19. Team Orton (Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin, William Regal, Cody Rhodes & Mark Henry) vs. Team Batista (Batista, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy & R-Truth) - Survivor Series 2008
Timing always seemed to be an issue for the two young guns to come out of Evolution. They were supposed to face off at WrestleMania 22. Unfortunately, Batista got injured and had to drop the title. Batista came back and rounded into form, but it was not until the fall of 2008 that he crossed paths with Orton in a prominent setting. At the 08 Survivor Series, they each captained traditional elimination tag teams in a match that helped set up their Armageddon match the following month. Batista was working his way through an injury and Orton was working his way back from an injury, but it was interesting to see those two poised for a major showdown. In the match, they did a good job keeping Orton and Batista away from each other until the finish, which saw an RKO end the match before they could truly lock horns. If their storyline had reached a more fitting conclusion, then this match might have been viewed in a better light. Instead, it is often forgotten despite being the arguable peak of the Batista vs. Orton feud that never truly reached its full potential.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
