Batista Turns Babyface On Triple H (2005)

Five years before LeBron James chose to take his talents to South Beach, Batista elected to keep his talents on Monday Night Raw. Instead of revealing the decision in an interview with Jim Gray, he did so by power bombing Triple H through a table. To each their own.

WWE teased The Animal’s turn for months, and they executed the moment to perfection.

In a nod to Triple H’s banishment of past Evolution member Randy Orton, Batista smiled and gestured a thumbs up to his stable-mates, indicating that he’d listen to The Game and Ric Flair’s wishes and leave for Smackdown. His expression quickly changed to one of anger, and his hand turned over to offer the most dramatic thumbs down in the history of thumbs. Just look at Flair’s face.

The Animal’s alliance with Evolution was officially over, and Triple H’s days as World Heavyweight Champion felt numbered–much to the delight of fans and the chagrin of his former mentor.

Babyface Batista went on to defeat The Game at WrestleMania 21, while John Cena knocked off JBL for the WWE Championship, unofficially ushering in a new era of WWE.