Why does WWE ignore Batista?

[Evil Vito]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Surprise surprise!! I wasn’t invited! And it’s in my hometown.! ��.. guess by now I shouldn’t be shocked anymore. <a href="https://t.co/r1NwUNlRnf">https://t.co/r1NwUNlRnf</a></p>&mdash; Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveBautista/status/1040067940433973248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Batista's not been invited to SmackDown 1000 when he was a pretty big part of that show for a few years.

Moreover though, Batista's been open about wanting to come back for one more program - specifically with Triple H, but WWE have never shown any interest in working with him again.

Given WWE's raging hard-on for working with celebrities to get them mainstream headlines and doing anything they can to appear pop culturally relevant, why would WWE not want to book a movie star who apparently wants to do business with them?

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I think they think he's not really a draw. And honestly, after his last stint with the company (where, through not fault of his own) they fucking killed him dead... they may be right.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

And also he's constantly shitting on them LOL. literally tweeted to steph about how when she slaps people it's dumb because she's the only one that gets over.

[Evil Vito]

I think they think he's not really a draw. And honestly, after his last stint with the company (where, through not fault of his own) they fucking killed him dead... they may be right.

lol bringing him back as a babyface was so fucking dumb. Everyone except Vince knew that heel was the way to go and that he'd be way better in that role.

And yet had they waited a year and brought him back in 2015 instead, he would've been over as fuck

[Evil Vito]

The Rock was popular enough already in the mainstream as a wrestler that he's always referred to as 'wrestler-turned actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson' and Vince was even listed as an Executive Producer on his first few films.

Similarly, if Cena ever lands in blockbusters you can bet that WWE will promote the hell out of it.

Batista, while important in the WWE landscape, had his run during a time when wrestling was barely ever in the mainstream and the few mainstream ops they had went to Cena. More people probably know him as an actor than a wrestler and a lot probably don't even know he used to wrestle at all.

So since WWE didn't create movie star Dave Bautista, they don't seem to have any interest in promoting him even when he's willing to do business.

[Swiss Ultimate]

He should go in as Drax.

[#1-norm-fan]

For WWE not to be on their knees for that Hollywood attention, Batista must have fucked Stephanie in the ass with a rusty chainsaw.

[Volare]

Show up in NJPW and watch those fans over there go insane. American movie star showing up would do well I think.

[Rammsteinmad]

Probably a swerve.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Batista doesn't need WWE. He walks ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE.

[GD]

Something about Triple H being condescending and looking down upon on him.

[Emperor Smeat]

Supposedly Triple H holds a grudge against him for some reason and Batista has shown plenty of times before he's not the type to constantly be signing the praises of the WWE nor holds back his complaints against them.

[GD]

https://uproxx.com/prowrestling/batista-summerslam-2014-return-triple-h-stephanie-mcmahon-guardians-of-the-galaxy/

“I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I was back and I was also in the No. 1 movie in the world?’ And they kind of had a snicker and [they said] ‘… We don’t know if the movie’s going to be that good.’ … It was a very uncomfortable moment where I think they were just kind of doubting me and laughing in my face”

[GD]

The ballad of Little Dave Batista continues

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[Destor]

Batista plays a comic relief character in a very good comedy but that doesnt make him a star.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Batista plays a comic relief character in a very good comedy but that doesnt make him a star.

an over simplification but not entirely wrong.

[Destor]

No it isnt. But i welcome you to actually say something we can discuss if youd like

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

No it isnt. But i welcome you to actually say something we can discuss if youd like

While he's not a needle mover like the Rock, Drax is a pretty big character and does give Batista a little added oomph in the "mainstream". Especially with the kiddy market who are SURELY big on Drax and own his action figure.

So no. Dave isn't going to walk onto Smackdown and create absolutely massive buzz like when the Rock shows up. But there's a fuckload of upside if he's used correctly because of his history with the company and cache as Drax.

