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Did WWE Really Plan On Doing Triple H vs. Batista At WrestleMania 35?

By on November 9, 2018
Batista and Triple H

Triple H underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn pectoral muscle suffered during D-Generation X’s match against The Brothers of Destruction at WWE Crown Jewel.

According to WWE.com, Triple H will now undergo intensive rehabilitation and his timetable for full recovery is currently undetermined.

“The Game” affirmed on social media that “all is well,” and that he is determined to begin the road to recovery.

The injury and surgery will likely prevent him from competing at WrestleMania 35 on April 7, 2019, since recovery from a torn pectoral muscle should keep him out of action for over five months.

NXT wrestler Tino Sabbatelli suffered a torn pectoral muscle during a match in late April and he was expected to be out of action for six to nine months. He underwent surgery six months ago and still hasn’t returned to action. So Triple H probably wouldn’t be able to wrestle again until at least May.

Even if Triple H is healed just in time for WrestleMania, it’s still unlikely that he will wrestle at the show. WWE generally has their plans for WrestleMania finalized by late February and wrestlers who are cleared to compete during March usually don’t return to action until after the show. WWE won’t advertise him for a match until he’s cleared to compete.

Before Triple H got injured, he seemed to be headed for a showdown with Batista at WrestleMania after their Evolution reunion at SmackDown 1000 ended on a tense note.

Batista praised his co-members and talked about what they all meant to him. He praised Orton, Flair and Triple H … but then reminded “The Game” that he never beat him. Triple H did not take kindly to Batista’s words, but the tension seemed to diffuse when the two hugged it out … only for both to still give each other a little side-eye as the hugs began to flow throughout the group.

Triple H vs. Batista was indeed on the cards for WrestleMania 35, according to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“Generally speaking, after surgery to repair a torn pec, the recovery time is close to six months. John Cena came back in half the time, but he’s not human. HHH’s recovery time from his many injuries has been more normal. Six months puts it past WrestleMania, which was slated to have HHH vs, Batista as one of the top matches,” Meltzer wrote.

The injury occurred when Triple H was tossed over the top rope early in the main event. It was clear immediately that something was wrong because you could see that he was not moving his right arm and he was talking to Michaels at ringside.

Later in the match, you could hear The Undertaker tell Kane that Hunter hurt his pec. Michael Cole said on commentary that it looked like he injured his rib but that did not look to be the case. Throughout the match, everything Hunter did looked awkward because he was not able to move his right arm.

Following the injury to Hunter, the match fell apart somewhat as HBK, The Undertaker and Kane had to work the match on the fly, an especially difficult proposition when Michaels has not wrestled for over eight years. He probably did not expect to be carrying his end of the match quite as much as he had to.

Triple H tried to stay active in a spot outside of the ring with Kane where they both ended up crashing unconvincingly into the barricades. It was clear at this point that Hunter had limited movement in his right arm and was barely able to move it. A spot was improvised to put him through the announce table so Dr. Chris Amman could check him out.

Michaels also got hurt from a risky moonsault from the top turnbuckle to the outside, which left him bloody and temporarily dazed.

Hunter returned to the ring to close out the match (because with DX winning the match there was no way Michaels could realistically beat both of them on his own) and struggled through a few spots with Kane.

The match ended with a Michaels superkick to Kane followed by a gentle Pedigree from Triple H, who scored the pinfall victory.

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