Shelton Benjamin vs. Triple H

[8.0] "This was a great match. After playing politics to stay on Raw, Triple H faced Shelton Benjamin in the main event, who was disrespected by Evolution earlier in the night. This was a classic case of the overconfident veteran vs the young upstart who was new to the brand. As much as I dislike Triple H during his Reign of Terror, I have to give him credit that he gave Benjamin a lot here. Ric Flair came out to try to run interference, only for Chris Benoit to come out to make sure that didn't happen. The only time that Flair interfered was when he punched Benjamin while referee Mike Chioda was distracted. As Benoit was stalking Flair, Benjamin surprised Triple H with a splash to the corner and rolled him up for the 3 count. This was one of those rare instances that Triple H actually put someone over and Benjamin would go on to feud with various members of Evolution until Randy Orton beat him at Bad Blood to retain the Intercontinental Championship. Benjamin would be fine though, as he would win that title later in the year at Taboo Tuesday. ****"

[9.0] "A hidden gem. The arrogant veteran vs. the confident newcomer. Triple H doesn't take Benjamin seriously, casually patting him on the face, but the moment Shelton outwrestles him on the mat, Triple H's expression instantly changes to "this kid is no joke." Every time Triple H tries to belittle him, Benjamin gives it right back, gradually frustrating to Triple H until he desperately tries to keep the rookie under control. In the end, Benjamin shatters Triple H's ego. Marvelous storytelling, excellent character work and a surprising ending. ****"

[8.0] "A really good match and a fantastic way to get Shelton over to anyone who hadn't noticed him on Smackdown before this night. Meanwhile Charlie Haas is doing the favors in the opening match on the other brand. 4 stars at best."

[9.0] "Triple H is just so good at these kind of matches where he underestimates his opponent and ends up selling a beating. This was a brilliant debut match on Raw for Benjamin where he was instantly put over as a credible threat. It's a really solid mat wrestling performance as you would come to expect, but he drama to the match is what really makes this match so exciting to watch with so many great near falls in the match and the crowd just glued every time Benjamin comes close. There's a good spot mid match too where Triple H finally takes control by throwing Shelton into the ring posts twice and it looks like the inevitable is going to happen. There's even a Ric Flair cheap shot towards the end and he still fights back. Triple H is protected when he is rolled up from a distraction, but that was about as clean is it gets against Triple H. Say what you will about the 'Reign of Terror' but the truth is, matches like this where he actually did put a young talent over often gets overlooked and he sold for him big time as well, especially the look of frustration when he couldn't put him away."

[8.0] "Triple H played his role here really well with his facial expressions throughout the match. Him not taking Shelton very seriously early on, then when Shelton starts just straight up owning him in wrestling exchanges he gets more frustrated and resorts to brawling. Finish was great and the crowd exploded when Shelton won.***3/4"

[8.0] "I thought this was a great match. HHH went in as the cocky heel with plenty of antics, but Benjamin proved to be a game opponent. They had a really sweet back and forth matchup with many close calls, and eventually Benjamin managed to win with a rollup after HHH got distracted by Flair and Benoit fighting on the outside. Great work by both men, and a huge upset win for Shelton, who also put on a very impressive singles performance. ***3/4"

[5.0] "Ok TV match. Good story telling by both men and the crowd was hot for Shelton Benjamin. The finish was unpredictable."

[6.0] "One of those matches that was pretty cool when it happened, largely due to the story more than anything. The wrestling itself isn't anything to write home about though, actually even kind of boring in the beginning. This is alright but not the sort of match that ages particularly well IMO."

[8.0] "I thought this was so good. And not just because of the surprise win which can skew perceptions of quality. Triple H was great in this. His nonchalant approach to the start wa great. His strut and facial expressions screamed arrogance and him slowly losing that as Benjamin proved he was up for the challenge was great. Triple H bumped super well for Benjamin who in turn was impressed on offence with his good work on the arm and athletic defensive work. Great finish too. ***3/4"

[9.0] "An all time great WWE match for elevating a talent hugely in just one match. Perfectly put together, Shelton was permanently on a higher level after this and you can really hardly ask for more."

[8.0] "Very good TV match, brilliant psychology and storytelling especially near the start of the match with Shelton and HHH always outsmarting one another and the crowd eating it up all the way, great selling from Triple H making Shelton look like a million bucks and the very unpredictable outcome of Shelton winning at a time where HHH seemed to job to nobody. Bit of a weak ending though. ***3/4"