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In many ways, the Triple Threat Match between Triple H, John Cena and WWE Champion Randy Orton at WrestleMania XXIV has been brewing for years. When you have three elite Superstars who all want the same thing, there’s bound to be an explosion.
These Superstars are not strangers to one another. Their careers have intertwined as they have all pursued the WWE Championship. But their dynamics with one another are very different.
Evolution of a Rivalry
Triple H and Orton were once friends. When they were teammates in Evolution, one of the greatest factions of all-time, Orton was the student, the diamond in the rough whose potential The Game noticed almost immediately. Back in those days, Orton was the student and Triple H was the teacher.
But their relationship was destroyed because they both wanted the same thing – World Championship gold. Both wanted to be the best, but there could only be room for one at the top. Triple H has been a constant thorn in Orton’s side whenever he has won a world title. When the Legend Killer became the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history in 2004, he was immediately targeted by The Game – and lost the gold to his former mentor. Years later, in 2007, when Orton was named WWE Champion at No Mercy after John Cena’s injury, The Cerebral Assassin challenged – and defeated him – again.
Orton regained the gold that same night, but some say he has never stopped looking over his shoulder. Triple H has rained on his parade during all of his career-defining moments, the third-generation Superstar believes. But at WrestleMania, the Legend Killer wants Triple H front and center for yet another career-defining moment.
The self-proclaimed “one-man dynasty” is not the same student that shadowed Triple H in Evolution. Orton has evolved into a sadistic champion who has mastered mind games and will do anything to keep his title. He has cemented his hold on the WWE Championship in recent months by turning back the challenges of Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho and even The Game. Orton learned his lessons well from The Cerebral Assassin, and he believes he has surpassed his former teacher. He considers Triple H a nuisance and wants to humble The King of Kings once and for all – and can’t think of a better stage than at WrestleMania XXIV in Orlando, Fla.
The Champion-sized Thorn
Orton would also love to vanquish John Cena. These two have never been friends and have waged a personal war over the WWE Championship. The Legend Killer tried to end Cena’s career, and was responsible for putting him on the shelf with a torn pectoral tendon, forcing him to relinquish the WWE Title. He has attempted every underhanded, cowardly trick to keep “The Champ” away from the gold. However, Cena has continued battling back.
If Orton can put both Cena and The Game away in one night at WrestleMania, it will be difficult to argue with his claim that he is a “one-man dynasty.” But Cena is not about to let that happen. He wants Orton to pay for taking away everything he held dear. For Cena, the only way he will find redemption is if he leaves WrestleMania XXIV with the gold he never lost in the ring.
A King's Return to the Throne?
Triple H also has that same vision of redemption. WrestleMania XXIV represents his return to his favorite stage – The Grandest of Them All. Last year, he missed WrestleMania due to a career-threatening injury. He has overcome all sorts of obstacles, gauntlets and five opponents in the Elimination Chamber at No Way Out to make it back to The Grandest Stage of Them All.
The Game has headlined WrestleMania several times before, but this year is different. He wants – needs – to show that he is still truly The King of Kings. His 11th title reign was way too short. Triple H wants to win his 12th World Championship and kill the growing legend of Randy Orton. But The Game is also haunted by Cena, a man he has never defeated. He still remembers tapping out to Cena’s STFU at WrestleMania 22. Surviving both Orton and Cena at WrestleMania XXIV would show that Triple H is truly back and at the top of his Game.
Who will leave the Citrus Bowl with sports-entertainment’s Holy Grail? Who will exorcise their personal demons and find redemption at WrestleMania XXIV? There is only room for one king atop the WWE mountain. The only way to find out the answers to these questions is to catch WrestleMania XXIV, live on pay-per-view, on Sunday March 30 at a special start time of 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT.
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