Saturday, February 24, 2007

Smackdown!: Batista, Part 4


Batista would lead Team SmackDown! against Team RAW in an inter-brand feud before 2005's Survivor Series. The feud would see the Big Show and Kane chokeslamming Batista several more times in the weeks leading up to Survivor Series in an on-camera explanation for Batista's injury. Batista would help his team win the Survivor Series main event.

On the December 2, 2005 edition of Friday Night SmackDown!, Batista saved Rey Mysterio from a double team attack by RAW 's reigning World Tag Team Champions The Big Show and Kane. It was later announced that Mysterio would team with Batista to face Big Show and Kane at Armageddon 2005, a SmackDown! exclusive pay-per-view.

On the December 16, 2005 edition of SmackDown!, Batista and Mysterio received a title shot at the WWE Tag Team Champions MNM. The two defeated MNM to become champions in a match which they dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. With Batista and Mysterio becoming the WWE Tag Team Champions, the clash with the Big Show and Kane at Armageddon turned into a Champions vs. Champions encounter. At Armageddon on December 18, 2005, Batista and Mysterio lost to Kane and Big Show when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam.

On the December 30, 2005 edition of SmackDown!, MNM defeated Batista and Mysterio after help from the returning Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championships. During the interference, Henry attacked Batista, and performed his World's Strongest Slam.

On January 9, 2006, WWE.com announced that Batista had torn his right tricep following a match with Mark Henry at a live event on January 8, 2006 in Verona, New York. The following day, WWE.com announced that, due to his injury, Batista was forced to vacate the World Heavyweight Championship at the SmackDown! tapings in Philadelphia on January 10, 2006, two days after surpassing Triple H's previous mark of 280 days for longest reigning champion. Later that night, Kurt Angle won a battle royal to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. (These events were aired on the January 13, 2006 edition of SmackDown!.) Dave went on to have successful surgery on his arm on January 12, 2006.

On February 19, 2006, Batista made an appearance at No Way Out 2006 and told the crowd that once his arm had healed he would return to regain his World Heavyweight Championship. At WrestleMania 22, Batista once again made a brief appearance. This time he interrupted a Randy Orton interview, putting SmackDown! on notice; the World Heavyweight Championship would return to him by WrestleMania 23. Batista made his official return during the July 7, 2006 edition of SmackDown! in Philadelphia immediately calling out and entering into a feud with the man who put him out with the arm injury, Mark Henry.

No comments:

WWE SmackDown and Raw's Most Popular Posts