WWE News: Batista says he was hurt by fans in his 2014 run

What's the story?

Batista finally put his WWE career to rest at WrestleMania 35 in what feels more like the ending the Animal truly deserved. His run prior to this, though, was considered by many to be a complete flop, including the former World Heavyweight Champion himself.

In case you didn't know...

While Batista's original run with the WWE was incredibly captivating, giving the WWE Universe one of the most dominant monsters in the company's history, his return to the company in 2014 left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

When he returned just in time for the Royal Rumble, the WWE Universe already locked onto him as a possible target for their frustration should Daniel Bryan not win the Rumble match. After all, this was right in the middle of the Yes Movement, and after being cheated out of title opportunities for months, fans felt that this would be the time for the GOAT to finally punch his ticket to WrestleMania.

Sadly, that wasn't the case. In fact, Bryan didn't even appear in the match, forcing the crowd to tear apart the final minutes, including booing fan favorite Rey Mysterio who came down at #30. After Batista emerged as the victor, frustration turned to hatred. After this, he was booed out of various buildings, though he initially returned as a face. Eventually he turned heel, aligning with Triple H while moving towards his WWE Championship match against Randy Orton.

At WrestleMania 30, Daniel Bryan defeated Triple H, then Batista and Randy Orton in the main event, forcing the Animal to tap out to the Yes Lock. It only got worse for him when Evolution reunited and faced off against the Shield multiple times before he left the company in the summer of 2014.

The heart of the matter

On Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia, Batista delved into his 2014 run, calling it horrible.

It was horrible. I tried not to take it personally but I really did and it hurt because it's hard to tell people that you want to be there for the right reasons, but they don't want to hear it. They don't care why you're there, they just don't want you there.

He went on to say that, though it was rough at first, he felt he was finally connecting with the fans, but his obligations with the Guardians of the Galaxy pulled him away from the company before that could actually happen.

I felt that I was where I wanted to be and we were pushing the personal stuff aside. I was kind of getting passed that, but I had to leave. I had to go promote Guardians of the Galaxy. I was obligated to do that.

H/T to Wrestling Inc.

What's next?

Batista finally retired from in-ring competition when he lost to Triple H at WrestleMania 35, thanking The Game for making him in the business the only way how. With his career behind him and his boots hung up for good, the Animal will continue to focus on other projects outside of the ring, though we're sure the business will always hold a special place in his heart.