Royal Rumble 2006…
Chris Jericho walked out of the match still the Intercontinental Champion, much to the dismay of Shane and Stephanie McMahon. Despite their interactions, plus those of Stacy Keibler, Randy Orton was unable to regain the gold that he had lost nearly two years prior. While his loss couldn't be blamed directly on Batista, he could use his association with Trish Stratus as a motive for revenge. It was the distraction caused by a blazing Women's Champion as she grabbed Stacy's hair that gave Jericho the leverage to take Orton's legs out from under him and lock on the Walls of Jericho. And in the end, Randy tapped out and Trish was walking back up the ramp with a smirk… and possibly two or three of Keibler's hairs twisted around her fingers.
The Rumble itself, though…
Thirty men, an equal division between Smackdown and Raw. Batista entered the match at twenty-nine. Considering that Bischoff wasn't even considering him for the match that chose number thirty, it was as close to an easy win as anyone could fix for him. By the time he got in the ring, there were fifteen other men still fighting it out, and within fifteen minutes, it was down to three.
Kurt Angle. Shelton Benjamin. Dave Batista.
Shelton stayed to the side and watched as Batista and Angle fought. They threw punches back and forth. Shelton slouched down in the corner, watching as Batista picked up Angle for the Batista Bomb. Kurt jumped up the second he was on Batista's shoulders and shimmied down his back. He twisted and as he came to his feet, Batista hit the mat. Kurt locked on the Angle Lock, twisting and torquing Batista's ankle. The big man screamed and clenched his fists. He knew that he could tap without losing the match. He could beat the mat until his hands bled, but that would neither win Kurt the match nor find Batista any salvation. There was no one there to make him break the hold. No one would pry Angle off of him, and there wasn't a chance in hell that he was giving him the satisfaction of making one more person tap out.
They were closer to the side of the ring than either of them had previously gauged. Shelton Benjamin took what he saw as the perfect opportunity to eliminate the last Smackdown competitor in the ring. He stood up, hopped from side to side, then rushed forward. His arm was level with Kurt's chest, and it should have been an easy clothesline out of the ring. However, Kurt saw him coming and at the last second, he released Batista's leg, then dove to the side. Shelton's own momentum pushed him forward, up and over the top rope. He held on, trying to keep his feet from touching the floor. Kurt came back to the side and drove a knee into Shelton's back. One more knee and Shelton was on the floor with a referee telling him that he had to leave the ringside area.
Batista was still rolling on the mat when the Olympic gold medalist turned his eyes to him. The Angle Lock would have put him in more pain, but both men knew that the move wasn't going to win the Royal Rumble. Kurt would have to get him to his feet to be able to throw him over the top.
He stepped back, waiting for Batista to slowly climb to his feet, then rushed him. They traded blows, but it was harder for Batista to stay on his feet. Kurt came up on him from behind as he regained his footing and locked his arms around his waist. Pushing up with his thighs, Kurt tossed Batista over his head. Dave landed with a thump and rolled. His ankle was hurting and his head was sore, but he knew he had to get to his feet.
Just as the men were both on their feet, facing off again, a ruckus at the top of the ramp turned both their heads. Triple H was bursting through the curtain. He'd just barely made it out of the last WrestleMania with his title. Between then and now, he'd lost and regained his title, and he wasn't about to put it up against the same man two years in a row. Referees stopped him before he could enter the ring, and surprisingly, it wasn't an appearance by Flair that caused the next distraction.
Kurt and Batista were locked up again, with Kurt backing his opponent into the corner, when Stacy and Trish entered ring side. By the time Stacy caught up to her, Trish was already at the corner. She had a tight grip on Batista's leg, doing her best to hold him down as Angle tried to lift him up. And then, suddenly, the added pressure was gone and Batista was tottering over the top.
Trish grabbed at Stacy's hands as they ripped into her hair, her fingers digging into her scalp. She kicked her feet, trying to stop the movement as Stacy dragged her away from the ringside. Stacy dropped her on the floor, then looked up as Stacy sat on her stomach. The blonde gripped her hair and though she made a big deal out of slamming her head into the padding beneath them, Trish found it odd that it didn't hurt as much as it should have.
Back at the ring, Batista was sliding back inside the ring, while Kurt continued to try and push him out. The referees were busy trying to keep Triple H from the ring and separate the women. They didn't see Randy Orton surge out from the crowd and jump up on the ring apron. Shane and Stephanie were just inside the barricade, leaning over and screaming.
Randy reached over, presumably to grab Batista and pull him out. Dave rolled inward, though, and Randy's arm hooked Angle's neck and shoulders. He jumped down and Kurt went over the ropes. He caught his feet on the apron and stood up, but Batista was there, waiting. He brought his forearm up and hit Kurt hard in the face. The last Smackdown superstar in the Royal Rumble toppled to the floor, and Dave sagged against the ropes.
"The winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble… Dave Batista!"
Shane and Stephanie screamed. Orton stomped and jumped. Stacy jumped up off of Trish and ran to Randy, screaming with indignation. Triple H stopped fighting the referees to throw a temper tantrum at the end of the ramp. Trish jumped up and slid into the ring. She slid an arm around Dave's waist and helped him stand as the referee rose his hand. Trish turned her head towards Orton and Keibler and was stunned by the quick flash of a smirk that curled his lips before he started complaining again. She turned to look at Shane and Stephanie. Both were still infuriated, but they're eyes were lit.
She turned back to Dave. He hadn't seen anything. He was too busy staring at Triple H and glowering, all the while trying to stand up on his aching ankle. Trish looked back to Orton and Keibler, then Shane and Stephanie. The quartet were making their way out of arena, stomping along with security as they were led through the crowd. Something had changed within the last two days, and she was damn sure going to find out. Right after she figured out how to have a non-carnal celebration with the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble.
