Championship Region, Fifth Round: (3) Triple H vs. (5) Andre the Giant

[klunderbunker]

This is a fifth round match in the Championship Region. It is a standard one on one match. It will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Assume everyone is starting fresh. However, damage carries over to the next round.

#3. Triple H

Vs.

#5. Andre the Giant

​

Polls will be open for five days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Gut feeling: Triple H.

I dunno why, but a Triple H at the end of a KOTR style of tournament just feels right. A top heel will do everything to make it atleast to the Final. I look forward to pulling out some stats of Hunter at the big stage, Hunter against superheavyweights; and eagerly await how "Andre isn't Big Show" remarks which "prove" Triple H beating any sort of super heavyweight is just poppycock..

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Andre wins and the only way you could vote for Triple H is either fanboyism or believing WWE when they say he's one of the greatest of all time. Triple H is great but not one of the all time greats, Andre however is.

Andre is a huge draw everywhere particularly in the Northeast region, one of the few guys that was truly bigger than wrestling and any champion of his era not to mention he's one of the most dominant wrestlers of all time.

I'm aware how well Triple H does against bigger wrestlers but he has NEVER faced someone like Andre in his entire life. Andre rarely lost and I can't recall 1 time he's ever lost to a heel. I recall Hogan beating him, Inoki, El Canek, and Ultimate Warrior in singles competition but those were either the biggest names of their region at the time or guys who were about to be the biggest name of their region. Triple H just isn't a big enough name to take down Andre. You have to be in a real special class in order to take down Andre and Triple H just isn't that guy.

I could see Bruno doing it, Hogan, Cena or Taker beating Andre but not Triple H, he's simply not on the level of the Hogans and Bruno's of the world.

Andre wins.

 

[Shocky]

Going with Triple H. I get the Andre love, but he's not some unbeatable monster. Triple H is a 13 time world champion, he's handled guys like the Big Show and the Great Khali. Andre is an impressive super heavyweight, but he can be beaten.

 

[LSN80]

Going with Triple H. I get the Andre love, but he's not some unbeatable monster. Triple H is a 13 time world champion, he's handled guys like the Big Show and the Great Khali. Andre is an impressive super heavyweight, but he can be beaten.

Neither of which have been the draws or have the strength or the time of dominance that Andre has had in his career. I love HHH as much as the next guy, but he's not going over Andre in this kind of match. He's lost to power wrestlers in major matches in the past, including Batista at WM 21, and Cena at Wrestlemania 22.

Andre, in his prime, was a top babyface. HHH in his prime was a top heel. However, Andre was virtually unbeatable as a top face, where HHH lost routinely. There's a reason he's a 13 time champion- he's lost the title 13 times, to wrestlers far less dominant then Andre.

When HHH beat Khali, he was dominated, but wrestled a patient, stay away game, before hitting the Pedigree. He's not going to have that luxury here, as Andre is far more powerful(and dominant) then Khali, and I doubt HHH could even hit the pedigree on Andre. As for Big Show, who hasn't beaten him? He has spurts where he's portrayed as dominant, but they don't last, and he's beaten by wrestlers far lesser then HHH then shuffled back to the mid-card.

If this was a gimmick match, I could see a way for HHH to outsmart Andre and use the environment to beat him. But in a standard one-on-one match, a face Andre beats a heel HHH, much the way Goldberg did on several occasions. If Goldberg's power was too much for HHH(on one leg at that), Andre's would be far more.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Only wins I remember HHH having over Big Show were due to interference from DX or a sledgehammer. Go back to 2008 when HHH was coming off of a eight month title-reign. He lost a Last Man Standing match to none other than Show. I know some would say that he wasn't in his prime but getting knocked out is getting knocked out no matter what year it is. Khali in 2008 has never been anything resembling what Andre was.

 

[PsychoBlack]

HHH wins this and it's not even close in my mind. HHH has defeated Big Show, Kane, Undertaker, Khali, and virtually everyone else that has came through the WWE since 1999. As I've stated before about Andre he's extremely overrated. Throughout the 60's 70's and 80's their were plenty of big guys just llike him that did the exact same thing that he did which was go from territory to territory and putting the champion over. We remember Andre the best because he was slammed by Hulk Hogan in front of the biggest crowd ever if that were Ernie Ladd or Bruiser Brody I feel that the results would have been the same, however, it would be them that we remember instead of Andre. Don't believe they hype

Vote HHH

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

OK.

First off as KB said, this is a KOTR style tourney, these final rounds.

