5 reasons why Batista returned on WWE RAW

It's official. Batista is finally back, right as the road to WrestleMania slowly but surely comes to a close. He made an impact in shocking fashion. As you probably know, the main event of RAW was supposed to be Ric Flair's 70th birthday celebration.

We had the entire RAW roster on the ramp, while we saw the return of many legends. Apart from just Triple H, there was Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Ricky The Dragon Steamboat and even Sting. As Ric Flair was being introduced, he didn't come out, raising eyebrows.

Suddenly, the camera cut backstage to what appeared to be Batista dragging the cameraman. It was Ric Flair's locker room and he went in and dragged Ric Flair out. He then looked at the camera and asked "Hunter, do I have your attention now?".

Triple H ran to the back but couldn't find him. This has officially set up a feud between them, something that's been 14 years in the making. That's right, Batista beating Triple H at WrestleMania 21 was 14 years ago.

Why did Dave Batista make his return? Here are a few reasons why.

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#5. To get heat from Ric Flair

On the night of RAW, Ric Flair had just turned 70 years old. The night was supposed to be all about him, but it turned out to be used as an angle to set up Batista and Triple H's feud. Now there's nothing wrong with this per se, especially if Flair was ok with it (which we can assure you, he definitely was).

It was an interesting way to go about it, and cemented Batista as the heel of the feud. It's a good thing, because Batista has been very vocal about the fact that he much prefers to play a heel than a babyface, referring to himself as possibly the "worst babyface ever".

#4. WrestleMania match with Triple H

This was clearly established. In fact, it was teased dating back to SmackDown 1000 in October last year. Evolution had a one-night reunion and Batista returned to WWE TV for the first time in four and a half years.

He took a quick dig at Triple H, telling him that he had accomplished everything except beating The Animal himself. The match was then put in jeopoardy after Crown Jewel. During the main event of the Saudi Arabia special, Triple H had torn his pec. He had undergone surgery and somehow got medically cleared a lot faster than anticipated.

With just a little less than two weeks left to Fastlane, it looks like WWE has amped up the road to WrestleMania in a big way. Triple H vs Batista is going to be a marquee match, all the more interesting because the roles are reversed from 14 years prior.

#3. It's the only feud that Batista wants

Batista has stated many times before that he was interested in a return to WWE, but only if it was a feud against Triple H. He's said that for years, he tried to get the Triple H match, only to no response.

It seems as though no other feud really interests The Animal as much. On an episode of Talk Is Jericho a couple of years ago, Batista said:

I said I would come back and run a whole program with Hunter. That's the only thing I'm interested in and they're just not interested in it."

Batista added, "I guess [WWE is] not [interested]. And I've run it by them a few different times. They just say, 'meh, we'll think about it.' Vince, every time I ask him, 'meh, I'll think about it.'"

Perhaps he feels like there isn't too much left for him.

#2. To officially retire

With his stock in Hollywood rising by the day with his success in the Marvel Franchise, it's obvious that Batista doesn't have too much left for him in the ring. Naturally, his priority is his Hollywood career, and apart from just the fact that his schedule there will keep him too busy from making occasional returns, the biggest thing that could block him from wrestling is the insurance companies that he deals with.

If he gets injured at WrestleMania in his match against Triple H, then you can be certain that Batista will not get back inside the ring again. It's exactly what happened to The Rock six years ago.

Moreover, Batista probably feels like he wants to go out on his own terms, and that happens to be putting over his greatest career rival. It'll also be a great way to officially conclude a storyline that seemingly ended 14 years prior.

#1. His love for wrestling and WWE

No matter how much success they find in Hollywood, for superstars such as The Rock, John Cena and Batista - WWE will always be home. It's the place where they reached new levels of stardom, and they did it out of sheer love and passion.

For years, they put their blood, sweat and tears into the business and were the pillars of the company for many years. Many people don't realize how difficult it is, and the level of dedication it takes to put in thousands of miles on the road week-in and week-out and manage to maintain their bodies the way they do.

For Batista, he didn't grow up as a big wrestling fan, but he learned to love it as he went along. WWE will always be something he loves and will want to go back to at some point in his career.