20 YRS AGO – WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT (1-13-2006): The episode where Batista handed over his World Title and announced he’d need bicep surgery that would sideline him for a while

The following report originally published 20 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…

WWE FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN
JANUARY 13, 2006
TAPED JAN. 9
BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

-Michael Cole and Tazz introduced the show, promising that there would be a new U.S. Champion crowned.

-Batista walked to the ring. He took his time walking to the ring and into the ring. Tazz and Cole said there were “rumors” that he suffered an injury. Tazz said he looked pretty good to him. Batista stood in the ring and choked up. Then he said some fans may have heard, most probably haven’t, but he suffered an injury that he can’t wrestle through.

He said he will require surgery that will sideline him indefinitely. He said a good friend of his “named Paul” told him when he first won the World Title to “enjoy the ride.” (He’s referring, of course, to Paul “Triple H” Levesque.) He said he did enjoy the ride. He said he was proud to represent the title, the people, and the company. “It was my pride, my privilege, my honor to follow the tradition of men like Ric Flair, Harley Race, Triple H, Dusty Rhodes the American Dream, baby!” (See how your history suddenly gets acknowledged once you get on payroll?)

He said he wanted to be the type of champion who defended the title against whoever, be it Big Show or Eddie Guerrero. He thumped the mic against his heart and shouted, “I love you Eddie. I love you and I miss you,” he said. “But I am physically unable to do that. As a great champion, I must do the right thing. I have no choice but to surrender the World Heavyweight Championship.” He kissed the title, looked up, and then handed it over to G.M. Teddy Long.

He said, “To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.” He said he will return and will reclaim the title and be World Hvt. Champion again. He dropped his mic, shook hands with Long, and walked around the ring shaking hands with fans. It is worth noting, and wondering why, they never acknowledged the type of injury he suffered. Not acknowledging it just creates a sense of wonder if not suspicion, since he was walking around just fine, slapping hands with fans just fine, and throwing his jacket to the crowd. Maybe it was just a way to try to get fans to visit their website for more details. Batista seemed so broken up over giving up the title that it gave credibility and prestige to the title.

[Commercial Break]

-They showed Rick Steamboat congratulating Batista on being so classy in how gave up the title. Bobby Lashley, Road Warrior Animal, Arn Anderson, and Rey Mysterio were among those offering his “get well wishes” and hugs and handhakes.

-Teddy Long announced that a battle royal would be held later to determine the new World Champion. Yes, what better way to determine who most deserves the title than that style of match? Tazz said this might be the biggest Smackdown ever. Then they plugged that the U.S. Title match seven was up next.

-A recap aired of the Best of Seven Series. Then backstage, Randy Orton confronted Teddy Long about how he deserved the title and wanted to prepare for the battle royal. He asked Long to delay the U.S. Title match. Long told Orton to concentrate on the U.S. Title match up next and refused to reschedule it. Tazz said, “Nice try, Randy.”

-On the stage, Sharmell introduced her man, Booker T, before the match. Michael Cole said that it’s beginning to feel like a “big fight night.” Booker walked out on crutches.

[Commercial Break]

1 — RANDY ORTON vs. CHRIS BENOIT

They began the match slowly, with Benoit eventually leveraging Orton to the mat with a hammer lock. Benoit attempted to suplex Orton over the top rope, but Orton blocked it. Benoit dropped down and snapped Orton’s neck over the top rope. Then Booker threatened to hit Benoit with his crutch. With the ref tending to Orton, Benoit feigned that he got hit with the crutch. When the ref turned around, he saw Benoit clutching his knee and Booker wielding a crutch, then ordered Booker and Sharmell to return to the back. Tazz and Cole said that was clever on Benoit’s part. Benoit pointed at his head to gloat about how clever he was. They cut to a break as Sharmell protested.

[Commercial Break]

Orton had Benoit in a hammerlock. Benoit elbowed out of it. They went back to leverage moves on the mat. Benoit tried to slip on a Crossface. Orton reversed into the guard and applied a sleeper. Tazz said he’s never seen Orton utilize that move sequence before. Orton then shot Benoit shoulder-first into the ringpost and to the floor. Orton threw Benoit back into the ring. Benoit met him with a chop. Orton took Benoit to the mat with a headlock. They’ve been doing a good job making every mat hold “feel real” in the sense that they had to fight to apply it, struggle to keep it on, and fight off reversal attempts. Orton showboated after getting the better end of a mid-ring collision; Benoit surprised him with another attempt to leverage him to the mat with a Crossface. Orton bailed out to ringside, clutching his arm. Benoit went back to an armbar in the ring. A minute later, the two fought in the corner on the ropes. Benoit knocked Orton to the floor and Orton hit his face on the ring barrier upon landing around 16:00.

[Commercial Break]

They continued to struggle with mat wrestling for several minutes. Then Benoit threw some chops and went for a top rope headbutt. Orton moved. Benoit fought back, hit three german suplexes, and went for a Crossface. Orton kicked out of it and kicked Benoit into the ref. Booker T and Sharmell then ran out and tried to interfere. Benoit fended off Booker’s crutch attack and knocked Booker to ringside. He re-applied the Crossface and got Orton to tap out. The ref was still out. Booker then entered the ring and KO’d Orton with the U.S. Title belt. Orton rolled on top of Benoit and scored the pin. Sharmell celebrated, and her celebration was worth the price of admission.

WINNER: Orton in 28:00 to win the U.S. Title for Booker T.

STAR RATING: *** — They took a 28 minute match without a lot of highspots, and because of how hard they worked at making the matwork seem realistic, managed to produce an above-average overall match. The story they told, the long-term selling, the logic of how things played out, and the overall intensity of everything they did added up to a good, if not very good, long TV match.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of “PWTorch ’90s Pastcast” with Patrick Moynahan and Alex McDonald, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

-Roddy Piper ran into Jillian Hall backstage and gagged when he saw her facial tumor. JBL stepped out and said Piper would be interviewing the greatest WWE superstar ever. Piper said he was, but he wasn’t sure how he’d interview himself. JBL touted his credentials as a multi-time champion. Piper mocked him, then got enthusiastic about interviewing JBL in a Piper’s Pit later. He told JBL to put Jillian on a leash. It’s nice how babyfaces in WWE rip on the way people look without any background about how they got to look that way or what kind of person they are. Not to be overly preachy or P.C., but it’s really lame that the entire basis for mocking Hall is a deformity that has nothing to do, as best anyone can tell, with her character as a person.

[Commercial Break]

I now hand over coverage of Hour Two of Smackdown to Torch columnist Pat McNeill (in a separate post). I will still be by later this weekend with my report on hour two, plus the Smackdown Roundtable Reviews will be emailed to Torch VIP members later this weekend.