Pictures from Inside Wrestling -- June 2004
Cover story: Who Can Tame the Beast That Is Batista?
The OVW standout has had a string of setbacks in WWE. Now that he has rediscovered his inner rage, he might just be unstoppable -- As long as he doesn't allow himself to be stopped.
Synn: Without me, Batista is just a stooge."
You'd think it would make sense to argue that although Batista clearly dominated Michaels at Armageddon (above and below), he was too aggressive and too angry to finish the job, that he needs to slow down and settle down. We don't think that argument holds up in this case.
Maven just happened to get in the way of Batista when he totally lost it following his pay-per-view loss to Michaels, and boy did we see what happens when he gets really, really angry!
That Raw tag team title that Batista won with Ric Flair might be the first of many championships Batista wins in a short period of time. It wouldn't be wise for Flair to try to control him at all.
HBK knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of a Batista demon bomb, and he'd just as soon not relive the experience, although he has to realize Batista and all his fury will likely continue to be a problem for him and a lot of other Raw superstars for a long time.
The four members of Evolution are supposed to be the nastiest, most arrogant, and most despicable men on the Raw roster, but they aren't necessarily treated as if they are by fans. Dave Lenker has an interesting theory on this.