Batista vs. Triple H

[2.0] "Aside from the Guardian Of Many Galaxies tripping over onto his way to the ring, this is nothing more than a slow, long, plodding affair trying way too hard to be this violent epic, when really, it's just violently over-indulgent. Especially on THIS WrestleMania, which, including the kickoff show, is EIGHT. HOURS. LONG. *"

[2.0] "This match is a 9 year olds idea of what violence is. Just a typical WWE "hardcore" match. No actual hatred intensity or velocity involved. Theres not even any stakes because it's all about Triple H's career being on the line and he has one televised match after this. I like Batista but fuck me this is just two old guys plodding around parading as violent sickos."

[2.0] "Like most late Triple H matches, it's far too long. Unfortunately, he is nowhere good enough to carry twenty-five minutes. Batista was never a good wrestler, so we're left with a match that sinks the middle of the show."

[4.0] "It was just a weird match. It had some brutal looking spots, but it was so slow that it lacked intrigue, it was a drawn out match that could've been good but just wasn't executed properly. I'm glad it happened I just wish it wasn't so slow. The match time isn't the problem, it's the pacing. Overall a mid match. **, 4/10"

[3.0] "Well wouldn't you know it, another boring and self-indulgent HHH Mania match. It's almost like he has a fetish for them. This one with Batista does have its goofy moments and some genuinely cool moments, but at the end of the day, this is two days fighting for over 20 minutes while thinking they're total badasses."

[3.0] "You couldn't have fucking done that twenty minutes ago? 1 and 3 quarters. An absolute embarrassment for both guys -- sloppy, dragged out, and a waste of everyone's time. Zero chemistry, zero payoff. Should've stayed on the cutting room floor. Still love both guys"

[6.0] "Vicious battle marking an end of Batista's decorated career (Triple H's in light of heart issues basically either). Due to the both guys' advanced age it obviously wasn't an incredible banger, however I was entertained."

[6.0] "If Batista was happy with, then I'm too. Sure it went for too long but it needed to. This was the last time we'll ever see him so why not. It wasn't about the in ring ratings but the satisfactory of a great legend. Sure I didn't think the same way then, but it makes sense now. Even the story was good. Even him stumbling to the ring was perfect. "He got what he wanted.""

[2.0] "this Triple H vs Batista match was soooo boring and unnecessarily long for no reason it dragged on it felt like it was never going to end I will happily never watch this ever again, , , , , , , this is still Batista last match and its the match he wanted but man this was horrible"

[1.0] "In twenty-five godforsaken minutes, there were three good things that happened. One was Deathmatch Paul using a pair of pliers to pull out Big Dave's nose ring. The second was the callback to the Hell in a Cell match these two had at Vengeance 2005, with Batista getting Hunter up in the Batista Bomb and dropping him before Hunter could hit him with the phallic sledgehammer. The third was the Superman sledgehammer shot Hunter hit before the finish. Literally everything else in this match was slow, boring, and bad. This was the longest match of the night. This was Batista's last wrestling match, and this is Triple H's final Wrestlemania match. Good fucking riddance. 1/2 *"

[8.0] "I liked this fight, people when I look here didn't like it much but it's not too low, almost 6 is a good rating but I'll increase it a bit because I really enjoyed watching this fight, Batista's last fight and that was with Triple H, a piece of history, there were better fights than this 2 but this one also stood out to me and I rate it as a plus for Wrestlemania"

[8.0] "This is possibly one of the most over-hated match I've ever seen. It's not even that bad of a match. Could it have been better? Yes, but I still enjoyed it. Batista had a pretty good send off with this match and probably Triple H's best single matches in some time."

[6.0] "This match was way too long, and while the nose ring spot was nice, it was the only memorable part of this. Thank god they didn't make Batista win."

[8.0] "You know what i enjoyed this match - for sure both guys were rusty of course because they were both at the end of their careers and obviously wasn't gonna live up to the classics back in the ruthless aggression era but this was still fun and a good way to go out for Batista"

[8.0] "Can't believe how low the score is for this match. Suppose it doesn't have flips and springboard moves that people seem to like these days. This a good old fashioned fight and brutal in parts. Batista and HHH put their bodies on the line in this one. Yes it was slow but they worked super hard. Really impressed with Batista in this one, he put his body through way more than he had to."

[8.0] "I don? t understand why people dislike this, Batista gets his nose piercing torn out by pliers! There? s stairs bumps! It? s basically an old man lucha match where these two old guys who? ve fought for so many years are leaving it all on the line, doing things they? re barely capable of just for one last show, and it rules so hard."

[7.0] "I thought this match was pretty good. Both guys are a bit slower, but made up for it in many other ways. I enjoyed this match much more than their previous Wrestlemania encounter. This serves as a decent example of two guys on their way out, that can still deliver on occasion. The psychology and drama involved make up for the lack of athleticism, which if we are being honest, Batista never had an abundance of, and Triple H was only marginally better. Both knew what their strengths were, and used those to their full advantage."

