WWE TLC 2011 - Triple H vs. Kevin Nash - Sledgehammer Ladder Match

[D-Man]

There was a time when Triple H and Kevin Nash were the best of friends: two Superstars bound by mutual respect unsullied by ego, money, or bad blood of any kind. They fought and bled together, slowly rising through the ranks of WWE. And yes, they would occasionally square off, but there was never a doubt that their differences would pass. They were, after all, friends.

This is not that time, and when Triple H and Nash face off in a Ladder Match at WWE TLC with a sledgehammer - The Game's signature weapon - up for grabs above their heads, it will be as enemies, not friends. The ring warrior who retrieves the weapon is free to use it against their enemy without any ramifications until there is a winner.

Nash tossed his friendship with The Game out the window months ago, after he returned at SummerSlam and, allegedly on Triple H's orders, drilled WWE Champion CM Punk into the canvas following Punk's championship match against John Cena, allowing Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, claiming Punk's title for himself.

We now know this wasn't Triple H's idea, that Nash returned of his own volition to make an example of Superstars who he believed were disrespecting him. What Nash wanted all along was to renew his dominance in WWE, and expected Triple H - his friend - to stand aside and allow it.

This didn't happen, of course, and The Game, in his position of Chief Operating Officer and at the cost of their fraying friendship, was forced to fire Nash for insubordination only weeks after his return. (PHOTOS) It didn't stop Nash, who returned again in September, nearly costing Triple H his COO position at Night of Champions and prompting a mass walkout of WWE Superstars, who claimed a vote of no confidence in Triple H's leadership as a result of Nash's unpredictable appearances. When Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis was promoted to Interim Raw General Manager, Nash was hired back and made his presence felt against his former friend, attacking Triple H at Vengeance and, the next night on Raw, taking The Game out of action with his own sledgehammer. (WATCH)

Things have been quiet since then. But now, Triple H is back. The match is made, the stage is set, and the friendship is a thing of the past. And at WWE TLC, with the sledgehammer hanging above and ladders at their disposal, these former friends will settle their score, once and for all.

Well, the WWE sure is putting a lot of effort into building this feud. However, I can't help but think that we've all been here before.

I've always been a fan of Kevin Nash. He really is an impressive, well-spoken personality in pro-wrestling. And his best work always seems to come when he's working with his friends, namely Triple H. With a combination of friendly chemistry and Triple H's masterful ways of putting other stars over, this has the possibility of becoming an interesting match. Especially with the added stipulation that the winner is grabbing a sledgehammer from the top of the ladder.

I expect Triple H to come out with a victory and to brutally attack Kevin Nash afterwards, thus being a conduit to his departure from WWE as an on-screen personality and in-ring performer.

Discuss the match in here. (NO SPAMMING!!)

 

[VinnieSunshine]

Dumbest match...EVER. And that's saying a lot based on the matches that WWE has had over the years.

I hate the use of the sledge hammer...always have. Are we really supposed to believe that you can attack your opponent with a sledge hammer and them not survive? How many times have we seen Triple H attack someone in the stomach or head and then a few weeks later they are fine. Let me hit someone in the head with a sledge hammer and see if they are fine within a few weeks.

We know Nash isn't going to climb the ladder to get the hammer, so Triple H gets it, beats Nash and wins. What about a match where we are unsure of the outcome? This match should've just ben a street fight or something. An all out brawl between them where they just beat the piss out of each other.

This story is BORING and I've lost complete interest in it. They have Waltman on payroll and they could've brought Shawn Michaels in to talk to Nash. Instead they've dragged it out to a moot point.

 

[Johnny Scumm]

If Kevin Nash climbs a ladder when no-one's around and tears his quad, who cares?

Seriously though, this match is going to be godawful, absolutely godawful. Nash is too old to be doing it and I don't imagine him climbing the ladder to get the Hammer down at all. HHH will climb and get the Sledgehammer, allowing him to use it but hang on a minute..... It's a Ladder match, meaning weapons are legal right? So what here is stopping Nash not using it? Argh this is stupid on every level possible.

HHH will win, because he was taken out by Nash blah blah blah and now he seeks revenge, it's just terrible, it really is. WWE, I'm disappointed.

