5 Batista dream matches that might never take place 

When a Superstar takes a long hiatus from a wrestling promotion, it is certain that the wrestling fans would unanimously accept their triumphant return, well, at least on paper it would suggest that.

Follow Sportskeeda for the latest WWE news, rumors and all other wrestling news.

However, when Batista re-emerged on WWE programming back in 2014, the company had no idea the unexpected reaction he would slowly receive.

The Animal was suddenly caught between a rock and a hard place, as the rock in this situation being Daniel Bryan’s meteoric rise to the pinnacle of the company and the hard place was the fans unmoved opinion of no longer accepting established the main eventer’s taking rising stars spots.

Thus, the former fan favourite’s 2014 Royal Rumble win was shockingly rejected by the WWE Universe.

However, in professional wrestling, nothing is set in stone, as we have witnessed things like Goldberg’s 2016 one-sided squash of Brock Lesnar tremendously approved by the WWE faithful.

And even though Batista’s star power has exponentially skyrocketed in Hollywood after leaving WWE in 2014, the six-time world champion has a deep passion for wrestling which still burns inside him.

This was evident from his comments over the last few years on a return to the squared circle, and it seems after all the rumors of Batista taking on Triple H at WrestleMania, WWE is finally giving the former World Champion his wish

As it is all but confirmed that Batista would take on Triple H at WrestleMania this year, but with The Animal saying that he would want to retire after facing The Game could this be the last dream match we see from the wrestling veteran?

It might be, as Batista going out in the best possible way is what seemed to have driven him to bargain for a match Triple H.

But where does that leave Batista's other dream opponents, that fan had envisioned he would face when he returned? Maybe those are matches that would go down as the greatest to never happen.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article belong to the editor and doesn't necessarily represent Sportskeeda's stand.

---

#1 Samoa Joe

Two giants at their prime.

With NXT producing more and more breakout stars every year there was always going to an influx of the NXT royalty heading to the main roster. Over the years, WWE has called up more than a handful of those gifted athletes to either Raw or Smackdown Live.

And with having more than proven themselves at Full Sail University, the yellow brand’s cornerstones were sure to be megastars on the main roster.

Unfortunately, due to poor utilization and absurd booking, WWE might have ruined most of their future main eventers, but maybe one of those NXT standout's cant be buried by WWE's booking.

Whether it is a mediocre storyline or a big money programme, Samoa Joe has always found a way to stand out from the crowd, as WWE has smartly utilized "the Samoan submission machines" strengths admirably throughout the years.

And by the creative exhibiting his gifts in every programme, Joe was able to surpass all expectations in every storyline he was involved in and deliver unforgettable moments.

Whether it was putting his promo skills to test in a heated discussion with Roman Reigns, whispering Paul Heyman’s fate gently into his ear and being an overall calculated predator, Joe is the man in WWE who has achieved so much without a single championship win.

Joe is wrestling royalty desperate for a chance in 2019 which would have made him the perfect opponent for Batista to elevate to that next level.

This is a potential dream clash, as both men in their prime were world beaters in their respective promotions, as having trained in many combat styles both men have developed dangerous move sets that could neutralize any opponent.

Joe’s unbelievable agility combined with Batista’s intensity would produce a mammoth size encounter, but maybe it's a clash we are not meant to witness.

#2 Braun Strowman

A match that could revitalize Braun's WWE run.

Braun Strowman might be one of WWE’s greatest creations and unlike their other current unique productions like Bray Wyatt and Elias, who are not fully given the proper attention by WWE, Strowman is an absolute top priority for the company, as they proved that to be true in 2017.

Tossing ambulances, destroying steel cages, obliterating John Cena and being an absolute monster, Strowman has broken every Superstar and destroyed everything in his path.

But that was almost two years ago, as ever since The Monster Among Men has not had that match that has genuinely propelled him to the next level.

Strowman has not had that moment, as WWE has booked him excellently most of the time since he started his singles run, but in a few instances that have now spiraled into many cases, has left the wrestling world confused.

From Roman Reigns ending his undefeated streak to Brock Lesnar defeating the scorching hot monster in many disappointing clashes, WWE foolishly chose to halt Strowman's raging momentum on too many occasions.

Although Braun's successful clashes with the Big Show in 2017 almost gave him his moment, the booking that followed did not put him on an elite pedestal.

But a supposed dream encounter with Batista might have been the perfect thing that would've launched Strowman into the stratosphere.

The Animal could have been the final step in sending Strowman into World Title contention, which would've been the official arrival of "the monster among men" in WWE.

Batista over his career has not always been the most graceful in the ring, but he did get his nickname from being an absolute brute in the squared circle.