[Destor]

Does his name have more value than Bryan Danielson. Yes. Absolutely. Does his name turn heads on red carpets? No...he's a bit actor. He has a notable role in a truly huge movie but until he has success as anything other than Drax in not convinced that its anything more than the character being popular and not him himself.

[Destor]

Im not saying there lacks a single positive in booking him im saying...is it really that big of a deal if they do or dont? Not really.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Im not saying there lacks a single positive in booking him im saying...is it really that big of a deal if they do or dont? Not really.

I don't think we disagree. I just think there's positives they're missing out on, and you're undervaluing the success even of the one character. Other than Drax he's totally a bit actor, but Drax connects with WWE's target market so it's a good marriage IMO.

[Destor]

Now if we paint him green and call him dracks maybe weve got something

[Destor]

I just dont think he's established that he has any carry when he's not playing that roll. And tons of actors have had that issue. Huge money doing a certain part and no money doing anything else.

I think thats Batista.

[Destor]

Though admittedly id love to put that to the test

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

In fairness (although irrelevant and kind of proves your point), he was great in his bit role in Bladerunner. He's a good actor...but not A NEXT LEVEL STAR. IMO similar to who he was as a worker. Acquired great success in a certain role, but he doesn't have the extra oomph to elevate him to the next level.

[Destor]

Yeah i can think of tons of roles he'd be good in...none are going to get substantial screen time but im definitely not saying he has no value...its just really specific and kind of limited

[Destor]

And i dont believe anything he's doing has anymore value to the gate than any other part time act would except he's probably going to cost more.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

My guess is WWE can't leverage Drax so it's pointless to them. It's one of those things where you'd really have to push him playing that character to bring any value.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

And i dont believe anything he's doing has anymore value to the gate than any other part time act would except he's probably going to cost more.

Nah I don't think he'd cost more than the other part-timers. They all get the plum deals cuz Vince "needs" them.

[xrodmuc316]

It's cause Batista didn't want to do a stupid WWE movie, which pissed Vince off, then he went and became a big star on his own, proving Vince wrong, pissing Vince off again.

They ignore him because Vince McMahon is a petty egomaniac.

[Destor]

Possible. I dont know for certain so i cant say @dale

[xrodmuc316]

Does his name have more value than Bryan Danielson. Yes. Absolutely. Does his name turn heads on red carpets? No...he's a bit actor. He has a notable role in a truly huge movie but until he has success as anything other than Drax in not convinced that its anything more than the character being popular and not him himself.

He was a Bond villian, he has a solid role in Riddick, and was in Blade Runner with Harrison Ford. Yes, he is not a leading man, but he is still a star and is far more successful at the box office than anyone from WWE but The Rock.

[Destor]

I dont think you really grasp what a star is. You just listed reasons why he is an actor not a star.

[xrodmuc316]

Also, just looking at him as an actor and not former wrestler, dude is WAY more famous in Hollywood than half of the guest stars WWE used to book.

[Destor]

"Bruce Cambell played a waiter in spider-man 2. Guy is a total star."

[Destor]

I mean i love Bruce Campbell but i wouldnt trust him to draw 70,000 people

[xrodmuc316]

I dont think you really grasp what a star is. You just listed reasons why he is an actor not a star.

If a guy has been in movies that have grossed $1.7 Billion at the box office, then yeah he is a star. Not a superstar, not a leading man, but he has booked parts in enough big movies that he certainly isn't just a dime a dozen actor either.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

If a guy has been in movies that have grossed $1.7 Billion at the box office, then yeah he is a star. Not a superstar, not a leading man, but he has booked parts in enough big movies that he certainly isn't just a dime a dozen actor either.

good point. I was kinda trying to say that.

[xrodmuc316]

"Bruce Cambell played a waiter in spider-man 2. Guy is a total star."

I think a fairer comparison would be Orlando Bloom. He is not a leading man, but he has been in big movies that were better because of him. That is how I view Batista as an actor.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

what about Mr. T? Not exactly able to be anything other than Mr. T but wrestlemania was built largely on his back.

