brand that featured Edge defeating World Heavyweight Champion Batista and The Undertaker to win the title.

The second was a singles match from the Raw brand, in which Chris Jericho defeated WWE Champion Randy Orton by disqualification.

Orton, however retained the championship per WWE regulations that a title cannot change hands on a disqualification.

Armageddon was established in 1999 as World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) December pay-per-view (PPV) and was held every year except in 2001.

[1] The event featured eight professional wrestling matches with wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines.

All wrestlers belonged to either the Raw, SmackDown!, or ECW brand – storyline divisions in which WWE assigned its employees to different programs.

At Survivor Series, Batista and The Undertaker fought in a Hell in a Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Theodore Long returned as assistant general manager and booked Batista to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Edge and The Undertaker in a triple threat match at Armageddon.

[8] The main feud on the Raw brand was between Randy Orton and the recently returned Chris Jericho, with the two battling over the WWE Championship.

[9] A week later, Jericho cost him a match against Ric Flair to further convince him to accept the challenge.

[11] The main feud on the ECW brand was between CM Punk and Kane against Big Daddy V and Mark Henry.

The two tried to double-team Punk until Kane made the save and attacked both Big Daddy V and Henry.

[12] This made the Armageddon match of Kane and CM Punk against Big Daddy V and Mark Henry.

On the December 11 edition of ECW, Punk and Kane picked up a victory against Deuce 'n Domino.

[13] Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Jesse and Festus defeated WWE Tag Team Champions John Morrison and The Miz in a dark match.

The referee's back was turned and he was distracted by Finlay until Hornswoggle took advantage and hit a shillelagh in the groin of Khali.

[19] The sixth match of the night and Raw's main event was Randy Orton defending the WWE Championship against Chris Jericho.

The match came to an end when Phoenix executed a Fisherman suplex and then pinned Mickie to retain the WWE Women's Championship.

[21] The main event was a Triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship between defending champion Batista, Edge and The Undertaker.

Batista dominated the match in the end when he executed a spinebuster on The Undertaker and speared Edge outside the ring.

[25] His highest rated match of the night was Michaels vs. Kennedy, which he awarded eight out of ten, and praised the "[g]reat storytelling" throughout.

[26] Reviewing the show for The Baltimore Sun, Kevin Eck complimented the psychology of both the Michaels-Kennedy and Hardy-Triple H matches.

[30] Randy Orton began a feud with the new number one contender for his WWE Championship, the WWE Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy who earned himself a title shot by defeating Triple H in a number one contender's match at Armageddon.

Orton gave Jeff's brother Matt, a running punt to the gut and then one to the head.