Below are some top WWE news stories of the day, involving Batista and Vince McMahon.
• The 2005 Royal Rumble match is infamous for its chaotic and unplanned finish. The final two competitors, John Cena and Batista, accidentally went over the top rope at the same time, resulting in both being eliminated in what was an unplanned botch.
This mishap led to utter chaos as Vince McMahon stormed to the ring, only to famously tear both of his quads while entering. The match was then restarted, with Batista ultimately winning and earning a World Title match at WrestleMania 21.
In an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Dave Bautista reflected on the botched finish and the hectic day surrounding it. He described the experience as a “nightmare,” giving fans a glimpse into the chaos that unfolded behind the scenes that day.
Here’s what The Animal said:
“The whole day, I thought I was getting fired. I knew I was supposed to win the Royal Rumble, but everything started going wrong from the beginning. We had a show in San Francisco the night before, but instead of driving to Bakersfield for the Rumble, I stayed back to spend time with my mom.
I ended up being really late to the show, and I knew Vince was pi$$ed. I was supposed to go over that night, and I was going to WrestleMania, but Vince thought I was being disrespectful by showing up late. He reamed me out as soon as I got there, and I honestly thought he was going to change the whole storyline.
The finish was planned, but I just went over too early. Thankfully, Cena and I landed at almost the exact same time — it was a miracle. But when I saw Vince coming down, all I could think was, ‘I’m getting fired’.”
WATCH: Lita Exposes Her Bare Buns:
• King of the Ring was a key pay-per-view event from 1993 to 2002, but it was replaced by Bad Blood in 2003.
On his Something to Wrestle podcast, Bruce Prichard explained that the change was due to Vince McMahon’s growing disinterest in the tournament. In a McMahon impression, Prichard recalled McMahon saying, “F**k King of the Ring”.
Here’s what Prichard said:
“One day we’re sitting there, and Vince goes, ‘Why are you thinking King of the Ring? We do King of the Ring every year. It sucks!’ He wanted to move away from the tournament format.
He was tired of it, and just like that, he decided, ‘We’re not doing King of the Ring anymore. Stop thinking that way. Get outside of the box and move forward. Let’s come up with something else.’ That was it.”
The tournament returned in 2006 with Booker T winning and adopting the title “King Booker.” It has since reappeared intermittently and is now part of WWE’s yearly schedule as WWE King & Queen of the Ring.
