PORTLAND, Ore. – Usually, when an animal pursues their quarry, it employs hushed maneuvers and a stealth manner in order to slip in for the kill. For The Animal, Batista, however, such a low-key approach has never much been his style.

In the confines of Portland’s Rose Garden arena, Batista made a thunderous point of laying waste to his opponent, John "Bradshaw" Layfield, to claim the No. 1 contender spot for the World Heavyweight Championship. From the moment his entrance theme hit, Batista seemed intent on turning up the volume on the Longhorn Loudmouth, showcasing his resolve to reigning champion, Chris Jericho.

After having taken a brutal beating on the stock market, JBL capped an already bumpy week by getting roughed up by his No Mercy opponent. The two towering competitors each pinned their foe to the mat in a hard-scrabble battle, before Batista finally managed to drop JBL with a booming Batista Bomb.

In a post-match rant worthy of a muzzle, JBL went on to complain about his stock market woes and the $700 billion government bailout. To add larceny to loss, the boyz from Cryme Tyme, Shad & JTG, proceeded to "borrow" JBL's prized limo for a night on the town with a bevy of Divas. Ouch!

With his decisive victory over JBL, Batista now claims the No. 1 contender status for the World Heavyweight Championship. After witnessing his determination at No Mercy, it’s clear that The Animal has fixed his sights on reclaiming the title he held one year ago and sending current champion Chris Jericho a message loud and clear: The Animal awaits.