[SD] MAJOR Spoilers Including New World Champ Named

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WWE.com reported earlier tonight that Batista handed the belt over to Long due to injury, leading to Long announcing a battle royale to crown the NEW CHAMP! (Orton and Benoit were not allowed to be in the match, due to their US Title-related issues.) Do not keep reading — and do not go to WWE.com — if you don’t want to find out what happens on Friday’s show…

Now on WWE.com:

Kurt Angle wins the World Heavyweight Championship
January 10, 2006

Kurt Angle won the World Heavyweight Championship tonight at the SmackDown television taping in Philadelphia.

In one of the most shocking moments in recent SmackDown history, Angle, who was last seen teaming with Shawn Michaels on RAW Monday night, walked out from the locker room area and into the SmackDown ring to compete in the Battle Royal ordered by General Manager Theodore Long.

The addition of Angle to the Battle Royal clearly caught many Superstars off guard, and he became an immediate target of the SmackDown roster. In fact, Mark Henry even threw Angle through the announce table at ringside. Angle was able to withstand the attack, however, and in the end Angle last eliminated Henry to be crowned the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Afterwards, Angle celebrated in the ring while the audience in Philadelphia looked on in total amazement.

Of course, the crowning of a new World Heavyweight Champion was ordered after an injured and emotional Batista was forced to surrender the title earlier in the night due to injury.

Be sure to watch SmackDown this Friday night on UPN to watch this truly historic event unfold.

No word yet on how this impact’s the Angle/Michaels match scheduled for next week’s RAW, nor whether or not this means the title is being brought TO RAW or if Kurt is now a Smackdown competitor, although Kurt’s WWE.com Bio Page refers to Kurt as a RAW superstar, and Kurt is NOT currently listed on the SD Superstars page, although he IS on the SD page as World Champ.

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Matthew Michaels is editor emeritus of Pulse Wrestling, and has been since the site launched.