Armageddon (2006) - Background

Background

Armageddon (2006) was the seventh annual Armageddon event. Eight professional wrestling matches, were featured on the event's card.

The leading staged rivalry written into the event was between Batista and King Booker. At Survivor Series, WWE's November pay-per-view event, Batista defeated Booker to win the World Heavyweight Championship. On the December 1, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, one of WWE's primary television programs, King Booker and Finlay both demanded a match against Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. General Manager Theodore Long, a portrayed match maker and rules enforcer, announced that Booker and Finlay would instead form a tag team to compete against Batista and a partner of his choice at Armageddon. Later that night, Batista announced that his partner would be WWE Champion John Cena, a member of the Raw brand. The following week on an episode of SmackDown!, Batista defeated Finlay by disqualification after Booker interfered on Finlay's behalf. On the December 15 episode of SmackDown!, Cena defeated Finlay after lifting Finlay up on his shoulders and slamming him to the mat, a move that Cena dubbed the FU.

The secondary rivalry was between The Undertaker and Mr. Kennedy. On the September 8, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, Kennedy announced that he was looking for a new opponent, one that he had never faced before. Long informed Kennedy that he knew a SmackDown! superstar that had never faced Kennedy, The Undertaker. A match was made between the two for No Mercy, in which Kennedy defeated Undertaker by disqualification. At Survivor Series, Kennedy once again defeated Undertaker in a First Blood match. On the December 1 episode of SmackDown!, Undertaker fought Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) in a match where neither wrestler won. During the match, MVP was scripted to attempt escaping from the ring, but Kennedy caught him during the process and tried to throw him back into the ring. MVP instead threw Kennedy in. Undertaker then kicked Kennedy in the face, and Kane attacked MVP at ringside. The following week as Kennedy was in the ring, the hearse, appearing to have nobody in the driver's seat, drove into the arena; suddenly, The Undertaker appeared from the back of the hearse, as Kennedy sprung from the ring. Later that night, Kane defeated Kennedy by disqualification after MVP interfered on Kennedy's behalf. On the December 15 episode of SmackDown!, The Undertaker and Kane teamed together to face Kennedy and MVP in a tag team match, which ended in neither team winning. Kennedy knocked Kane down in the aisle and jumped into the driver's seat of the hearse that had been at ringside for the match, and threatened to run him over with it however the Undertaker appeared in the passenger side seat scaring Kennedy off.