It works for a reason.
Raw World Title: Randy Orton vs. HHH
Date: April 13, 2008
Location: Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, England
Orton is defending and this is from a Raw house show about two weeks after Wrestlemania XXIV. HHH gets a monster pop and it makes sense that he would come out second. It’s another handheld camera match, which is still weird to see in WWE. Orton drives him into the corner to start and we actually get a clean break. The dueling chants are on too as this is a red hot crowd. HHH runs Orton over and tells someone in the crowd to suck it before hitting a clothesline. The armbar goes on but Orton fights up and hammers away in the corner.
That just earns him a shoulder into the post and then HHH does it again for a bonus. We’re clipped to HHH working on an armbar and throwing a charging Orton over the top. HHH gives chase but Orton catches him with a boot to the face on the way back in. The hanging DDT gives Orton two and he punches HHH around the ring in a nice visual. The camera shoots the ceiling for a bit and comes back to Orton getting two and HHH holding his ribs. Orton starts the circle stomp but misses a knee drop to give HHH a breather.
The camera goes nuts again and we come back to a rather aggressive chinlock. HHH fights up and is dropkicked right back down, meaning the knee drop can connects this time. We go to the chinlock again but HHH gets in a shot to escape. Orton is up first and tries the RKO but HHH shoves him off. Since this is wrestling, that means they’re back to even and HHH makes the comeback. The facebuster gets two and they head outside with HHH whipping him into the barricade.
Back in and the Pedigree is broken up and the referee gets bumped. Now the RKO connects but Orton can’t follow up. A very delayed cover gets two and the fans are VERY happy with the kickout. The Punt is countered into a spinebuster so Orton rolls outside….where he grabs the belt for the DQ shot at 17:55 shown.
Rating: C+. The chinlock in the middle hurt things a bit but this was one of the better HHH vs. Orton matches that I’ve seen in a long time. They were moving out there and the crowd was digging the whole thing. You don’t get to see that very often and the ending was fine enough as a way to keep them both strong. Good match here and I’m rather surprised by that one.
Post match HHH is right back up with a belt shot of his own, plus a Pedigree.