[Destor]

Mr.T was bigger than Batista ever will be

[Destor]

If a guy has been in movies that have grossed $1.7 Billion at the box office, then yeah he is a star. Not a superstar, not a leading man, but he has booked parts in enough big movies that he certainly isn't just a dime a dozen actor either.

Think is really really bad logic. He wasnt the draw in those. He sold no tickets

[Destor]

Being in a movie, no matter how succesful, doesnt make you a star

[Destor]

Steve Austin was a star. D-Lo Brown was not a star. They were on the same show.

[Destor]

If this the notion that everyone in the film is marketable as a star i propose the following question:

Why arent they getting leading roles? Follow up:why does the transitive property not effect reason theyre not getting leading roles but does allow them to draw in wrestling

[Destor]

Batista has an undercard act on the hottest property in film. Good for him, thats awesome. Doesnt make him a star.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Because Triple H has a fragile ego and he was wrong about Guardians of the Galaxy, and it made him look about as out of touch with culture as Vince, and Dave made that public. Also, Batista is very public with his criticisms of WWE's creative direction and philosophy. I believe he called out Stephanie on Twitter at one point.

Batista is actually correct, and he would be perceived as a huge star, contextually, by the WWE audiences. No, he's not headlining his own films or the biggest deal in Hollywood, but he's got that "emerging profile" and some reputable, if not exactly carrying performances. If he showed up on a talk show, people might go "Who is that? Oh, it's Drax. Oh, and it was also that silent guy in that Bond movie. Okay." In WWE it would be "Fuck yeah! Batista's back!"

Triple H will call him if he ever wants the justification for another high profile WrestleMania match, and no one else fits or is going to cut it.

[Danny Electric]

I’m guessing there’s more chance of WWE bringing in David Arquette and billing him as a movie ‘star’ and former champion than Batista.

Just to add to the argument , the guy has just been in one of the most popular and highest grossing films ever, no he wasn’t the top billed star of the movie but he has a big following and acclaim for the character he played.

Sorry being lazy and can’t remember who said it but the demographic of WWE and Avengers fans is around the same so people who wouldn’t know him from his earlier runs would know him as Drax.

Just bring him out under his real name and get him to shoot on the company, even better get him to beat the crap out of Roman, he would definitely get cheers then 🙂

[Mr. Nerfect]

David Arquette is not far off from being a "credible" World Champion these days. If he stuck with wrestling training and did some spots over the past 20 years, people would by dying to see him get another run.

[Swiss Ultimate]

David Arquette is not far off from being a "credible" World Champion these days. If he stuck with wrestling training and did some spots over the past 20 years, people would by dying to see him get another run.

:-\

[GD]

David Arquette is not far off from being a "credible" World Champion these days. If he stuck with wrestling training and did some spots over the past 20 years, people would by dying to see him get another run.

:roll:

[Mr. Nerfect]

Am I wrong? If so, how?

[Lock Jaw]

Plus, he is "from the past" so he'd instantly be treated better and more important than anyone on the current roster!

[Fignuts]

Am I wrong? If so, how?

Pretty sure 20 years in the business is a little more than "not far off"

[Fignuts]

Batista has an undercard act on the hottest property in film. Good for him, thats awesome. Doesnt make him a star.

You're not wrong, but I think the audiences overlap enough that WWE could benefit from bringing him in again.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Pretty sure 20 years in the business is a little more than "not far off"

That wasn't my point. My point was that he if learnt to take a few more bumps and just did occasionally appearances (like the one at the indy show he did a while back -- to use an arbitrary sense of time), then he would fit right in today and the things he was derided for would be negated by simply "being there" or because they don't matter anymore.

[Destor]

You're not wrong, but I think the audiences overlap enough that WWE could benefit from bringing him in again.

Again im not contending that the value is zero im simply saying that his value is far less than the gut reaction. People are overvaluing batista stock.

[Destor]

The value in Batista is the value of former champion and blast from the past batista is back...just like any other former main event guy that they might bring back for a program. I dont think that his time in Hollywood does anymore for the gate than if he had just gone home and did nothing and collected magic nostalgia dust.

