Earlier in the night, we had a sit-down interview with Randy Orton, who talked about his 6-month title reign and the people he beat, including Triple H. He also goes for the classic “I know you are, but what am I?” against Triple H, who called him lucky. This was just over a year before WWE officially went PG, but they were preparing us for it. Randy Orton says he will get his title back and reclaim the Age of Orton.
Triple H eliminated Orton from the Fatal 4 Way elimination match at Backlash the previous month. Randy Orton had a rematch the following night on Raw, but it was interrupted by General Manager William Regal. He said that the rematch would instead be at Judgment Day in a Steel Cage.
Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match, and Lillian Garcia is our ring announcer.
We get a video package for the short story going into the match before Randy Orton makes his entrance. Triple H made his way out to a decent pop as the babyface champion. 6 ½ minutes into the match we get Super Important in-ring introductions. Mike Chioda is our referee. The match can be won by pinfall, submission, or escaping the cage.
TRIPLE H © VS. RANDY ORTON (WWE Championship - Steel Cage)
WWE Judgment Day 2008 (18th May 2008)
Randy Orton dives for the cage, but Triple H catches him, connecting with right hands. Randy Orton swings the cage door back into Triple H’s head, which is enough for the door to be locked. Randy Orton connects with right hands.
Triple H is given a tour of the ring before he cuts off Orton with a knee to the midsection. Triple H gets some right hands in, Orton fights back with some of his own, and a knee to Triple H’s midsection puts Orton back on top. Orton is sent off the ropes, he ducks a clothesline but not the Harley Race-like knee from Triple H. Both men block an attempt at being sent into the cage, Triple H sends Orton into the steel first, which gives the challenger a head start to climb the cage. Triple H catches Orton, but gets knocked down with a right hand. Orton ducks too early after sending Triple H off the ropes and gets hit with a neckbreaker for 2. Triple H connects with mounted punches as JR reminds us how handsome Randy Orton is. Triple H hits the knee drop for another 2. Orton pulls Triple H into the cage, before the world’s worst move catapults the champion into the cage for the second straight time. We see that Orton has a busted lip as he stalks Triple H during the replays, launching him between the ropes and the cage wall.
Randy Orton uses the cage as a weapon as Triple H is trapped. Chioda backs Orton off, which gives Triple H time to connect with a boot to the midsection. Randy Orton hits the draping DDT for 2. He chokes Triple H before raining down right hands. Triple H is dropped with a measured right hand, but he kicks out at 1. Randy Orton goes to the chinlock but Triple H gets to his feet and fights out with shots to the ribs. Orton reverses an irish whip and hits the powerslam, Orton takes a short breather before getting the cover, Triple H kicks out at 2. Randy Orton stomps Triple H’s limbs as he walks around. William Regal is watching this match from somewhere in the crowd. Randy Orton hits a knee drop, he covers for 2. Orton goes back to the cover immediately, which again gets 2. Randy Orton stomps Triple H like he’s on commission, but Triple H rolls out of the way of the knee drop. Randy Orton connects with right hands as they get to their feet, but Triple H slips out the back and chop blocks Orton.
Triple H cuts Orton down with another chop block and puts him in the Figue 4 Leglock, due to their shared history with Ric Flair in Evolution. Triple H drags Orton to the middle of the ring, Randy Orton changes direction to make it to the bottom rope and for some reason the referee starts to count for Triple H to break. Triple H counters an RKO into a Pedigree attempt but Randy Orton backdrops out of it. Randy Orton crawls towards the cage door, but Triple H is able to grab him by the ankle and bring him back into the match. Orton kicks Triple H away and crawls the top half of himself back out of the cage. Orton grabs a steel chair, bringing it into the cage before the door is closed behind them. Triple H is sent into the middle turnbuckle, but he gets his boot up before Orton can connect with the chair. Randy Orton drops the chair after a right hand from Triple H, Randy Orton reverses an irish whip but is caught with the facebuster across the knee for 2.
Triple H stands over Randy Orton with the chair, but he gets cut off with a low blow. JR makes sure to remind us that they’re both as legal as a chinlock in this match. Randy Orton has the chair back, and he measures up his old mentor before hitting him across the back with the chair. Orton drops the weapon and hits a DDT on Triple H, onto the steel chair. Randy Orton covers, 1, 2, no! Orton stands the chair in the ring and measures up Triple H. The champion counters an RKO, sending Orton into the cage wall before sending him into the chair with a drop toehold for 2. Randy Orton climbs the cage after we see his face hit the chair again. Triple H catches him up, grabbing Orton by the tights before meeting him on the top rope. Triple H sends Orton’s head into the top of the cage, dropping him down to the mat and the champion straddles the top of the cage before Orton brings him back inside. Randy Orton connects with right hands as they balance on the top rope, Triple H drops to the canvas and he’s now playing catch-up to Orton.
Randy Orton can’t get his last leg over the cage before Triple H starts bringing him back to the ring. Triple H sends Orton off the top off the cage as they stand on the top rope but Orton lands near the corner. He shakes off the cobwebs and meets Triple H back on the top rope, Triple H sets up a Pedigree from the top rope (which I’m sure has nothing to do with CM Punk at this point in his WWE career), but Orton drives Triple H into the corner of the cage. Randy Orton throws Triple H back down to the canvas, and the cameraman has to retreat so we see Orton climb over the top of the cage. Triple H climbs up the inside of the cage and gets to Orton before he can safely drop to the floor. Randy Orton is dragged over the top of the cage in a front facelock; he hangs freely in a spot WWE wouldn’t repeat for at least a few years before Triple H brings him back inside the cage. Randy Orton connects with a back elbow, dropping Triple H back inside the ring. He jumps to the top of the cage again, but Triple H grabs Orton by the ankle. Orton knocks Triple H back, but the champion crotches Orton over the top rope.
Randy Orton runs into a Spinebuster, but he counters the Pedigree, sending Triple H’s back into the chair and buying some time. Triple H is able to avoid the Punt Kick, and he hits Randy Orton with the steel chair. Triple H hits the Pedigree for the win.
WINNER: TRIPLE H STILL (WWE Champion)
This was a decent enough match. Randy Orton just wanted to win the match, so he was happy to try to escape when he thought he had the chance. Triple H wanted to prove he was a worthy champion, so he tried to get a pinfall or submission victory. They knew each other well enough to have a 1970s-style cage match, but bring it to the 21st Century. [***1/2] 7.5/10
After the match, Triple H celebrates retaining his title on top of the cage.
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