Curse that ONE WWE House Show Match ... - Eternal Allegiance

MMB · 04-11-2003, 03:42 AM

Taken from WWE

It was a regular match at a non-televised event -- a house show. Superstars generally have fun at house shows, which lack the time constraints and pressure of television. But the tag-team contest involving Randy Orton & Batista against the Dudley Boyz on March 1 in Reading, Pa., turned into a nightmare.

Only D-Von Dudley escaped the match unscathed. His partner, Bubba Ray, has been dealing with chronic back pain ever since. And the two young members of just-beginning faction, Evolution, have not been seen on television since, except for one cameo by Orton four weeks ago on RAW in his hometown of St. Louis.

"The match was cursed," said Batista, who was the first to get injured, suffering a ruptured right triceps.

Orton, meanwhile, severely injured his left foot -- all told, he had four dislocations and three breaks. Both Superstars are about halfway through their estimated recovery time of three months.

Orton and Batista weren't even supposed to wrestle the Dudleys that night. They were substitutes for Lance Storm and William Regal because Regal was out with his own injuries.

It was just Orton's second match back after returning from right shoulder surgery. The third-generation Superstar has also suffered a concussion since his WWE television debut last April.

"The weird thing about all my injuries (is that) they've all been such a fluke," said Orton. He said the concussion happened when he was clotheslined in the jaw and the shoulder was related to a previous, undiagnosed problem.

This most recent injury occurred after he took a tandem flapjack from the Dudleys.

"We all came down on top of each other," Orton said. "Bubba came down on my heel when my toes were pointed to the mat."

Orton knew immediately that he was in bad shape. But he also knew his partner was already injured. A million questions popped into his head: How long am I going to be out? To what extent did I hurt my foot? How are we going to finish the match?

The answer to the last question: as quickly as possible. Batista soon ended the nightmare match with a powerbomb on D-Von.

Orton headed to the hospital.

"When the podiatrist first saw (my foot), he thought there was no way I didn't have tendon and ligament damage," Orton said. "My big toe was pointing toward my little toe, and it was sitting on top of the three other toes. Basically, my foot looked like a big fist of flesh and bones -- like it got run over by a semi. It was hard to look at."

He was initially told he would be out of action for one year, but test miraculously revealed no tissue damage. Hence, there was no need for surgery, and he should be able to return to the ring in early July.

After the initial frustration of being injured wore off, Orton said he was able to put things in perspective.

"I think of Edge, Kurt Angle, Lita ...," he said, "I've got a couple months (off) with a few broken toes. Big deal.

"Maybe this is God's way of putting me on the shelf to let my shoulder heal all the way."

Orton, who turned 23 on April 1, also realized that when he returns, he'll still be the youngest Superstar on the roster. He said that everything comes in threes, and so a concussion and injuries to his shoulder and foot complete the trifecta.

"All these injuries are just weird," he said. "But hopefully, I'm done with them."

He said he can still train his legs to some extent, and he can train his upper body all he wants. Even the fact that doctors told him he'll probably have chronic foot pain could not dampen his spirits.

"As a pro wrestler, you're used to being in pain every day," he said. "For a normal person ... that could be something that would suck for them. But for what I do, the pain in my foot isn't going to hold me back any."

Batista has also kept his injury in perspective because his wife, Angie, was deemed cancer free just last February after a four-month battle with the ovarian form of the disease. Batista said Angie is doing great and that's she's working out and has returned to work.

"We're enjoying the time we have together," he said. "We're making the best of it. That's cool. But I want to get back to work. Bottom line."

He said the injury happened at the worst possible time.

"It wiped me out," he said. "One, because things were really just starting to roll for me. Evolution was picking up and things were going so good. And two, WrestleMania. I couldn't watch WrestleMania. It just broke my heart. They offered to fly me out there, I just couldn't. It's like making it to the World Series and not being able to play."

Also, he says that he was just starting to team with Orton, and "Randy and me as a tag (team), I think, would be really good."

On the plus side, Batista said he believes he's progressing faster than expected after getting surgery on March 4 in Birmingham, Ala., from Dr. James Andrews.

He said he was able to work out two days after the operation, but has to avoid exercising his right arm at least until he returns to see Dr. Andrews on Monday. Right now, rehabilitation consists only of ultrasound, electronic stimulation, ice and heat as he waits for the tendon to heal. "We're still trying to get rid of the swelling, because it's still swelled pretty good," he said.

On last Friday's episode of Byte This!, Batista said he "hopes and prays" that Evolution will reform once he and Orton are ready to return. He said the group's leader, Triple H, has been calling and offering encouragement since their injuries.

"He's keeping Randy and me motivated," Batista said. "He's been that good voice in our ear, keeping us positive and motivated."

Heather_ea · 04-11-2003, 04:46 AM

Oooo, that kinda sucks for them...

MMB · 04-11-2003, 05:03 AM

Yes, totally!

And for the fans ...

Heather_ea · 04-11-2003, 05:14 AM

Yes indeed.

MMB · 04-11-2003, 05:51 AM

If I'm not mistaken, Bradshaw (torn biceps) should return pretty soon though