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Randy Orton’s music hit and Orton walked out on stage to complain and put on his boo-hoo face. Kudos to Ross for that one. Orton actually was out to complain about not being nominated for Superstar of the Year. See, he beat everyone on the list. Orton took us back through Evolution history to talk about Triple H and Batista turning on him out of sheer jealously.
Now, those two face each other tonight. He’ll beat Batista at Armageddon, and he has an idea for tonight that Cody Rhodes, Manu, and himself are challenging them to a two-on-three handicap match. Tonight? Tomorrow on ECW? At WrestleMania? Not clear. He said the legacy is born tonight.
Backstage: Orton, Cody, and Manu were shown walking out of a locker room. Orton smirked, then the camera zoomed in on the nameplate: Stephanie McMahon.
TRIPLE H & BATISTA vs. RANDY ORTON & MANU & CODY RHODES
Michael Cole gave us a history lesson on Evolution before the bell sounded and Darque Tan Hunter went after Cody. Batista then came in off a tag and worked on Cody. Hunter and Batista then cleared Cody and Manu to the floor. Orton tried to slither in the back door, but Hunter and Batista turned around and Orton slithered right back out of the ring to pick his spot. Everyone wins. Hunter and Batista retain their Alpha Male status and Orton plays up his opportunistic chickens— heel. Cut to break.
Back from break, Orton was stomping a Ronny Garvin mudhole in Triple H, who then fought back from his knees until Orton slapped on a sleeper into the fallaway backbreaker. Umaga…er…Manu then came in with a diving headbutt on Hunter. Hunter finally broke away from the heels at 9:00 and made his hot tag to Batista, who cleaned house on everyone. Manu took a spinebuster in center ring, then he charged up for a Batistabomb, but Cody came off the top, so Batista threw Manu into Cody. Batista was left in center ring, then Orton blind-tagged himself into the match.
Orton tried to sneak-attack Batista with the RKO, but Batista shoved Orton into Hunter, who nailed a clothesline. Hunter cleared the heels, or so he thought. Batista then wanted the Batistabomb on Orton, but Cody hit Batista in the back from out of nowhere. Orton then went right into the RKO on Batista, who was bent over after having taking the back smash. Oh sick. Orton with the pin and the win on Orton. Afterward, Hunter was stunned as he helped Batista. Orton then posed on the floor with Cody and Manu before giving an evil stare back at Hunter and Batista.
WINNERS: Team Orton in 10:00. Heck of a finish from Orton. They were playing right into the traditional (insert Batista or Hunter) formula match of beating a stacked deck following a furious finish, but WWE pulling the rug out from under the audience with Cody surprisingly competent and Orton picking up the win worked really well. All those stacked-deck wins actually led to something in this match.
