Chris Benoit vs Triple H vs Shawn Michaels
WWE WrestleMania XX — March 14, 2004 · Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
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The Story
Chris Benoit won the World Heavyweight Championship, submitting Triple H with the Crippler Crossface in the main event of WrestleMania XX at Madison Square Garden. It matters as the ultimate underdog-makes-good story of the era: a career mid-card technician finally reaching the mountaintop on the grandest stage.
The three-way structure was worked as a genuine masterclass in pacing. Shawn Michaels brought the drama and the near-falls, Triple H the ruthless control segments, and Benoit the relentless technical fire, each combination of two men telling a different story before the third crashed back in. The MSG crowd, sensing something historic, invested fully in the smallest competitor's chase.
The finish delivered catharsis: Benoit locking the Crossface on Triple H and refusing to let go until the champion tapped. The emotional coda — Benoit celebrating in the ring with best friend and fellow new champion Eddie Guerrero — became one of WWE's most beloved images. It should be noted that the match is now largely suppressed on official platforms and its legacy is deeply complicated by later events, but on the night, in the ring, it was an all-time WrestleMania main event.