- Triple H has actually won a KOTR. Not good enough? Are we using the same logic as 'Andre can climb a ladder so anyone who has had a ladder match in real life has no advantage here whatsoever'?

- Since Big Show isn't Andre (as people have been yelling here for years), I'm gonna chuck Big Show out of the equation and put in people of huge stature. People who have drawn and have been OVER like Andre in his prime:

The Rock in 1999. Clearly the start of his best period when him and Austin ruled the roost. Drew houses and was on fire the Great One.

* Fully Loaded 99 - Triple H defeated The Rock in a Strap Match

* Smackdown Aug 99 - Triple H defeated The Rock (WWF Title)

* Smackdown Sep 99 - Triple H defeated The Rock in a BRAHMA BULL Strap Match (WWF Title)

* Rebellion 99 - Triple H defeated The Rock in a Steel Cage Match (WWF Title)



4 victories over the most popular guy on your roster.

Did Rock draw more than Hunter? Of course he did.

Was he a bigger deal than Hunter? Sure he was.

But Triple H still won. He has some great wins over the most OVER guys and not on transitional champs like The Big Shows of this world.


And also...

Triple H pinned Austin at No Mercy 99 for the WWF Title in an Anything Goes match.

 

[HBsam31]

HHH has some huge wins against some of the greats. I was on the fence with this one until I read some of the posts above. HHH is a KOTR winner. HHH is indeed one of the best all time. Not really sure how that could even be argued. Andre was great, but he would not go all the way to the end of a tournament like this. I like that ANdre went thhis far, but I have to give my vote to HHH.

 

[Papa Pillman]

he's handled guys like the Big Show

He has also had his fair share of instances where he was handled by the Big Show.

Triple H simply isn't a big enough star to get through here. Triple H would have been lucky to get booked to be one of the guys who got to slam Andre and maybe survive for some sort of draw or no contest, but he would never have been booked for the win. Andre simply didn't lose in his prime, and although he likely won't hold up enough physically to win this whole contest, Triple H isn't the guy to hand him that loss. Someone like Bruno or Hogan is a far more likely foe to send the Giant packing.

To get the most out of Andre his loss should be reserved as the ultimate feel good moment of the tourney for a huge babyface(ala' Hogan at WMIII), not having him job pointlessly to a heel who is not a serious factor to win the whole thing.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Going with Triple H. I get the Andre love, but he's not some unbeatable monster. Triple H is a 13 time world champion, he's handled guys like the Big Show and the Great Khali. Andre is an impressive super heavyweight, but he can be beaten.

Not by Triple H.

The only losses I'm aware of Andre taking are against Hulk Hogan and maybe a couple in Japan. The rest are draws or clean wins for Andre.

HHH is decorated, but he's not in the same league as Andre when it comes to legacies. Andre was seen as an act beyond wrestling. He was 'super-human' to many naive kids. Larger than life and seemed to take punishment, smile, and crush his foes.

I'm sure the Game would put up a great fight here, but I can't put him over Andre the Giant.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Whoever you vote for in this match should come down to one question:

Is it appropriate to believe HHH would or could use a sledgehammer or other nefarious means to win this match and make the final four?

Otherwise he is done. The championships are great, his relationship with the machine is great, and he's got a strong legacy. On the other hand, Andre is a much bigger draw, has a way better win/loss record, is unlikely to get Pedigreed and is so powerful he could easily take HHH down. HHH may be powerful but he's never been in that power class of Cena, Hogan, Bruno, and Goldberg. That's the type of guy who may take Andre down if you only get one match. Not a guy who has lost as many times as HHH.

Unless you think a sledgehammer comes in to play.

 

[PsychoBlack]

It's absolutely asinine to insist that HHH is not one of the best of all time. He's beaten everyone who's anyone in the business, Headlined 7 Wrestlemania's and won 13 world championships. He's one of the few heels WWE used as their guy to lead the company, because he could believably beat any face that you put up against him. Andre's size isn't an issue since he's beaten multiple big men before. His star power isn't a factor as Trips has went over Rock, Austin, Cena, and Hogan (Even kicked out of the leg drop). Nothing that Andre has done gives him any reason to go over HHH. When Andre faced big stars the caliber of HHH the match ended one of two ways he lost or it was a draw, that simple.

Vote HHH

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

It's absolutely asinine to insist that HHH is not one of the best of all time. He's beaten everyone who's anyone in the business,

Batista says hello.

Headlined 7 Wrestlemania's and won 13 world championships. He's one of the few heels WWE used as their guy to lead the company, because he could believably beat any face that you put up against him.

