Horatio

I've probably seen more Triple H than any other wrestler. I don't know why, it just seems that way. I'm always trying to reconcile the fact that so many Triple H viewings left me feeling my wrestling habit is but a waste of time. This match I wanted to see because I know he wore blue, and that the match holds up as good upon multiple viewings. My basic thesis on this is that this is fine WWE as lucha spectacle, and Triple H is great as an American luchador, and WWE knew how to put on a fine lucha spectacle, at least on this night ...

The video package basically sums up crummy WWE 2003. It's the main event and the title match, but it's mostly about who is going to referee such a dangerous match. Kevin Nash is basically a stand-in for Superman while Triple H is legit Lex Luthor, and Mick Foley is still mad about losing his career to Legit Lex Luthor. The Cell is a bigger character than Nash at this point, the referee gets more promotion in the introduction, but attention to detail is key. Nash enters first, Triple H second, Foley third, and this is because no other referee was willing to work with Triple H in the Cell and so, the entrances happen before the Cell is fully lowered to the ground (take that for what it is).

The match itself is basically a knock-down-dragout brawl with flourishes of carny puro that make it luchadorish under a microscope. The bell rings and Triple H is ever the decepticon, pretending to be more concerned with referee Mick Foley in order to surprise Nash with a low kick. On the outside, Nash back body dropps Triple H onto the floor and Triple H's bump is comparable to HBK's powerbomb bump on the floor as delivered by Sid at Royal Rumble '97 (not a very flashy move, but it's the first sign that Triple H is going to give it his all, and Nash is right there with him). The legit hammer shots play a bigger part in the story than most fans would give credit for - they say it was just a bloody brawl, or a boring Helmsley/Nash at its worst, but really, it's about the legacy of the Cell when Jerry Lawler asks "Did he just hit him in the head?" all earnestly childlike. Later on, after Nash bleeds and Triple H is looking super gory, Nash hits a Raven-esque drop-toll-hold and Triple H is forced to do a silly face-first bump on the ring steps... this is one of the carny flashes of brilliance that show we're witnessing two professionals show the world what hate is like through a legal filter.

(In Mexico, there would have been someone dancing on a match this level, but in WWE 2003, this was as legitimate as it got. Eddie Guerrero rose to immortality that year because everything else really sucked, but he didn't really do anything M.O.T.Y.-quality until they shot HIM up to the top very early in '04. Brock Lesnar shot up to perfection the year before and had to cool it or explode. Kurt Angle was machine like in his workrate and everyone could see it; Big Show was returning to prominence after admitted lazy streaks, and R.V.D. was not yet determined to play political ball and demand championship cash, but, luckily, we had Kevin Nash who just plain came in as the veteran and put neighsayers to silence at a time when a guy like Brock Lesnar could have probably crippled him in the ring if he didn't show up to *work* as they say. I don't mean to over-sanctify Brock Lesnar or disrespect Latino Heat, but seriously, 2003 was dreadful. Great staples like Kane and Matt Hardy hadn't reached their prime, and Rey Mysterio, while basically all you could count on, wasn't what Amazing Red-heads wanted to see in those days.)

In 2003, we said it was a good ***1/2 match, and a ***1/2 Hell in a Cell match in those days, was basically garbage-pro. We could admit it was ***1/2 stars and still say it was garbage because Nash was Nash and Triple H was oppressive on our tastes. How does this match hold up in 2024? Well, it does hold up. It's still at least ***1/2 and this is as least my third time watching it. That's pretty good by any standard. The fact that Kevin Nash and Triple H were involved almost make me want to bump it up a star, for they bumped their importance as wrestlers up at least a notch or two in order to make this a timeless engagement. Mick Foley pulled a sock out, no sold his own perfectionary bumping, and even failed to turn it into a two-on-one heel-in-peril situation, but Nash and Helmsley bled for something unconfirmed by what we see on this P.P.V. in hindsight ...