 

[noly]

This match has had some of the worse build I have ever seen in a while! Having HHH off of TV has helped me feel that way. But, also the storyline is boring and no one seems care about either of the two at this point! But then again most storylines invovling HHH tend to suck!

 

[D-Man]

Do you win when you get the sledgehammer and then get to use it afterwards? or do you get the hammer, use it as a weapon and then get a pinfall victory?

Grabbing the sledgehammer gets you the win in the match. Using it afterwards is just the added bonus and brutality, post-match.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

This is one of those matches where initially I thought, "Dear God, this could be absolutely horrendous."

Yet the more I think about it, the more I want to see it. Even if it is a cluster-coitous of a match, it could be a lot of fun nonetheless. It kinda reminds me of a TNA match where going in there is a lot of negative speculation about it, but because of the lowered expectations it often turns out better than originally thought.

This isn't going to be a 5* effort, it's doubtful it will be a MOTY candidate and it's also doubtful it will overshadow either ME title match so I don't really see the big fuss over it. HHH can still put on good matches, Nash I'm not as sure about, but for what it is it could be a pretty enjoyable filler match.

 

[TheGreatLegend]

Looking forward to HHH Vs. Kevin Nash. This will be a grueling Ladder match. HHH and Kevin Nash have both faced each other in awesome bouts. My favorite being the Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood 2003. Also the stipulation of the first person to retrieve the Sledge Hammer gets to use it is awesome.

 

[IHW]

I'm excited to see this match. Yes, but it may be for the wrong reason... i either want to see how Nash and HHH work together in 2011 opposed to before... OR i want to see how terrible it is going to be.

I see it being okay...both can still put on good matches... i just wish they would have saved the Ladder match for young stars who could go crazy with it.

Not much to say about the Sledge Hammer stimulation... either way I see one of the guys stretcher out .

The one thing that is truly going to make this match terrible is the build. Please WWE, pick the ball up and run with it.

 

[CH David]

Anyone going into this match with expectations of an awesome match is an idiot. Plain and simple. We know that Nash is slower than hell now thanks to his knees, but if he didn't bust anything against Santino, I have a hope for either a cringingly entertaining match, or a huge brawl that could actually be very entertaining.

Nash gets a lot of crap for getting injured easily over the years, and I think it's due to his last run in '03. As long as the guy can either stay healthy until then or mask the small injury until after then it should work. I'm gonna say that Triple H will win, and hopefully it ends this whole thing between them. Or a final match at the Rumble in a Loser Gets Fired or some crap like that. Trips beat down of Nash FTW!

 

[King of the Words]

The Ladder Match should have been saved for Dolph and Zack. They could have put on an epic ladder match for the USC. Having Nash in a ladder match makes no sense whatsoever. He can barely walk let alone climb a ladder. What was the WWE thinking? Just when I think the WWE product can't get any worse, they go and lower the bar.(lol)

 

[MHardy_Fan]

I hope Nash wins. I still get excited when his music hits. Call me a mark or whatver but Nash can still wrestle. Yeah, hes inury prone but lets let him prove us wrong first.

 

[WunNightStan619]

I was really all for this whole Nash and HHH feud at first but at the this point, WWE has changed directions so many times its ridiculous. And the fact that HHH hasent even been on TV takes away from the relevance. This feuds just all over the place at this point. First hs spose to feud with punk, then hes spose to be in cohoots with ace, now him and HHH are fighting have never even acknowledged the other two aspects. Normally id be all for a HHH/Nash feud but this wun has been poorly done smh..not really interested anymore, unless they do something to bring the excitement back to it

 

[XXJJ]

I'm surprised they went with a ladder match. I thought they would of went with a chairs or tables match. Seeing Nash attempting to climb a ladder should be interesting.

The storyline has been bad. Taking HHH off Raw for this long has killed any buzz for this match.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm not really sure where I stand on this match to be perfectly honest.

On one hand, it's easy to write this match off as horrible. Neither of these men are really in their element when it comes to ladder matches. It definitely won't fit the typical ladder match mode as you shouldn't expect Nash or Trips to do these big fall spots off the top of the ladders. There probably won't be many high spots here and the ones that do take place, I expect, will be taken by Triple H.

