At 7-foot-3, 420 pounds, one can safely assume that The Great Khali fears no man. But after events from the past week, is it even feasible to imagine that the largest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history, one of the most intimidating athletes in the world, has some trepidation around an untamed Animal like Batista?

Think of it this way: When The Great Khali stormed the ring last week on SmackDown, he intended to weaken Batista before they headed into their confrontation at SummerSlam. Instead, when the World Heavyweight Champion was unable to apply his vicious Vise Grip, he left an opening for The Animal to unleash a brutal assault that amazingly left the giant bloodied and battered.

With much-needed momentum going into his biggest confrontation of the summer, Batista withstood everything The Great Khali could throw at him. But when The Animal suddenly took firm control of the match, to the point of becoming poised to win the championship, Khali got himself disqualified for using a steel chair -- a move usually reserved for those in desperation or, dare we say, fear. The question is: Why?

At first glance, it seems impossible for a monster like the Punjab Warrior to fear anyone; however, upon further review, that might just be the case. After consecutive weeks where he incapacitated Batista, Khali may have become too comfortable with the effectiveness of his devastating Vise Grip. The Indian colossus, knowing that he was bigger and stronger than his challenger, may have assumed that Batista simply had too large a mountain to climb. Prior to SummerSlam, even Batista, normally a man of few words, admitted, "I don't know if I can overpower Khali."

After SummerSlam, however, it has become clear that there is one thing that the World Heavyweight Champion, as well as his translator Ranjin Singh, have greatly underestimated -- the untamed fury of The Animal.

Our fans and WWE Superstars will never question the intensity of Batista, but his recent aggression is less familiar for those who have followed his career. Batista has reached deep and brought out the inner beast. The rage and frustration over not being able to reclaim the World Heavyweight Championship has lit a fire in a man already burning with dreams of gold, making him more dangerous than ever. Just ask The Great Khali.

Check out Batista's I Walk Alone t-shirt...