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It was like Santa Claus bringing an early Christmas gift for the WWE Universe when the company revealed that Batista would make a return to the squared circle after a three year hiatus.
The return will be a paramount boost for the creative team who has been struggling to stitch in the loopholes in their inefficient storylines. And with the WrestleMania approaching they have a golden goose at their disposal to notch up another epic encounter at the grand stage.
The Animal opens door for many possibilities which could be instrumental in restructuring the shaky structure of the whole main event scene. So here is a look at the potential feuds that Batista could be utilized for upon his much anticipated return to WWE.
5- Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns
It’s no secret that Reigns is going to get an excellent push next year. Reigns is also the superstar after Batista who is going to get a babyface monster push. So using an established star like Batista to get the Samoan over wouldn’t be a bad idea to start with.
Reigns would look graceful in defeat also against Batista. The Animal also has some history with the young star as it was his family who trained Batista during his amateur days.
Both of them have the physical presence and power to match each other also. At the same time a veteran like Batista could help Reigns to pull off much entertaining promos and this feud could work as a torch passing moment from the older generation to the future one.
4- Randy Orton
Randy Orton
The newly crowned unified champion still doesn’t have a credible opponent other than John Cena, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk on the roster so putting Batista directly in the title picture through Royal Rumble would be the simplest decision that the creative could make.
If put this way, Cena could fill in as a challenger for The Undertaker while Punk and Bryan could go up against Triple H and Shawn Michaels respectively to give a stellar card for the 30th anniversary.
The two also have a lot of history to reignite and the chemistry between them promises to produces fireworks though it lacks the freshness. The feud would also bring Batista into the centre of the Authority angle making his return more hyped than any other possibilities.
3- The Undertaker
The Undertaker
Batista already had a shot at the Streak back in WrestleMania 23, so this match would sound a bit stale but keeping the age factor of Batista in mind this might be a good step.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has said that Batista will be looking to boost his television persona with the much hyped return. This cast doubt on the long term future of the 44-year old former champion and hints at a short stint like The Rock and Brock Lesnar. Thus another go at Undertaker in that time will make it easy to give a solid match and bury Taker’s opponent after WrestleMania.
The only factor pulling such a prospect is the health of the Phenom and a match with Batista certainly wouldn’t be the end of his illustrious streak as the company would want to make a future star do the honor.
2- Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan
During his previous stint at the company, Batista had an interesting feud with Rey Mysterio. The David against Goliath storyline really took off with flying colors. A good rivalry with Daniel Bryan will definetly surpass the standards set by that feud.
Bryan has been a victim of bad booking throughout the year, but he still managed to emerge as the fan favorite and even won the Slammy for Superstar of the year. A returning Batista would be a great starter for the next year as far as Bryan is concerned.
The fan base that Bryan has also provides an ideal stage for Batista so it’s a win-win situation for both the wrestlers. The company would also benefit from a much hyped clash but most importantly the fans would be more than happy to see such a match.
1- Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Lesnar is almost certain to be present at WrestleMania and a match between the MMA guys at the grand stage would be a once in a lifetime spectacle.
There aren’t many wrestlers in the roster who could match the size and power of Lesnar but Batista standing toe-to-toe with the Beast is like the epitome of excitement. The Animal vs. The Beast will also be a fresh option as the two haven’t faced off inside a WWE ring.
The possibility of pitting Lesnar against Batista is much better than putting him in a match with The Undertaker. The sheer physical presence of Lesnar would be wasted in a match with Taker but could be utilized better by Batista.
It’s a dream match for many of the fans out there and would be a great mix of different fighting styles inside the WWE ring.
