The King of Games

The King of Games

LAFAYETTE, La. -- Whether they liked it or not, WWE Champion Randy Orton & John Cena had to work together and play Triple H's game. And as they both found out Monday night on Raw, when you play The Game, you almost always lose.

Triple H was in charge of the third and final installment of the Triple Threat Takeover this week on Raw, and he seemed to take great pleasure in making his two WrestleMania XXIV opponents squirm, knowing that they had to work together and face the entire Raw roster. What did that mean? It meant exactly what The Cerebral Assassin said: Cena and Orton, two mortal enemies, had to find a way to co-exist while they fought for their lives against everyone on the Raw roster.

Forced Cooperation

And Cena and Orton had to cooperate; they could not walk out on each other. Under Triple H's mandate, if Cena walked out on Orton, he would lose his spot in the main event at WrestleMania. If Orton walked out, he would then be stripped of the WWE Title and be left on the outside looking in as The Game and Cena squared off for the championship on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

In the weeks leading up to their showdown at WrestleMania XXIV over the WWE Championship, these three warriors have seemingly done everything to gain an advantage. They have tried to wear each other down directly, with sniper-like attacks through Pedigrees, RKOs and FUs. They have tried to weaken each other indirectly via challenging matchups -- Orton vs. Triple H, as arranged by Cena, and The Game vs. Kane and Cena vs. Shawn Michaels, as arranged by Orton, in weeks past.

However, Triple H's plan Monday night seemed to be the most ingenious of all: Why not have his opponents face the entire Raw roster? The 11-time World Champion demonstrated why he is called The Cerebral Assassin and that he is deadly serious about winning sports-entertainment's most coveted prize at WrestleMania XXIV.

Odd Couple Work Well Together

Cena and Orton also proved they were deadly serious. Against all odds, Cena and the Legend Killer fought off the seemingly endless assembly line of warriors from the Raw locker room. Seventeen Superstars that included the mighty Umaga and JBL attempted to take out Cena and Orton. But one-by-one, Superstars fell to FUs, STFUs and RKOs. "The Champ" and the self-proclaimed "One-Man Dynasty" showed why they are the crème de la crème of WWE and vying for sports-entertainment's Holy Grail. It was amazing how well Cena and Orton worked together when they had to.

However, the odds eventually caught up to them. The cavalcade of Superstars swarmed Cena & Orton, leaving them laying - and vulnerable to Triple H. (Watch | Photos)

The Game also showed the world that he isn't afraid to prove a point himself. Just when Cena and Orton, with sweat dripping off their brows and their chests heaving with exhaustion, thought their storm had subsided, Triple H's trademark "It's All About The Game" warbled throughout the Cajundome.

Game On!

Our fans roared as they wondered how Cena and Orton would survive the storm brought on by The Game. Throughout his career, The King of Kings has shown that he wins as many battles with his mind as his fists. Triple H has said that his life depends on winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania on March 30 in Orlando, Fla. -- and Monday night he showed that he will do anything to hold the gold for a 12th time.

Slowly, Triple H lifted up Cena and Orton and sent them crashing face down with Pedigrees. Then he motioned for the WWE Championship. As he gazed down at the gold, he then looked up at the WrestleMania XXIV banner in the rafters and pointed. Without uttering one word, The Game made a vow - to take back his title at WrestleMania.

Was this a harbinger of things to come in less than two weeks at WrestleMania XXIV? One thing is certain: The King of Kings is coming for his throne. Are Cena and Orton prepared to bow down?

What happened between John Cena and Randy Orton after Raw went off the air. Check out this exclusive video.

Check out Triple H's gear at WWEShop...

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