Legendary announcer and former head of talent relations Jim Ross recently proposed the idea of a Batista return and a main event clash versus Brock Lesnar. Now obviously there will be many sceptics about this idea due to the part time nature of both competitors but this is exactly what WWE need and here’s why.
Fits WWE’s Current Storyline
The Authority have been dominant for the last two years and their power over the WWE is currently in turmoil due to Roman Reigns holding the title and with Brock Lesnar’s return, the odds of having an authority champion are slim. The WWE booking committee seem to be going with Triple H - Roman Reigns for the main event of Wrestlemania so where does that leave Brock Lesnar? His return was ever dominant and portrayed him as a major favourite in the Rumble and it’s hard to see anyone other than Roman Reigns or Triple H to stop him from winning. This is the exact reason why bringing Batista back makes perfect sense, a feud between the two would generate major buzz with Batista’s current Hollywood status. Batista could easily be fit in storyline as a Triple H win would most likely come with a lot of outside interference which would p*ss of the beast. Batista coming back as a hired gun for Triple H would intertwine well with the storylines currently in progress and protecting the boss from the beast Brock Lesnar would be a very interesting angle.
Lack of Star Power
The WWE has found themselves in a crisis, as their major stars are injured (John Cena, Sting and Randy Orton) and they are going into the biggest PPV of year with very few household names and major stars that can draw. Many people may say that the only way to tackle this situation is to push the current roster they have now and make various superstars like Kalisto, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens etc.… go into the event booked strong. This author doesn't disagree with this entirely, but the time period between now and the event is too short to make these superstars the main selling point of Wrestlemania. They need stars, and who’s a bigger star at the moment than Batista? Since he has left the WWE he has tried his way in MMA, he’s been cast in several high grossing box office hits and has been cast in many more upcoming films which are almost guaranteed to be successful. The buzz around Batista is still there and WWE would be foolish to not try reach out to Batista and sort out a deal to have him come back and be a key selling point for this years Wrestlemania
Dream Match?
Batista vs Brock Lesnar could easily be argued as one of the many dream matches that people would love to see. The headline writes itself “The animal - the beast” and the event of Wrestlemania will make it that much better. It may not be the best technical match ever as Batista was never more than average as a wrestler at his peak but the idea that surrounds the match of the two titans squaring off is something that would excite and interest the majority of the WWE Universe. Also both men have a MMA background (albeit Batista’s is very lacklustre) which could spark more interest in the match as technically Batista is undefeated which would be interesting and funny to see Batista incorporate this into the dream storyline/match.
Main Event?
The main question around this theory would be should it be the main event? The answer would be no, for while people may see this as the main match of the evening it should not be, because the main event needs to be focused on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and to build the current world championship scene. This would allow the title to become more prestigious especially if it was contested after two of the most popular wrestlers of all time (arguably) just battled it out in the squared circle. This would put the winner (Roman Reigns?) on a pedestal and allows a Reigns/Lesnar feud to blossom into the following PPV’s (if that’s the direction WWE are going in)
Would Batista be needed if the Brock Lesnar match isn’t in WWE’s plans?
Regardless of whether or not he faces Brock Lesnar, having the star power of Batista on the biggest stage of them all is crucial. The possibilities would be endless with who he could go into the event feuding with. He could re-spark an old rivalry (The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan?) or he could put over the younger talent which is much needed as the lack of star power WWE currently has will be a major issue even long after Wrestlemania is over. The benefit of having Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens or any other upcoming star score a win over Batista would cement these stars as more than just mid carders. Despite Batista himself saying he would only work house shows I believe if the money is there and the opportunity for one more successful run or even one more match Batista would grab the chance. The opportunities are endless for Batista at Wrestlemania and would anyone argue against the fact Batista is needed?
Do you agree? Who do you think Batista would be best off facing?