Best and worst of Batista's WWE career

Batista is one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. He is a six-time world champion and has made a big impact on the company and the industry as a whole.

The Animal retired from wrestling after his defeat to Triple H at WrestleMania 35. He had an illustrious and legendary career that was second to none. Throughout his time in the company, he was one of the most dominant superstars in the ring, and one of the most popular.

While Batista has had a storied career, it must be said that not everything was smooth-sailing for him. There were dizzying highs and crushing lows, and his subsequent transition to Hollywood made his story all the more interesting.

On that note, we take a look at the best and worst moments of Batista's WWE career.

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#3. Best: Batista's 2005 Royal Rumble win

Big Dave won one of the most epic Rumbles of all time

Batista has won two Royal Rumble matches in his career. The two were basically night and day, with the 2005 victory being the good one. He won the battle royal in dramatic fashion, eliminating John Cena after the match was restarted.

The 2005 Royal Rumble match is remembered for having one of the most unique conclusions in WWE history. The Animal and The Franchise Player botched the ending and hit the floor at the exact same time. Vince McMahon gave the order to restart the match, and the former picked up the victory.

The win put the powerhouse in prime position to challenge for Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship. That was what he would do, as he cashed in his shot and went on to WrestleMania 21.

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#3. Worst: The 2014 return

The Animal's 2014 return was panned for multiple reasons

We still can't believe WWE bottled Batista's return in 2014. None of it was his fault, but it was certainly a nightmare for him. Unfortunately, it was a case of horrible timing and damage limitation.

Batista won the 2014 Royal Rumble match to set up a date with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton at WrestleMania XXX. However, fans wanted no one in the main event scene but Daniel Bryan, and that meant Big Dave felt their wrath at every possible opportunity.

'Bootista' was all the rage and WWE were helpless to stop it. It is not a run the Guardians of the Galaxy star will fondly remember. In fact, he'd prefer it if he were standing incredibly still throughout 2014.

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#2. Best: His first world title win

Who can forget Batista's first world title win against Triple H at WrestleMania 21? It was an iconic moment that solidified him as a main event player for years to come.

The two Evolution members faced off at WrestleMania 21 with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line. Fans were firmly on the side of The Animal, who obliged and pinned his mentor clean in the middle of the ring to become champion for the first time.

The match was a critically-acclaimed affair, with journalist Dave Meltzer calling it "the peak of one of [WWE's] best storylines in years." It was fireworks from start to finish and a defining point in Big Dave's career.

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#2. Worst: His departures from WWE

One thing that is unfortunately associated with Batista is the various times he has quit WWE. He did so on two occasions, one in 2010 and the other upon his return four years later. Both times, he stated that he had massive creative differences with the company.

The former world champion has gone on record to say that he was left unhappy with the direction WWE was moving multiple times. Two of those occasions saw him walk away, making his relationship with the company frosty. However, the two parties have always reconciled, with WWE even confirming a Hall of Fame induction for their superstar in the future.

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#1. Best: His feud with The Undertaker

The rivalry between these two was simply electric

Batista has had many top rivals throughout his WWE career. While the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton and Triple H have all pushed him to great lengths, no one did it quite like The Undertaker.

The Deadman was Batista's biggest and most storied rival. They shared the ring countless times and guaranteed a show every time they stepped foot in it together. The two first met at WrestleMania 23 and contested some great matches in the years that followed.

The rivalry the two had was simply a clash between two titans. It was simplistic yet brutal and gave fans some hard-hitting wrestling and bitter battles. WWE also always presented the two as equals, and the result was one of the most defining rivalries of the Ruthless Aggression era.