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One of WWE's biggest imports to Hollywood, Batista, was one of the biggest stars in the company during the ruthless aggression era. It is safe to say that The Animal along with John Cena helped keep the ship steady after the departure of names like Brock Lesnar, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the untimely deaths of Eddie Gurrero and Chris Benoit.
Bursting onto the main event scene following his win over Triple H at WrestleMania 21, the Animal would become one of the prominent superstars in the company, winning multiple World Championships and headlining numerous pay-per-views.
But somehow the Animal was never given his due with the company, as they instead chose to put all of their focus on their golden boy, John Cena. Frustrated with the creative position in the company, Batista left the company in 2010 after having an excellent heel run which included a WWE Championship match against John Cena at WrestleMania 26.
The Animal would once again return to the company in 2014, and we all know how that turned out.
Initially returning as a babyface, Batista had to turn heel due to the negative crowd reaction he faced. The Animal was heavily booed when he won the 2014 Royal Rumble as fans wanted Daniel Bryan to win the match.
After putting Bryan over in the main event of WrestleMania 30, Batista would stick around for another two months before leaving once again in June 2014.
After being away from the company for over four years, Batista made his triumphant return to WWE at SmackDown 1000 last October as part of Evolution. During his promo, the Animal took potshots at Triple H, setting up a match between the duo at WrestleMania 35.
Although fans felt that his match with The Game last night at WrestleMania stretched for far-too-long, Batista was great throughout the match, taking a great deal of punishment and proving why fans missed him in the first place.
Batista has been someone who has continuously re-invented himself throughout his career and has excelled as both a heel and as a babyface. The Animal has also been a giving superstar who has always tried to make the product and his opponents look better.
Almost all of Batista's peers speak highly of The Animal's strong work ethic, his giving nature, and his desire to excel.
However, just a few hours ago, Batista officially announced his retirement via his social media accounts. He thanked the WWE Universe for their love and support. If this does end up being the last WWE match of The Animal, all we can say is - 'Thank you, Batista'.
The Animal has been a great ambassador for professional wrestling. His passion for the business can be gauged from the fact that despite being a huge Hollywood star, the Animal still came back for one last run. Batista has mentioned in multiple interviews that he would like to have one last run culminating in a match against Triple H.
The Animal had a fairytale ending to his illustrious career. He is a sure-shot future Hall of Famer, but most importantly, he will always be remembered for being one of the most unselfish WWE Superstars of all time.
