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Following an intense staredown, Sting knocked Triple H to the canvas first. The Vigilante had Triple H unsure of himself, outwrestling him early on. The Game turned things into a street fight, though.

He pulled Sting to the outside and began to punish him. After leaving Sting wobbling, Triple H laughed at him, mocked him.

When Sting fought back and had his foe trapped in the Scorpion Deathlock, D-Generation X ran in. Sting fought them off, but soon had to deal with Triple H wielding a sledgehammer. That was NWO's cue to step onto the scene.

The two factions battled on the outside of the ring. That allowed Sting to hold Triple H in his trademark finisher for a long stretch of time, but the COO reached the ropes to escape.

Shawn Michaels superkicked Sting to prevent another Scorpion Deathlock.

Chaos unfolded, complete with Triple H's sledgehammer, Sting's bat and Hall of Famers all around the ring. In the end, Triple H nailed Sting with his trusty hammer and got the win.

The two enemies shook hands in the ring rather than have the stable war continue.

Result

Triple H wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Sting's entrance included smoke and face-painted men playing drums.

Triple H holds severed Terminator heads during his elaborate, futuristic entrance.

"This isn't Starrcade; this is WrestleMania." —John "Bradshaw" Layfield

Sting shakes off a knee lift from Triple H.

Triple H mocks Sting with a crotch chop.

Sting dives onto DX from the top rope.

"The Monday Night War has just come to life!" —JBL

Michaels does the crotch chop over a fallen Sting.

Sting breaks Triple H's sledgehammer in half.

Grade

A

Analysis

There are of course things to nitpick here, but in the end, it was the kind of spectacle-driven story that makes WWE so special.

For one, WWE seemed to make more of a big deal for Triple H's entrance. It's also an odd move to have JBL play down Sting's accomplishments so much. Rather than present him as an icon from elsewhere, JBL sold him as an underdog.

That didn't matter that much in the end. There was too much fun to be had.

The DX vs. NWO stuff was rich with nostalgia, with WWE pulling out all the bells and whistles fans expected for this match. When the foes battled with their favorite weapons, it felt like a comic book had come to life.

This was never going to be a mat clinic. The better move was to turn this into a memorable sideshow. WWE did just that, delivering a unique, powerful piece of theater.