Welcome to the latest edition of The O’Brien Report with me, Alan O Brien. Today on the O’Brien Report I will be looking back on the rivalry of Triple H and Brock Lesnar from 2012-2013 as it is not long been the 8th anniversary of SummerSlam 2012, a show which was the main evented by Triple H vs Brock Lesnar.
The origin of the rivalry between Triple H and Brock Lesnar was on the April 30th 2012 edition of Raw when Triple H declined to accept Brock Lesnar’s renegotiations to his WWE contract, stating that the contract he initially signed to return in 2012 was still valid. A brawl then broke out between the two which ended with Lesnar breaking Triple H’s arm with the Kimura Lock. Over the next few weeks and months, Triple H would challenge Brock Lesnar to a match at SummerSlam, however, Paul Heyman, Lesnar’s advocate would continue to decline the challenge. Triple H’s challenge would eventually be accepted on Raw 1000 after Stephanie McMahon slapped Paul Heyman after he made remarks about her children.
On August 19th 2012, at SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar defeated Triple H in a physical match which mainly focused on Lesnar targeting previously injured Triple H’s arm, eventually locking in the Kimura Lock once again, which Triple H submitted to before Lesnar could once again break his arm. After the match, Triple H got a standing ovation from the crowd, with the commentators suggesting Triple H was about to retire. The following night on Raw, Brock Lesnar announced on Tout that he had quit WWE as there was no competition left for him. Also, on Raw, Triple H announced his retirement.
Lesnar would return on the 28th of January 2013 edition of Raw, attacking Mr McMahon with an F5 to stop Paul Heyman from being fired. Nearly a month later, on the 25th of February edition of Raw, Triple H would also return to save Mr McMahon from another Lesnar attack. On the 4th of March edition of Raw, which was also an Old School themed edition of Raw, Triple H challenged Brock Lesnar to another match, this time for WrestleMania 29, Paul Heyman accepted on behalf of Lesnar, making the match a No Holds Barred match with the added stipulation that Triple H’s career would be on the line.
At WrestleMania 29, Triple H defeated Brock Lesnar after a physical match which involved the use of steel steps and Triple H’s sledgehammer, it also featured interference from both Paul Heyman and Shawn Michaels. Michaels hit Heyman with Sweet Chin Music and Lesnar hit Michaels with an F5. The finish of the match came when Triple H hit Brock Lesnar with a Pedigree on the steel steps for the win.
On the April 15th, 2013 edition of Raw, Brock Lesnar challenged Triple H to a Steel Cage rematch at Extreme Rules. Triple H would accept the challenge the following week on Raw by hitting Paul Heyman with the Pedigree. Two weeks later, in a very entertaining segment, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman would go to WWE Headquarters and destroy Triple H’s office. The following week Lesnar and Triple H would have a staredown in the steel cage which would end with Lesnar and Heyman retreating up the ramp after Triple H threw Lesnar into Heyman.
At Extreme Rules, Brock Lesnar would defeat Triple H once again in a Steel Cage match. Much of the match was spent on targeting Lesnar’s injured leg. During the match, Triple H would grab a sledgehammer from the top of the steel cage but before he could use it Lesnar pulled him off the turnbuckle. At one point, Paul Heyman ran into the steel cage to try and save Lesnar but received a Pedigree from Triple H. The finish of the match would come after Triple H grabbed his sledgehammer, ready to hit Lesnar until Paul Heyman hit Triple H with a low blow, Lesnar then hit Triple H with the sledgehammer and delivered an F5, pinning Triple H for the victory.
In my opinion, Triple H and Brock Lesnar’s rivalry from mid-2012 to mid-2013 was one of the highlights of WWE at the time. Their matches, while not incredible were always intriguing and had a good story in them, usually focusing on a body part of some kind. This rivalry is one of the first I can remember since I started watching in early 2012 so it was quite nostalgic to take a look back on it today on The O’Brien Report. Out of their three matches together in 2012/13, Triple H vs Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 29 is my favourite from their trilogy. It had everything, interference, physicality and even one of Brock Lesnar’s high pitched screams.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article today, I have been Alan O Brien and you have been reading The O’Brien Report.
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