"(5.0) Totally fine in a bubble but once you look outside of it, it's corny. The pliers spot is goofy, the stairs are overused, it's way too long, no use of blood for a match that desperately needs it. Very funny that Moxley is technically still under contract and the best wrestler at this sort of match and instead of being used at all, they give you two washed wrestlers trying to rekindle a blood feud."

[4.0] "This was so long, so boring, just two aging legends far past their hay day fighting each other and this had no business being the longest match on the longest ever wrestling show."

[6.0] "This match gets a little too much of unnecessary hate tbh. There was some crazy spots that are shocking to happen in a wwe ring in 2019. There was without a doubt wayyyyy to many Near Falls This match was to long tho and thats really the only 2 negatives from me. 2 1/2 stars"

[1.0] "Man this wad sad to watch. Batista and H both are way past their primes for this. also the match had no reason to be this long as of 90 percent of Triple H matches. In ring work was sloppy and lackluster and it was so fucking BORING. I mean I get it they tried to make an emotinal and personal feud and match but the problem was nobody gave a shit about all of this. More than anything this match is just sad to watch. Go watch their hell in a cell match after this so you can enjoy something truly peraonal and brutal with two guys who can actually go"

[3.0] "Slow and boring match for two wrestlers in their 50s and way past their prime. The crowd didn't seem to care either for whatever history these two had together. One or two nice spots, but otherwise both the feud and the match was more than anyone wanted at that point."

[4.0] "I found this match to be way too long and quite boring for the most part, the ring spot was memorable I guess, but the only fun part was the finish with Triple H jumping off the steps for the hammer shot. For the rest of the 24 minutes it dragged a lot"

[4.0] "this felt like a bit of a slog, I'm afraid to say. It really didn't need to be 25 minutes long, the longest match of the show so far! It was kind of clear that neither guy had wrestled much in the last few years. And it was predictable that Triple H would win."

[6.0] "A surprisingly brutal match. The build is infamous for Batista dragging Ric Flair backstage and shouting into the camera, and notably his 'Give me what I want' horribly improvised promo which is a great example of why scripting promos is not a bad option. But with that being said, this match had been built since SmackDown 1000 and the fans were excited for the in-ring return of Batista, all in all the build was classic and set up the bout well. Batista's slip going into the ring remains a solid chuckle, and his gear actually looks good this time round (looking at you, 2014). Triple H's entrance is over the top in every Triple H way possible. The match is brutal, a slow burner and did suck a lot of the energy out of the New York crowd, being given 25 minutes to work with. The piercing spot and the chain spots were both brutal and gave some Ruthless Aggression flashbacks. Triple H won in an exhausting match, but it was enjoyable. Worthy retirement match for The Animal."

[0.0] "What an absolute ego trip it must be to do a 25-minute slog fest on an already bloated Wrestlemania card for your friend who can't go anymore and have to visibly call out spots to during the whole match. Also like most HHH matches this had very little if any in-ring storytelling which means there's nothing to emotionally invest in that wasn't the weak as all hell build. If there's one positive of HHH retiring is that I never have to see him waste nearly 30 minutes of my life at the big PPV ever again."

[3.0] "I found this match too be painfully boring and a little bit sad, no holds barred matches can often be a mixed bag, but this match was too slow and felt like it went on forever as Triple H and Batista fumbled around with chains and various other implements, too me this was more a poor booking than bad work as both Triple H and Batista clearly put the work in."

[7.0] "Batista gets a mega-Hollywood entrance, complete with two SUVs, a lotta bodyguards, and spotlights! Triple H, on the other hand, went full Mad Max for this year's entrance. They began brawling immediately, and the action quickly spilled out to the floor. You got some straight-up gnarly moments early on, like Trips trying to break Batista's finger with a pliers and Trips ripping up Batista's nose ring. With this being No Holds Barred, you had spots involving announce tables, steel chairs, and steel steps, which is to be expected, though I still enjoyed them. It was understandably lethargic at some points, but I thought they did a solid job keeping up the intensity and telling the story to the audience. After a silly-looking DDT from Dave that saw HHH doing a handstand on the step, Ric Flair came out to cost Batista the match, payback for his attack at the birthday party, giving Hunter the victory in The Game's last 'Mania match. I remembered not liking this when watching live, but that was most likely due to me getting worn out after sitting through a 5 hours show. Watching it again, this was much better. Batista went out on a good showing, and HHH got to keep his career alive... well, only for a few years. [***1/4]"

[7.0] "This match had the Wrestlemania feel alright. Badass entrances and two mega stars. In the ring the match is what you'd expect from two 50 year old veterans. It was slow and methodical with weapon spots over wrestling. Still it was pretty decent with kick outs and impressive bumps, with Batista being able to keep up and go through his classic moves which is what you'd expect this match was one of the better on the show. The length was fine as a stand-alone match but in the context of a 7 hour mania it felt overly long."

[2.0] "This was painfully boring and extremely slow. It was a typical HHH's overlong epic match with little heat and inadequate in-ring action. I did not expect anything from two men who were 50 years old going into this match. Batista barely moved well while HHH looked exhausted. There were some typical brutal looking spots that have been repeated so many times before but they were not enough to save this match from being bad. The best part of this match was Ric flair showing up, I think, LOL. Not good at all."