From contesting excellent matches against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 23 to getting a commendable performance out of The Great Khali in the infamous Punjabi prison match, Batista has always fared well against WWE’s giants.

Strowman already in his young career is often credited as being one of the greatest giants in WWE history, as his brute strength, no-nonsense persona and a freakishly agile ability for an almost 400-pound man, makes it hard to argue that claim.

A war with Strowman could have been a dream match fans did not know they wanted, but its one we might never know if we indeed did.

#3 AJ Styles

When does AJ Styles have a bad match?

Whether it’s leading the mid-card, shocking the world in breathtaking tag team action, or main eventing the biggest PPV’s with megastars, AJ Styles has truly cemented his place among the legends of professional wrestling.

When WWE signed Styles in 2016, he wasn’t meant to be more than an upper mid-carder, and almost three years later there is no better Superstar on the entire roster than The Phenomenal One.

As Styles has proven that by delivering stellar performances in the programme after programme.

A man that has been the light at the end of the tunnel for Smackdown Live in its darkest days, Styles sits atop the pinnacle of Smackdown Live as he continues to prove that “Smackdown Live is the house that AJ Styles built” is no longer a catchphrase but the truth.

As WWE continues to shuffle their rosters every year, Styles staying a cornerstone on the blue brand would be the best thing for the entire show.

However, Styles needs a superstar to match him in star power and drawing power on the Blue Brand, while the WWE creative team have messed up most of the Smackdown Live’s rising talents over the years from Shinsuke Nakamura to Bobby Roode.

The only competitor that can share the responsibly of making the blue brand the A show is Batista.

One of the greatest Smackdown superstars of all time, Batista had created unforgettable moments and contested great matches in his initial run on Smackdown.

Although most of The Animal's potentially blockbuster feuds exist on Raw, the best work of his entire career could have been awaiting him over on the blue brand.

As Styles has shown he can use his impeccable selling ability and overall evolving in-ring style to create excellent matches with massive wrestlers like Brock Lesnar and Baron Corbin.

This could have been a battle of the cornerstone of Smackdown Live today against the man that defined the show over a decade ago, and this would've been a spectacular showdown that would finally make the blue brand as important as Raw.

#4 Seth Rollins

A lot of history between these two.

The birth of heel Seth Rollins is a tale that is a narrative WWE had expertly crafted over five years ago, as the night The Shield were destroyed, the careers of the Architect, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose would never be the same again.

As Rollins going heel in spectacular fashion was the one thing that allowed the budding career's of Reigns and Ambrose to skyrocket, and all of this would not be possible if it were not for one man, Batista.

While The Animal certainly did not have a hand in ensuring that Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose would succeed in the WWE, his resignation on WWE TV back in 2014, was something that fans did not really expect from the former Wolrd Champion.

As Batista was annoyed by the fact that Triple H brought him back to the WWE with the intention of giving him a World Title opportunity, but The Game's issues with The Shield at the time consumed him completely.

As Triple H reformed Evolution with the intention of destroying the Shield once and for all, but things did not go that way as you might know by now, which led to Batista walking out, and it led to Triple H forming his infamous 'plan b.'

Which was Rollins turning on his Shield brethren, and ever since that day these three NXT upstarts went from WWE's next breakout stars to their now main eventers, and in some kayfabe sort of way, Batista was the catalyst for that event.

A lot of things has happened since that day, and in 2019 one of those things has been Seth Rollins becoming the top babyface in the company, who would've thought that was possible five years ago?

It just feels like a match between Rollins and Batista would be career elevating for Rollins, and it could provide a finishing point to an angle WWE never really explored.

As the narrative that surrounds these both stars, their shared history, and their current form in the WWE, is the perfect ingredients to a match that could headline any event, but could we see it? We might never know.

#5 Brock Lesnar

A true Wrestlemania clash.

The manner in which Batista stormed into Monday Night Raw last week brought back memories of a time when WWE booked the man as an unstoppable force of nature. Cold, merciless, and downright ruthless, that is the Batista fans knew that could literally destroy any superstar on any given night.

Another Superstar on the WWE roster that is booked in a similar manner is none other than Brock Lesnar, while The Beast Incarnate's terrible run as the Universal Champion may overshadow your perception of him, there is no denying that when Brock Lesnar steps into the ring, your attention is grabbed.

Which is why one of the most requested dream matches on the WWE Universe's wish list has always been Batista vs Brock Lesnar, as fifteen years ago these men being in the same ring might have initiated a response from fans, but a lot has changed in that time to now.

As both these men went from pro wrestling to mixed martial arts, thus proving themselves as athletes that could get it done in both sports.

And by Batista taking on Triple H in possibly his last match for the WWE, we might never see the power of Lesnar take on the brute strength of Batista.