1. Batista Vs Edge Vs Chris Jericho Vs Chris Benoit Vs Randy Orton Vs Triple H – NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2005
What’s this? ANOTHER Triple H World Title win making my top five? And in the top spot to boot! Well sometimes you just have to admit that this is WWE, this is what the WWE does and then go with it.
There is a lot of star power in this one, and no real weak links, which is only aided by Shawn Michaels being the special guest referee. Throw in that it was for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship and you had a very enticing prospect indeed.
There were so many layers and so much history between all the participants that everywhere you looked there was intrigue. Jericho and Benoit had a history going back years, Randy Orton had been kicked out of Triple H’s Evolution stable the previous year and had been battling with him ever since.
Although HHH had the advantage of stablemate Batista being in there as well it was clear that a babyface turn was brewing for Dave and there was a feeling that this could be the night. That it wasn’t is even better and added more layers to the slow-burn storyline that turned Batista into a genuine star.
Benoit and Jericho kicked things off with an exciting opening, Batista looked dominant in the mid part of the match (eliminating both Chris’ in the process) before helping his Evolution leader Triple H win by attacking Orton after the Viper had pinned him enabling The Game to lift the world title.
Of course, Orton eliminating Batista also had the benefit of meaning we never got to see what would happen if Dave and Hunter came face to face.
This is a match that works best when you know what came before it and where it was going to lead (a genuinely blockbuster Mania main event – money-wise, at least – of Batista/HHH) but even watched in isolation the action and, perhaps more importantly, match psychology is spot on and there is barely a wasted moment in the entire match.
Are you looking forward to this years Elimination Chamber? Join the conversation on Twitter @TWMNewz/@TWMWrestle
Photos courtesy of WWE.com