Just days away from his Hell in a Cell World Heavyweight Championship defense against Triple H at Vengeance, Batista was scheduled for one-on-one action with former WWE Champion Kurt Angle.
The match, however, was marred by interference when The Game and Ric Flair attacked Batista outside the ring. As a result of the attack, Batista was awarded the decision via disqualification. Unable to stand for a disqualification finish in his main event, General Manager Eric Bischoff called for a tag team match. Triple H teamed with Kurt Angle to take on the tandem of Batista and Shawn Michaels.
Several minutes into the match, Shawn Michaels and his Vengeance opponent Kurt Angle fought their way into the crowd, leaving Batista and Triple H. Unfortunately for the champ, the Nature Boy was also still at ringside. With his attention focused on Flair, Batista was caught off guard by The Game, resulting in The Animal getting hit with the Pedigree. The devastating maneuver floored Batista, further adding credence to Triple H’s claims that nobody gets up from the Pedigree. Will Batista suffer the same fate this Sunday at Vengeance? Tune in to pay-per-view to find out.
To many, the Shawn Michaels - Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21 classic seemed impossible to duplicate. HBK and Angle, however, silenced those skeptics en route to another instant classic.
Angle, the winner of the WrestleMania 21 encounter, dominated much of the early goings. HBK's resiliency, however, helped him survive a devastating suplex on top of the Spanish announce table, a powerbomb onto the top turnbuckle and the ankle lock.
On top of all this, HBK was tossed over the top rope out to the outside. The impact appeared to have severely injured HBK's knee. Michaels' will to win, however, would not let him give up. Once back in the ring, HBK caught Angle, who was coming off the top rope, with Sweet Chin Music. Michaels followed it up with a successful pin, evening the Angle-HBK rivalry at one.
An Immortal Moment
June 27, 2005
Chris Jericho, Christian and Tomko were confident that WWE Champion John Cena had no friends on RAW. That’s why when RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff told them that they would have a Six-Man Tag Match against John Cena and two partners of his choosing, they weren’t worried. They had no idea what they were in for.
Even though Cena is new to RAW, he had no trouble finding a couple of friends to watch his back and go into battle with him. Cena revealed that none other than the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels would be by his side and that HBK had secured the third and final member of the team. His identity remained a mystery until the all-too-familiar sounds of “Real American” blasted through the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, CA. As soon as the 15,429 fans in attendance heard the famous entrance theme, they jumped to their feet in unison, cheering on the Immortal Hulk Hogan. Just as the raucous crowd was clamoring for the Hulkster, Jericho, Christian and Tomko stood in the ring in shock.
Even though they looked shell-shocked, Jericho, Christian and Tomko managed to take control of the match and cornered HBK in their half of the ring. Utilizing quick tags and cutting the ring in half, they looked to have things under control. As Michaels looked to be down and out, the thousands of Hulkamaniacs chanted, “We Want Hogan!” Their wishes were granted.
Jericho missed a Lion Sault allowing HBK to make the tag to Hogan. Christian and Tomko tried to double-team the Hall of Famer,
but he Hulked up and took care of business. Hogan then hit the trademark big boot on Tomko and followed up with the big leg
drop for the 1-2-3, as the crowd was sent into a frenzy, nearly blowing the roof off the Pond.
It was only fitting that on the Fourth of July, The Real American, Hulk Hogan, would be on RAW live from Sacramento, Cal. Everyone knew that the immortal one himself would be on Carlito’s Cabana, but no one expected that he would don the red and yellow for the second week in a row for a match. And no one thought that they would see their hero, The Hulkster, laying on the canvas, staring up at the lights after some Sweet Chin music.
After being attacked by Carlito and Kurt Angle on the Cabana, Shawn Michaels made the save and demanded retribution. RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff gave in to HBK’s demands and set up a tag team match that was sure to provide enough Fourth of July fireworks to last a lifetime – Shawn Michaels & Hulk Hogan vs. Kurt Angle & Carlito.
This match had all the makings of a classic, and boy did it deliver. After some back and forth action, Angle and Carlito had HBK caught in their half of the ring. Time and time again, Michaels faught to make the tag, but Carlito and Angle kept cutting him off. But the Showstopper would not be denied. With the entire crowd at the Arco Arena behind him, Michaels made the tag to the Hulkster as the entire building erupted. Hogan went to work on Carlito and delivered the big boot. Angle tried to make the save, but Hogan disposed of him. Hogan then worked the crowd into a frenzy before dropping the big leg drop for the 1-2-3.
The crowd’s reaction to the pin seemed louder than any Fourth of July fireworks display, but the silence that was to follow was just as amazing. Hogan and HBK began appeasing the crowd’s demands for a round of posing, and then it happened.
As Hogan finished up another round of his legendary posing routine, Shawn Michaels shocked the world and laid out the WWE
Hall of Famer with perhaps his most devastating Sweet Chin music ever. The entire Arco Arena fell silent, not believing what they had just seen, before erupting into a chorus of boos as
Michaels just stared at Hogan’s motionless body on the canvas. How could HBK have betrayed his “favorite tag team
partner?” What could possibly have been his motivation? Tune in to RAW next week as this story develops.