08/03/2008 WWF Raw 

World Tag Team Title Match: Batista & John Cena def. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase Jr. in 11:21 

It’s good that I go back and watch matches from this time because I have zero recollection whatsoever of a John Cena and Batista tag team title team. It was the case of their heavy trope in this era of reluctant partners teaming together, so that at least tracks since these two were the main event of Summerslam that year. This match was good, albeit slightly pedestrian and standard for the time, but you would probably expect that with the two biggest stars in the company facing two guys on the way up. Cena still had more clunkiness in this era than we remember, and it showed here on occasion. As someone high on DiBiase Jr. at the time, I was surprised by how little he stood out here. I thought Cody looked a lot better with better strikes and more traditional bump-and-feed spots for the two monsters. They teased dissension, with Batista not really making any effort to get a hot tag, then Cena slapped him hard when it was finally time. Cena ended up saving Batista from interference by Rhodes, so Batista pinned DiBiase after a powerbomb. Batista and Cena took turns raising the title in each other’s faces without doing anything so they could tease dissension, like they always did in these spots. The match was good overall, but fuck this concept for becoming the norm.  **3/4 

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