50 Greatest WWE Raw Moments Ever
23. Batista Gives The Thumbs Down (February 21st, 2005)
As with every Triple H success story, it'd be easy to get bogged down in the massive professional failure that predicated it, but the making of Batista from the ashes of a useless Randy Orton push did a lot to rehabilitate Hunter's ruined reputation.
By February 2005, Orton's own growing legend had been killed by a rushed World Championship programme with 'The Game', but 'Big Dave' rapidly went from being suitable replacement to the guy the company very blatantly should have gone with from the start. Upon realising that, WWE went full steam ahead, adding in for Batista to constantly eyeball the belt when he wasn't staring at the ceiling in weary disinterest. The performance welcomed the audience to spot what Triple H and his toadie Ric Flair hadn't, and even though the very last step required an invisible camera to film the baddies obliviously hatching an evil plan in front of Batista, the story was too over for the misfire to matter.
Having won the Royal Rumble, Batista had to choose which title to challenge for at WrestleMania 21, and Hunter believed his 'Cerebral Assassin' shtick had worked a treat before an iconic thumbs down scene resulted in him plunging through the table designed for Dave to sign a contract on. The choice - and new star - had been made.