At the same time, this match could mainly come off as an entertaining brawl. Just because there probably won't be a lot of high spots with the ladder doesn't automatically mean that they still can't put on an enjoyable brawl in which the ladders are utilized a lot as weapons.

I've never been a huge fan of Kevin Nash's work inside the ring, but there are aspects of this match in which his current shortcomings could be hidden. It's definitely not going to be your standard ladder match and I have to admit that makes me kind of interested in seeing it. I'm hoping that it'll turn out to be much better than it seems to be on paper, but I also think it's best to prepare for it to be a major dud.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Well this match will be interesting no doubt, thinking of either men in a ladder match at this point in their careers is not something that gets me excited, and the sledgehammer stipulation doesn't do a whole lot for me either. But I'm hoping for a brawl here, like Jack Hammer said it'll probably be a street fight most of the time and then at the end they'll climb. Being a fan of both guys and considering that the build has been excellent(mainly thanks to Nash's promos) I am keeping an open mind heading into this match and I really hope that we get a good show. My bet is that it will be alot like HHH vs Taker at Wrestlemania with some weapons thrown in, so it won't be the greatest wrestling match of the night but it'll be a fun brawl to watch. I'm gonna say that Trips wins here, but I could be wrong and I kind of hope I am.
Gunslinger's Prediction
Triple H Wins

 

[ITALIAN NYC]

Anything goes in ladder matches, thats why this match makes no sense.

Forget the sledgehammer. Beat your guy down with anything under the ring or the ladder itself.

Just doesnt make much sense to me.

The matches I usually expect to be crap end up being good though, so im sure this will be passable.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

my guess is that this won't be your typical ladder match. It will be more of a story-drive HHH vs Rock style of ladder match.

I'm 50/50 on this. When they announced the match, I swear I heard Blue Cross/Blue Shield and every other health insurance company say "we aren't insuring this guy that's for sure".

I'm guessing HHH was actually hurt on the powerbomb Nash gave him, so they wrote him off Raw with the attack. Which kinda hurt the story and felt out of place, but they've salvaged it decently enough. I hope they tie up the conspiracy stuff as that's sort of been phased out.

Probably be a decent enough match, although I'd feel safer walking on stilts made of jenga pieces than Nash's legs.

 

[Mustang Sally]

If Kevin Nash climbs a ladder when no-one's around and tears his quad, who cares?

Or, if Oz falls in the forest and no one is around, does he make a sound?

Creative is really going to have to go to work on this one. Obviously, these two are the last performers in the world who can engage in a Ladders match, for heaven's sake. I don't know if either one can walk across the ring without tearing an ACL, much less climb a freakin' ladder with the other guy trying to pull him down.

It's anyone's guess how they're going to swerve this one. Perhaps an outside party changes the whole complexion of the contest. It's also possible that they'll never even hit the ring; they can fight in the crowd or backstage. Or maybe they'll both attack Michael Cole at the announcer's table instead of fighting each other......who knows?

But if anyone is expecting to see Jeff Hardy-like swan dives off the top rung, there will be some disappointed folks after this match. There's a better chance of Big Show performing with the Moscow Ballet in a "Titans in Tutus" match.

Maybe.....just maybe..... the winner sledgehammers the loser to unconsciousness and makes one unopposed climb up the ladder to claim his prize. Then, he can tell his friends they won a Ladder match.

I mean, jeez.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I agree with TWJC for once. I think that it will be a Rock/ Triple H type ladder match....just that it won't be all that good. I mean, we have seen Nash/ Triple H eight years ago and it pretty much sucked back then.

I hope Triple H wins this and ends the feud though I guess they will surely have one more match in the future. There is particularily no point to this except maybe to get HHH over, which he already is, and huge at that. The only perk that this feud has for me is an HBK appearance either on Monday or the Tribute to the Troops show.

So yeah, Trips wins. Because Nash cannot climb. Wait that sounds like the reasoning people give for the WZ tournament we hold every year. But yes, Trips wins. Maybe Nash lays him out post match to continue the feud.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I see a swerve of some sort happening. Maybe someone else is added. HHH reaches for the hammer, the cable lifts, Nash pushes him off. Someone else comes down, they destroy HHH, the other guy who's knees work climbs the ladder and gets the hammer.

