Batista and John Cena had the opportunity to usher in a new era at WrestleMania 21 when they defeated Triple H and JBL respectively. That job required that both had to have long reigns to prove they were worthy champions and not just flashes in the pan. The feud between Triple H and Batista had been building for years and when it finally played out it was regarded among the best of the decade. The Animal had a good match with The Game at WrestleMania and again at Backlash. The Hell in a Cell match that the pair had was the match of the year among many critics. Batista was soon traded to SmackDown, with Cena moving in the opposite direction, and the champion was faced by the previous WWE Champion, JBL. The Wrestling God wanted to prove that he was still the top dog and the pair duelled at the Great American Bash and at Summerslam. The matches showed how intense and violent The Animal could be when he was unleashed and he smashed through Layfield. At No Mercy Batista was successful in defeating Eddie Guerrero; who died a little under a month later. The SmackDown superstar led his team to victory over a group of Raw members in a traditional Survivor Series match before he entered a tag team with Rey Mysterio. Batista didnt make it to the Royal Rumble as champion. Mark Henry injured The Animal at a live event and so the World Heavyweight Championship was surrendered. Batistas 282 day reign is the longest in the history of the belt. He had proven himself a worthy champion and a wrestler capable of being a solid, main event star.