Or that he led the company because Austin and Rock left? How did business do with him on top again?

Andre's size isn't an issue since he's beaten multiple big men before. His star power isn't a factor as Trips has went over Rock, Austin, Cena, and Hogan (Even kicked out of the leg drop). Nothing that Andre has done gives him any reason to go over HHH. When Andre faced big stars the caliber of HHH the match ended one of two ways he lost or it was a draw, that simple.

Except for 2000, when was HHH ever a huge draw?

Vote HHH

Vote Andre.

 

[PsychoBlack]

Batista says hello.

Warrior says the same to Andre

Or that he led the company because Austin and Rock left? How did business do with him on top again?

So are you blaming him that 2 of the 3 biggest stars ever decided to leave the business and he was the only on capable of taking over? Raw was averaging around a 3.9 rating and he headlined the highest grossing pay per view ever up until that point I;d say business did just fine behind old Hunter.

Except for 2000, when was HHH ever a huge draw?

From 1998-2008 he was a large part of why people tuned into the WWE. Andre is overrated as a draw seeing as how he was always paired with the top guy in a territory who could sell out an arena wrestling any schmuck off the streets.

Vote Andre.

Vote HHH

 

[The Gribbler]

Andre didn't lose often, and I can't really see HHH beating him... Although... backstage politicking... no not even then.

I think Andre wins.

 

[PsychoBlack]

Andre didn't lose often, and I can't really see HHH beating him... Although... backstage politicking... no not even then.

I think Andre wins.

Yes, Andre did lose often. He rarely got pinned, but he lost quite a bit. You know what happened even less than Andre getting pinned? Andre getting a win. Your post should be deleted seeing as how first of all it's spam, second you gave no reason as to why you feel the way you do.

 

[deem]

A few things that leap out to me here, on either side.

Andre's had wayyy more losses than a lot seem to know; El Canek, Jerry Lawler, Ron Garvin, Killer Kowalski, Harley Race, Antonio Inoki, Don Leo Jonathan, Lou Thesz, Karl Gotch, Strong Kobayashi, The Sheik, Hogan, Warrior multiple times. Even if we scratch the Hogan/Warrior ones, that's not an undefeatable monster. A guy with a very good win/loss for his role, yes. But one that didn't face the main eventers THAT often, with his share of losses when he did.

Secondly; assuming this is prime Vs prime, HHH is working heel and Andre is working face. All agreed? I think you'd struggle to claim that WM3 Andre was his peak despite it being the most exposure he ever gained. So question to the field - has Andre EVER lost to a heel as a face? EVER? All I see is him working heel and losing in the twilight of his career, and him losing face vs face matches usually in his opponents territories. I genuinely don't know the answer to this, maybe someone can help.

Third - I'm getting entirely fed up of this "HHH has never faced a guy like Andre" stuff. There hasn't been anyone in the history of professional wrestling as similar to Andre as The Big Show is, whom HHH has excelled against. Both are 500lb, 7 foot tall, stiff and athletic big men (Wight not so much now but Andre slowed down too). Is Andre better than Big Show? Of course he is. Kayfabe better easily, a far bigger draw and a better worker. But would you say "HHH has never faced a guy as hardcore as Terry Funk" if he had good experience vs Foley? Funk is more hardcore, Foley represents the same enigma. Would you say "he's never faced a guy as stiff as Billington" if he had shined against Benoit? "Never faced someone as manipulative as Flair" if he had handled Edge? You get my point.

So this kinda balances out for me. HHH should be considered one of the greatest ever in kayfabe, even if you dislike him or his politicking in the early 2000s. Those caliber of opponents, Andre has lost to. Plus, HHH has shown he's adept against the type of wrestler he's facing here. However, whenever I imagine this tournament and Andre's run, I see him falling to a HUGE face. Someone like Sammartino, Hogan, Cena. Therefore, I think I'm taking Andre to advance.

It's close though.

 

[8thwotwATG]

I am a bit undecided as to how this match would be booked by promoters....do they push the Game forward into the final four, or does the Big Boss go over one final time before being eliminated? In spite of my being a mark for Andre', I have no expectations of him winning this whole thing. That being said, I still can't shake the feeling that, overall, A face Andre' in his physical prime will be booked to eke out a victory over a prime heel HHH. Andre may well have been the second greatest box office draw outside of Hulk Hogan himself. His near thirty years as a pro saw him cleanly put over VERY VERY few opponents, and most of those clean jobs came WELL after his prime had past him by. Forget about all the squashes he took at the hands of UW, forget about his loss to Hogan at WM III, these occurred when Andre' was merely a shadow of his former self. Andre' the Giant circa 1975-1981 was arguably one of the most dominant pros in the business, and rarely, if ever, was defeated in the United States by a heel wrestler. I see see this match going Andre's way, either by way of a DQ victory or a countout. Andre sells for HHH, and makes him look like a first class badass, but the Giant gets the win. One last time before he goes out to a Hogan or a Cena, or Bruno. Overall, Andre in his prime had greater star power, greater drawing power, and almost always physically dominated whoever he was in the ring with at any time. I say HHH gets counted out at about the 13 minute mark, giving Andre' the win, but leaving him bloodied and beaten up.