Something crazy. Brutality followed by a swerve, this won't (shouldn't) be as awful as everyone thinks it will be. Unless the only way you enjoy ladder matches is if it's a stunt-fest. In which case, that's your own stupidity. WWE shouldn't have another stuntfest because the TLC match for the title will have some stunts and they had MITB just a few months ago with stuntfest ladder matches. Don't wanna overdo it.

 

[Tree Of Woe]

I really think there will be a swerve ending of sorts too. I expect Nash to somehow win, and a rematch at Royal Rumble. If HHH wins clean that will make this horrible angle worse.

 

[undyinglylty]

throughout the years i have been watching tlc matches,this has to be the most dumbest tlc match i have ever heard. ohh a ladder match between hhh and nash and,oh
it gets better,a sledgehammer is being suspended above the ring,and the first person who gets,uses it. this is like a paddle on a pole match except the paddle is a sledgehammer. DUMBEST TLC MATCH EVER

 

[The Crock]

Yeah, I'm not really excited for this match. I mean, maybe they'll tell a decent story and the emotion will be there; but at this stage of their careers, a Ladder Match can be disastrous. I would have pegged this match to be a Tables Match or a Chairs Match, but I guess they felt that the Ladder Match (with the sledgehammer above) would be the best choice.

Nash is limited, so I can't see him carrying much of this match, his only offense will probably come off of ladder shots and strikes, with a couple of grapples. He can barely walk to the ring and hit a Jackknife, I'm seriously wondering what he'll be able to do in this case. The years have caught up with him, he's no longer what he was 20 years ago. That being said, he and Triple H will CERTAINLY have chemistry and they'll have a plan, if anything, they'll be able to tell a story. I don't have high expectations, but I'd be willing to bet that this could be a surprisingly good match, possible a brutal one too. While Kevin Nash might not be in any shape to be taking huge bumps, Triple H still has a few left in him, it won't just drag along.

Triple H is going to win this one, undoubtedly. They've run their course with Nash and it's tailor made for Triple H to get his retribution.

 

[LSN80]

Being that HHH is only a special attraction that wrestles just once every few months, I have no doubt in my mind that he'll get the win here. It's really amazing what they've done with this feud, if you think about it. They've managed to keep this thing going since Summerslam without even having a match. I'm not saying it's been a good feud, or the build to this match has been even passable. For me, the longer they've extended this, the less interest there is for most. Count me among them, because while I enjoy HHH the performer, this is the match I'm least looking forward to.

As for the match itself, this isn't going to be your Jeff Hardy/Edge type of match filled with highspots and bumps. Psychology and storytelling will take precedence here, which is why I'm confused as to why these two were the choice for the ladder match. Couldn't they just as easily have done a Sledge on a Poll match, and given the ladder match to ZIggler and Ryder, perhaps, two men who will both bump like crazy? I hope they prove me wrong, and the chemistry the two have along with the in-ring psychology both possess will make for a good match. I'm just not sure Nash will be able to do much with all of his physical limitations.

Anyway, this should be the blowoff(and only) match of this feud. Nash has gotten the upper hand in just about every situation, so I expect HHH to get his retribution here. If Im correct, the only person who can use the sledgehammer is the one who retrieves it, correct? Well thankfully, Nash isn't much of a climber, so HHH will retrieve the sledge, pound Nash into oblivion, and mercifully end this feud. Perhaps we'll see HHH in the Rumble, and then again when he likely fights Undertaker at WM, but this will be the last we see of Nash/HHH. I hope. HHH wins in what surprisingly has been the least hyped match for TLC.

 

[Notorious718]

I won't be expecting anything amazing here and I attribute most of my reasoning for that to Kevin Nash's limited mobility in the ring. I'm curious to see how high up he'll make it up the ladder should he climb it. I'll be amazed if he actually comes out on top here. While I'm not expecting anything great here, it should be a fun match. I've always been a fan of ladder matches but I've rarely (if ever) seen a ladder match that didn't have high flying spots so this should be a personal nice change of pace. I'm calling a HHH win here with him brutalizing Nash afterwards and removing Nash as an on-screen character for now. Not that I'd necessarily want that since I've been liking Nash's on-screen work recently.