[6.0] "This was a fine match, a little slow at points but I think that was the intention. It was supposes to be the culmination of a blood feud. They wanted to slowly destroy each other. There were some cool spots, like the nose ring spot, and a ton of other cool weapon spots that you don't see all the time, like chains. A fitting conclusion to Batista's career. [***]"

[1.0] "Personally, I think it was a complete waste of time. Just a money grabbing move by WWE. Didn't even bother watching the whole match. Halfway through it, I got bored and I skipped straight to end. *1/2"

[6.0] "It was a hardcore WWE style match, it was good, but way too long. It's Triple H's obsession to have long matches and it didn't work out for him, because although he wanted it to be a match with drama, the crowd was far too tired for such a 25 minute match. Credit to Batista for all the bumps he took, he made it through, even if it was clear towards the end that he was tired. I think the match could have been better if it was Career vs Career, Batista still announced his retirement afterwards."

[4.0] "It was boring and slow. Few memorable moments, but I am getting sick of 25-min classics by 50yo egomaniac. Show is too long and we have to go through this?"

[4.0] "I like Batista, but the fact that this was the way he wanted to go out is absurd. Hard to be angry when you know it's what he wanted, but it's very strange."

[4.0] "Why did this need to go 25 minutes? Just... why? This match and that... whatever you want to call it, certainly isn't a technical marvel or even anything resembling decent, at Crown Jewel 2018 is proof that despite his age, Triple H seems intent to book himself into the longest match on the card of any show he's on."

[2.0] "This was a pretty poor match. It shouldn't have gone 20+ minutes, prime Batista couldn't do 20 minutes anyways, nevertheless old man Batista. It's a pretty boring retirement match. There were a few interesting spots but it was watered down with the plodding pace."

[4.0] "If this was just 10-15 minutes, it might have been alright, but 24 minutes made this match drag to such a degree that when the match ended, I was relieved it was over. That isn't a complete indictment of this match, hence why I've given it a 4 and not a 0 or 1. It's just that it shouldn't have been so long, it had it's good moments, and had potential to be a decent No Holds Barred Match, but Hunter's thirst for air-time ultimately cost this match dearly. **1/4"

[4.0] "Unfortunately superstars have failed to maintain their best shape through the years, Triple H vs. Batista is a match for the main event, but they are old... and that is what they manage to deliver to us."

[6.0] "I actually liked this. It wasn't a classic or anything, but it was fine for what it was. Still, it should've been 10 minutes less."

[6.0] "They used to have way better matches in the past . This one was their worst match. It lasted too long and it didn't entertain me at all. i expected way more."

[5.0] "Classic Triple H 25/30 minute match with loose brawling and a few nice spots. Batista looked ok in the ring if a bit sloppy in places. Went a bit too long in my opinion and dragged after a while."

[4.0] "I just felt like it was a long drawn out match with no payoff, nothing exciting, just a dull overhyped match, I didn't find anything to be terrible though so I'd give it ** stars at least."

[8.0] "7. 95/10 - #6 best of WM35 Weekend : Damn y'all are crazy sometimes. How did barely anyone GET this match, come on it was great and these two legends put into it more than most of the young guys did on this night. I FUCKING LOVED THIS MATCH. It made me feel like I was watching something from 2005-2008, it made me feel that old school wrestling feeling, that unmistakable aura about two big legit-looking dudes crowding the ring and about to use raw physical power to tear each other up. And that they did, brutal brutal match, the two knew where their shortcomings would be and covered them up well. This felt like a true Wrestlemania epic like the old days."

[9.0] "Loved this match. Brutal spots and just a great brawl. Was a bit slow but you have to accept that with two older guys but as always Triple H delivers again."

[8.0] "This was a fantastic brawl and excellent way to end Batista's Career. This match would have got a 9 if it was 5-10 minutes shorter. Two veterans delivered and GAVE ME WHAT I WANT"

[9.0] "This match was more of a victim of being part of a 250 hour long show. I thought this was absolutely entertaining from start to finish. It had that old ruthless aggression era feel to it. And who doesn't like hardcore spots and decent bumps. Tables didn't break which was a shame, But I find that adds to it more than takes away. Regardless. It was my 2nd fav match of the night behind D-Bry vs Kofi"

[2.0] "This started quite well with some unique brutality from HHH. There's a notable nose moment that I did not expect to see in present day WWE. But then the match fell off a cliff. Two guys crawling around the ringside area audibly calling spots from move to move for way too long. Nothing following the opening HHH control segment worked and you could feel the energy of the crowd die during this match. Boy did this thing drag. What was clearly meant to be a big moment with Flair at the finish failed because of how the energy had been sucked out of the place. Coinciding with the energy being sucked out of Michael Cole's voice. *"

[8.0] "Great to see these two legends go at it again. While the match lacked pace it was incredibly intense."

[7.0] "Very old school style aggressive match minus all the blood. It was good to see Batista still able to hold his own. The match had the best story telling of the entire card. ***1/2"