 

[The Brain]

We remember Andre the best because he was slammed by Hulk Hogan in front of the biggest crowd ever if that were Ernie Ladd or Bruiser Brody I feel that the results would have been the same, however, it would be them that we remember instead of Andre. Don't believe they hype

So very wrong. If just anyone could have sold out the SilverDome and made WrestleMania III a legendary event Andre would not have been booked. Andre was in terrible physical condition. Why book someone that was in such bad shape if just anyone could have produced the same result?

Warrior says the same to Andre

And to Triple H

Andre is overrated as a draw seeing as how he was always paired with the top guy in a territory who could sell out an arena wrestling any schmuck off the streets.

Again, so very wrong. Why was Andre paid all that money if any schmuck off the streets could have sold out the arena? That makes no sense. You are grossly underrating Andre. Honestly I haven't decided who I'm voting for yet. It's cool if you want to vote Triple H. I suggest you spend your time talking him up instead of burying Andre with these ridiculous statements because spewing such nonsense damages your credibility and will not help your cause.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Yes, Andre did lose often. He rarely got pinned, but he lost quite a bit. You know what happened even less than Andre getting pinned? Andre getting a win. Your post should be deleted seeing as how first of all it's spam, second you gave no reason as to why you feel the way you do.

If Andre getting a win happened less than Andre getting pinned, then why is his winning percentage is 66%? You see, 66% means that for every two matches he won failed to win one.

Your post should be deleted. You're welcome.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I can see both views on this, about Andre rarely lost, and how HHH wouldnt have been booked to beat him because he isn't on Hogan's level etc etc.

True. Triple H is not a Hulk Hogan, or a Stone Cold when it comes to popularity or influence on the business, he isn't an Andre when we look at overall impact on wrestling....BUT is he better in the ring than all those guys? Yes he is.

If we are talking about Hunter in his prime, then he is obviously going into this match as a heel, and as The Cerebral Asssasin. Triple H is one of the most intelligent and crafty players in the game, and he would be using EVERY single trick in the book to get the advantage over Andre here, and to stop The Giant from getting hold of him.

If you call his prime the McMahon-Helmsley Regime, he had his back up. Evolution? He has Batista, Orton and Flair (who taught him all the tricks he knows), or even DX when he could call on the troops to help him out or cause a distraction.

I believe that Triple H would find away to come out on top in this match, as a heel he regularly screwed over the popular face to come away with the win, and he would take this with the use of his trusty sledgehammer behind the referees back as he was distracted by one of Hunter's cronies. A shot to the knees knocks Andre down, and a second shot to the face puts the big man out for the count.

Winner: Triple H

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I've seen the argument that Andre didn't lose clean to heels but given the fact that he never won the AWA Title from Bockwinkel nor the NWA Title from Race and the only time he actually did win a World Title was as a heel with the great Bobby Heenan in his corner, I have to think that a guy with the accolades of Triple H and a moniker of "the Cerebral Assassin" would outsmart the big man.

Given the history of both competitors, I just can't see a clean pin or submission either way but I can see Hunter manipulating the Giant into getting disqualified or counted out.

Triple H in a manner that will ensure tremendous heel heat heading into the next round.

 

[IHW]

I am going Triple H. Great in-ring performer, who can wrestle one hell of a match. The Game vs. The Giant. Andre is one hell of a guy, but he isn't unstoppable like many people think. I never watched an Andre match until years after his death, but I have seen most every Triple H match since 2000. I'm pulling for HHH.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

So...the point I was making was that Triple H has beaten the OVER names a lot. The Austins, Rocks in their prime have been humbled by Hunter.

Andre was one of the biggest stars during the territorial days and really his kryptonite is Hunter. HHH has an amazing record beating the franchise players in his prime and really, a heel like Hunter has no business going out in the first round.

Think about it, Hunter has experience in a KOTR affair, and Hunter will do everything to go over Andre. And he will.