Triple H Is a Better Opponent for Sting at WrestleMania 31 Than Undertaker

Sometimes the fallback plan ends up being better than the original, which is exactly what will happen with Triple H vs. Sting at WrestleMania 31. That teased bout promises to be superior to the Undertaker-Sting clash fans have long been clamoring for. 

Triple H is the younger, healthier and ultimately better option.

The potency of the dream match of Sting vs. Undertaker has faded over time. Age, injury and time have pushed both men a good distance from their primes. While WWE isn't sure what Undertaker has left in him, it knows Triple H can still perform at an all-star level.

Triple H vs. Sting will end up being the WrestleMania classic that Undertaker vs. Sting couldn't be.

The company appears to be moving forward with that matchup in mind. After Sting's debut at Survivor Series saw him drop Triple H to the mat, WWE has kept this narrative alive.

Most recently, Triple H lambasted Sting in an interview with Michael Cole. The COO suggested that the reason the former WCW and TNA star never made his way to WWE has to do with him. There's a storyline ready to be dug into.

WWE could cook up a story like that for Undertaker and Sting, but what would happen once they met? Their bodies aren't going to allow them to meet the immense anticipation that fans would have for that match.

Sting, who will be 56 at WrestleMania time, needs someone to carry him in the ring to a large degree. Sting will bring star power and presence, but his opponent will have to do the majority of the work physically.

Compare Triple H and Undertaker's WrestleMania 30 matches for a definitive answer as to who would be best suited for that role.

That night, Triple H delivered a Match of the Year candidate against Daniel Bryan. The Game looked every bit the predator he was at the peak of his career. There was a snap to his clotheslines, a crispness to his attack.

Credit: WWE.com

Undertaker, on the other hand, looked off.

His bout against Brock Lesnar felt awkward at times. It lacked energy. Undertaker seemed as slow and old as we had ever seen him.

For Triple H, that marked his first of three matches in 2014 that Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t ProFightDB.com) rated four stars or higher. Undertaker's first WrestleMania loss wasn't anywhere nearly as good as Triple H's outings.

Battling Sting would allow Triple H to continue a string of impressive performances. Pitting Undertaker against The Icon is a less certain proposition.

Undertaker followed his WrestleMania match with a trip to the hospital. As WWE announced on its website, The Phenom "was diagnosed with a severe concussion and was kept overnight for further evaluation."

Just days later, a fan shared a video of him limping his way onto a bus:

Of course, he's had several months to heal since then, but injuries have been a concern for Undertaker for a long time now. Even just working a single night a year, there are always questions as to whether he will be ready the next year.

In June, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported (h/t Wrestling Inc) that WWE asked Undertaker if he would be able to come back for WrestleMania 31. He said that things didn't look good.

Maybe he will heal in time. Maybe he has one or two last matches in him. But is a guy whose health is that shaky the man you want to face Sting in his first and possibly only WWE match?

Credit: WWE.com

Vince McMahon will be crossing his fingers around a rabbit's ear while wearing a horseshoe around his neck should Undertaker take on Sting.

At least if Undertaker takes on a younger opponent, Bray Wyatt for instance, he won't have to do as much heavy lifting. Triple H, while no youngster himself, is in a much better position to be a reliable foe for Sting.

And The Game would produce. His recent track record says as much.

Jim Ross is among many who believe Triple H vs. Sting will be of high quality. He wrote on his blog, "If Sting wrestles HHH at WM31 I think that they would have an excellent match that would be well-paced and tell a clearly understandable story that would be easy to follow."

Former WWE writer Andrew Goldstein has high hopes for that potential showdown as well. Writing for PWMania, he said, "Not only can Hunter squeeze an outstanding match out of pretty much anyone on the planet, but the contest would be soaked with historical significance."

The story that WWE could tell leading up to it adds to the appeal. 

So far, the WWE version of Sting has been a man who resists tyranny. He has only appeared twice, both times to push back against The Authority. The angle builds on Sting's past, when he would carry a baseball bat to the ring looking to take out as many members of NWO as he could.

Sting is fighting for justice. Triple H is a leader abusing his power.

There's an electricity to that conflict that begs to be tapped into. Sting could oust The Authority for good, or Triple H could generate a symphony of boos by sending Sting back into the shadows, ending his career.

In December, WWE dreamed up what the buildup might look like in a fantasy promo video:

That looks tremendous.

And Triple H's health allows WWE to head in that direction with confidence. Going with Undertaker would have made the most sense if this was three years ago. Undertaker has since crept closer to the end of his run.

That leaves Triple H to pinch hit for him. Count on his coming through. Triple H vs. Sting is bound to be special.

The folks at WrestleZone certainly think so:

Undertaker vs. Sting is better left untouched. The timing is off for it to work. WWE is smart not to force that dream match.

It's better to adjust the dream here to avoid having it fall apart in front a WrestleMania crowd.