WWE: 10 Matches To Celebrate Batista's Return

7. Vs. Edge (One Night Stand 2007: Extreme Rules) "Dominance" had been an apt description for the first two years of Batista's main-event career. He was a force in the ring and he did not lose a title match by pinfall or submission until becoming victim #15 on the Undertaker's list of WrestleMania opponents. However, after failing to win back the title from The Deadman, he found himself in an unusual situation. Edge, earning the nickname "The Ultimate Opportunist," conned his way into the Money in the Bank briefcase and cashed in on an injured Taker. Batista, in theory, would have had an easier path back to the championship. However, he could not beat Edge. They had a lengthy series of matches over the World Heavyweight Championship, with Edge escaping with the title in every situation. Perhaps the best match that they had together came at the first (unofficial) edition of Extreme Rules as the event transitioned away from the ECW labeled "One Night Stand." In a Steel Cage match, Batista lost his second chance to beat Edge. The Rated R Superstar had cheaply beaten the Animal at Judgment Day the previous month. Locked inside of a cage, the result seemed sure to be different. Yet, Batista lost again...and would go onto lose again and again. All in all, they competed against each other, one-on-one, at four PPVs from 2007 to 2008. Batista never could defeat Edge in a title match, adding a character-enhancing wrinkle to his personality's repertoire otherwise known as "vulnerability."

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"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.