Rocky Maivia (The Rock) was still finding his footing as a smiling, second-generation babyface that crowds were growing increasingly cold toward. Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H) had settled into a comfortable run as Intercontinental Champion, playing the Connecticut blueblood gimmick with sneering confidence.
Helmsley dominated most of the match and had multiple opportunities to put Maivia away, but his arrogance got the better of him. Rather than finishing the rookie, he opted to taunt the crowd. Maivia caught him off guard with an inside cradle and scored the upset to win his first singles championship. It was a career-launching moment for Maivia, even if the crowd wasn’t fully behind him yet.
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