Neither Batista nor Undertaker is willing to let the rivalry of 2007 rest in peace. In four epic battles this year, each titan holds one victory apiece – The Phenom at WrestleMania 23, The Animal at Cyber Sunday – while two draws prove just how evenly matched they are. Therefore, the only way to establish a definitive winner at this year’s Survivor Series is to have the proverbial rubber match confined in steel – the demonic structure known as Hell in a Cell.

The Deadman laid down the latest gauntlet on SmackDown, less than a week after Cyber Sunday, when the World Heavyweight Champion defeated him for the first time ever. As the defending champion, Batista didn’t need to grant Undertaker a rematch, though he wasted no time in doing so. That alone confirmed what The Animal has maintained all along – that he’s not intimidated by The Phenom.

Then again, perhaps Batista was a bit hasty in accepting the challenge, especially after Undertaker uttered the four words that sends shivers down any WWE Superstar’s spine. Hell in a Cell has earned every bit of its standing as the most dangerous specialty match in sports-entertainment. The 20-foot-high, 30-by-30 structure was built on a foundation of broken bones, torn flesh and pools of crimson liquid. Even referees object to officiating such a barbaric contest, for they too have felt “Hell’s” fury on occasion.

Having battled in half of the 14 Hell in a Cell contests that WWE has ever sanctioned – a record matched only by Triple H – Undertaker’s experience gives him a definite advantage. He knows how treacherous the Hadean confines are, and how much pain he can inflict both inside and outside the padlocked structure. Then again, Batista has also experienced Hell in a Cell, and he remains the only Superstar to ever beat Triple H one-on-one within the unbending steel. And as he proved to The Great Khali in a Punjabi Prison Match at No Mercy last October, trapping an Animal inside a cage can be very dangerous.

Batista and Undertaker’s Survivor Series encounter will mark the fifth time that two monstrous fan favorites have battled in one calendar year – a WWE first, to be certain. But while our fans remain divided over who to cheer for in the main event, they can hopefully agree on one thing: That, win or lose, both Superstars exit the career-threatening Hell in a Cell under their own power, and with their careers intact.

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