CHRIS BENOIT (C) VS. TRIPLE H

 Chris Benoit won the 2004 Royal Rumble and went on to beat both members of DeGeneration-X at Wrestlemania 20 in a triple threat to win the World Heavyweight Championship. He repeated this at the following month’s Backlash PPV and then went off to feud with Kane for a month. He also had a strained friendship with Edge at the time. When Triple H and Shawn Michaels had settled their feud forever Triple H turned his attention back to the World Heavyweight Championship.

  Eric Bischoff decided Triple H only got his match if he beat up Eugene, leading to a match between Bischoff’s nephew and favourite champion. Chris Benoit ran down to try and stop Triple H hitting Eugene with the chair, but inadvertently hit Eugene himself. Triple H made Eugene an honorary member of Evolution the next week on Raw and tried to convince Eugene that Chris Benoit wasn’t his friend during this time.

Triple H makes his way out first, JR says last time we were on PPV in Hartford Triple H beat Cactus Jack, Chris Benoit makes his way out and takes some time with the title on the ramp. He tries to walk through Mike Chioda to show Triple H the title as they milk the prematch for a while.

Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match, Lillian Garcia is the ring announcer

 

CHRIS BENOIT © VS. TRIPLE H

(WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

WWE Vengeance 2004 (11^th July 2004)

  They lock up and work around the ring, Triple H forces Benoit into the corner and breaks clean with no advantage either way. Another lock up, Benoit grabs the arm but it’s quickly broken by Triple H. Chris Benoit transitions from a headlock to a hammerlock, Triple H goes the other way and is taken down with a top wristlock.

  Triple H takes Benoit over with a headlock and it’s countered with a headscissors, and again, then a third time. Triple H stays on his feet for another headlock and is sent off the ropes, but he knocks Benoit down into the corner with a shoulder block. Back to the lock up, Benoit fights out of the headlock with forearms and sends Triple H off the ropes, Benoit goes prone and catches Triple H in the Crippler Crossface, but Triple H scrambles out of the ring before he can get it locked in. Chris Benoit follows to the floor and connects with chops before sending Triple H into the security wall and bringing it back in the ring. Triple H turns the momentum with a High Knee and suplexes Benoit. Chris Benoit fights back with chops out of the corner but is cut off with a knee to the midsection. Benoit is sent off the ropes into a back elbow for a nearfall. Triple H hits a backbreaker, Benoit fires off strikes but is sent to the floor. Triple H sends Benoit’s back into the side of the ring before they go back inside and Benoit connects with chops, Triple H connects with another knee to the midsection, he sends Benoit into the corner but runs into boots.

  Chris Benoit fires back more chops and a snap suplex before beating Triple H down in the corner and sends him across the ring but runs into a back elbow. Benoit ducks the clothesline and hits a german suplex. Triple H fights out of the second one, Benoit tries the Northern Lights but Triple H clubs at his back so Benoit trips him and sends Triple H’s face into the turnbuckle. Benoit clotheslines Triple H over to the floor and follows, which leads to a thumb in the eye, but he reverses an irish whip to send Triple H into the ring steps. Chris Benoit rolls Triple H in the ring but eats shit on the Diving Headbutt leading to a double-down. They’re up at 7 and we get a replay to pass the time, Benoit chops Triple H but is sent sternum first into the corner. Triple H launches Benoit across the ring and his chest hits the turnbuckles again. Triple H targets the chest with a kick and knee drops. Triple H lifts Benoit for a suplex and drops him onto his chest before covering for 2. Triple H connects with right hands and stomps on Benoit’s chest before another reverse suplex drop and it gets Triple H 2. Triple H pulls back on Benoit’s arms with his knee in his spine to slow the match down. Chris Benoit fights out of it and hits the ropes but is sent over to the floor by his own momentum.

  Triple H sends Benoit into the security wall and brings it back to the ring. Chris Benoit’s sternum hits the turnbuckles again and Triple H covers for 2. Chris Benoit chops Triple H but runs into an abdominal stretch. He fights out of it and struggles to counter into one of his own, Triple H breaks it with a hip toss. There’s 15 minutes left of runtime. Chris Benoit chops Triple H but runs into a sleeper hold. Chris Benoit tries to scramble to the ropes but he starts to fade, he’s able to fight off the sleeper and counters into one of his own, Triple H gets out of it with a back suplex, no! Benoit lands on his feet and trips the challenger, Triple H fights off the Sharpshooter, Benoit fights off the Pedigree and gets it locked in! Triple H gets his finger tip on the rope but JR says it’s not enough for the break. Chris Benoit drags Triple H back to the middle of the ring, but he does get the rope break. Chris Benoit clubs at Triple H’s back but can’t get the german suplex, Triple H sends him off the ropes but the champion ducks the clothesline and hits the rolling german suplexes. Chris Benoit goes to the top rope, but Triple H rolls out to the floor, Tope Suicida by Chris Benoit leading to a “holy shit” chant. That just gets a yawn in 2023. Chris Benoit brings it back to the ring and ducks a shot that sends Chioda out to the floor.

  Triple H fights off the Crippler Crossface and hits a DDT on Benoit before calling for Eugene who makes his way down to the ring. Triple H tells Eugene to get the referee but Benoit puts on the Crossface. Chris Benoit starts to shout at Eugene to get the ref and Eugene’s conflicted. Triple  H taps out but there’s no referee as Eugene climbs up to the apron. Benoit knocks Eugene to the floor and it’s well-deserved. He was told by both guys to wake up the referee, there’s no reason to hesitate. Triple H low blows Benoit and hits the Pedigree. Eugene finally revives the referee, who slowly counts and Benoit kicks out at the last second. Mike Chioda goes back to his nap as Eugene hands Triple H a chair, Eugene changes his mind and gets knocked off the apron for the second time in the match which gives Chris Benoit time to get to his feet. He runs through the chair, knocking it into Triple H’s face. Batista and Ric Flair try to run interference but get dropped with chair shots, but Triple H intercepts with a kick to Benoit’s chest as he told Eugene to get out of the ring. Benoit cuts off Triple H with a low blow. 

  Everyone’s down except Eugene, who is having a moral dilemma; who to hit with the chair? Benoit and Eugene fight over the chair, Eugene inadvertently hits Triple H with the chair! Chris Benoit rolls Triple H up for the win.

WINNER: CHRIS BENOIT

This match was slow to start and had a really convoluted finish, Chris Benoit looked lucky to be able to beat Triple H without having Shawn Michaels as a distraction and the Eugene as a part of Evolution storyline was just ridiculous in every way. If you cut off 10 minutes and give us a real finish you have a decent PPV main event, but this just showed that Chris Benoit wasn’t seen as “The Guy” when he had the top championship on the brand. [***] 5/10