pushing Brock! And the second part of the coin, HHH, was awarded the newly addressed World Heavyweight Championship, and he would go on to have many runs as the Heavyweight Champion until Wrestlemania 2005. RAW effectively became HHH’s show; with ‘Evolution’ running amuck for a long time. So this explains the ‘HHH didn’t want to put Brock over’ theory. But why would the match happen now?

When it was speculated that Brock would be returning to the WWE, they had certain names in mind. Cena, HHH, Undertaker, Austin and the Rock were the highlighted choices. Cena’s match was just a stone in the way, the original plan was the Brock – HHH feud for the summer. So why now? Brock was arguably the biggest name in the market after he quit UFC, and WWE had to capitalize on it. When Brock signed with WWE earlier this year, it was rumoured that he would ‘Lose to anyone, anywhere until he got paid what he was promised’. So this effectively means WWE can use the once ‘Unstoppable’ monster to put over their current talent. Now the real question arises: Why didn’t they use a younger, profitable guy? Someone like a Dolph Ziggler or Wade Barrett would get the ‘rub’ from a Lesnar feud. But if history is any indication, they want HHH to go over Lesnar. So come this Sunday, if you’re a betting man, you’d be wise to put your bets on HHH beating Brock. This doesn’t mean to say anything bad about HHH. But if we’re honest with ourselves, it won’t be a big surprise. When you’re in a cut throat company like WWE, and you want to cement yourself as one of the best, there is no better way than beating the guy who is a legit tough competitor, the former UFC World Heavyweight Champion. So let us now wait and see if the theory is indeed right, although rest assured, the smart money is on that.