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Accomplished WWE superstar turned bonafide movie star, Dave Bautista has returned to WWE and will face longtime adversary Triple H at Wrestlemania 35. Their match is now one of 'no disqualification'- a stipulation likely added to heighten the readily apparent lack of genuine conflict. The entire occasion feels like a contrived victory lap to celebrate Batista's illustrious, peak years with the company and to redeem his disastrous return in 2014-- where due to extenuating circumstances, Batista was quickly shifted from a triumphantly returning babyface, to a utility heel used to elevate rising talent.
Batista's surprise return started strong-- ambushing Ric Flair backstage the night of his 70th birthday celebration. The voyeuristic film production coupled with a genuine surprise return made for the beginnings of something truly unique and intriguing. Unfortunately, the feud as it currently stands is nothing short of unintentionally comical (see their baffling exchange above from RAW on March 11th). Their first face-to-face encounter in nearly half a decade on Monday Night RAW felt strangely stilted in execution, and severely under cooked in preparation. Newcomers won't fully appreciate the past they share- and for longtime viewers, it comes across as hopelessly derivative, as the two have faced off previously on numerous high profile occasions.
Two past memorable encounters include their title bout at Wrestlemania 21 (where Triple H was accompanied by Evolution stablemate Ric Flair, a group formally comprised of all three men plus Randy Orton) for the World Heavyweight Championship. Batista emerged victorious- signalling a changing of the guard, ushering in a new era of top-level superstars (further cemented by John Cena defeating the long-maligned JBL for the WWE Championship the same night). The two would meet again to settle the score at Vengeance 2005- in a blood-soaked, slobberknocker Hell in a Cell match- where Batista won yet again.
Batista versus Brock Lesnar
Both men go back to the fabled, all-star OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling: former WWE developmental territory) class of 2002- which featured the likes of Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin, and future face of the company John Cena. Batista, who was originally given the alias Leviathan-- fully supported this moniker with his explosive style and impressive, imposing physique. A main roster showdown between the two burgeoning titans felt nothing short of inevitable.
As the years transpired, Brock and Batista were never afforded the opportunity for a proper feud or classic match during the overlapping tenures on the main roster. By the time Batista was ascending to main event prominence (2004/2005), Lesnar had jumped ship from WWE to test his mettle in the NFL. The two have failed to cross paths since-- even though Brock has been a continual part-time fixture since his shocking return to the WWE fold in 2012.
Batista versus Roman Reigns
The returning Animal versus the Big Dog - two men equivalent in size and bruiser presentation could battle for supremacy representing their respective eras. Batista has a larger air of legitimacy and mainstream credibility behind him now in 2019, and would make for a great foil, to contrast top dog Roman Reigns. It also seems WWE have made concerted efforts to rectify their previous misguided attempts of having Batista return a babyface (a homecoming turned awry, evident by the overwhelmingly negative reception he received upon winning the Royal Rumble 2014). Serendipitously, Reigns and Batista were the two final competitors in the now infamous Rumble match.
The two faced off in a throwaway television match on RAW in 2014. This was during a period where Batista was largely rejected by the audience, as WWE's overarching plans to have him square off against Randy Orton in the main event of Wrestlemania 30 were derailed by the ongoing momentum of Daniel Bryan.
Facing Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania would allow Big Dave to pay to it forward, just as previous veterans did for him more than a decade ago.
Batista versus AJ Styles
An unlikely duo, forged from two entirely different worlds (Batista being the epitome of a highly-groomed WWE creation- and Styles symbolizing the ongoing rise of undersized, underdog talents who made their name on the wrestling independents now emerging as marquee players in WWE) has all of the ingredients to create a memorable feud, that would likely culminate in an unforgettable in-ring encounter at the grandest stage of them all. The two could even frame the feud in the same masterful way we're seeing events transpire between AJ Styles and seventeen-year veteran, firmly-established WWE royalty Randy Orton.
The high dexterity and ring generalship often associated with AJ Styles would make for a great counterpoint to Batista's brawler, hoss-style performances. In a similar pairing on paper, we saw the Phenomenal Styles was more than capable of delivering an incredible match-up with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2017.