[Destor]

If we had two dimensions where we could see both results i think you sell identical tickets to both imaginary shows.

[Evil Vito]

Personally I’d be more interested in Batista than 90% of the current roster

[Evil Vito]

And I say that as someone that didn’t care all that much about Batista in the 2000s.

[GD]

Evolution reunite at Smackdown 1000

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[GD]

Which is kinda odd because the stable was a prominent fixture on Monday Night RAW.

[#1-norm-fan]

That was my first thought. Were they ever even on Smackdown at all?

[erickman]

good to see bats on the a show guess they will be heels since that is what randy is doing now

[Anybody Thrilla]

Randy doesn't even fit any nostalgic dynamic right now. I can't see this appearance being great. He needs to just roll on as is.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I'm actually interested to see what happens there. Are they just going to come out and wave? Or is it going to lead to an angle? Maybe they just beat up The Colons or something?

[My Final Heaven]

Why does WWE ignore Batista?

He stands so... incredibly... still... that they forget he exists! :yes:

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[Cool King]

I really wish the WWE would stop spoiling their own shows.

If they had kept quiet about Batista appearing on SmackDown and just had Triple H, Flair and Orton come out followed by Batista's music suddenly blasting out a little later, then Batista's appearance would have been such a surprise, especially after him saying that he hadn't been invited.

It would have also have made a good memorable moment for the milestone show.

[Cool King]

good to see bats on the a show guess they will be heels since that is what randy is doing now

I'm actually interested to see what happens there. Are they just going to come out and wave? Or is it going to lead to an angle? Maybe they just beat up The Colons or something?

I have a feeling that they'll all be appearing as faces apart from Orton, who'll just be stone-faced and distant with the rest of Evolution.

Their segment will probably end with Orton hitting Flair with an RKO or something like that.

[#1-norm-fan]

Maybe they’ll all come out and Triple H will be like “Evolution was the best!” And then Shawn Michaels will come out and be like “Aww man, I thought DX was the best!” and then Seth Rollins will come out and be like “Hey, HHH! You know The Authority was the best!” and then Triple H will be like “Don’t make me choose. Let’s just all beat up a current jobber instead!” and then they’ll all pose for the crowd while Michael Cole says “I don’t know which of these groups was better. But they all love to have fun here on Smackdown 1000!” and then the show will go to break and former TPWW poster TheCyNick will immediately go to his computer and write a long e-mail to the WWE praising them for the most brilliant segment of television he has ever seen.

[Cool King]

That is exactly what will happen.

[Evil Vito]

I want Evolution to be interrupted by Reverend D-Von.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I really wish the WWE would stop spoiling their own shows.

If they had kept quiet about Batista appearing on SmackDown and just had Triple H, Flair and Orton come out followed by Batista's music suddenly blasting out a little later, then Batista's appearance would have been such a surprise, especially after him saying that he hadn't been invited.

It would have also have made a good memorable moment for the milestone show.

I think they feel the prior announcements will spike the ratings.

[Fignuts]

Remember when they got their highest ratings ever by making the audience believe anything could happen as opposed to just telling them what would happen.

[#1-norm-fan]

Yeah. The whole idea of announcing major returns beforehand is incredibly short-sighted.

[A.J.K]

Yeah. The whole idea of announcing major returns beforehand is incredibly short-sighted.

This. Example - When Bret Hart came back in 2010.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Maybe they’ll all come out and Triple H will be like “Evolution was the best!” And then Shawn Michaels will come out and be like “Aww man, I thought DX was the best!” and then Seth Rollins will come out and be like “Hey, HHH! You know The Authority was the best!” and then Triple H will be like “Don’t make me choose. Let’s just all beat up a current jobber instead!” and then they’ll all pose for the crowd while Michael Cole says “I don’t know which of these groups was better. But they all love to have fun here on Smackdown 1000!” and then the show will go to break and former TPWW poster TheCyNick will immediately go to his computer and write a long e-mail to the WWE praising them for the most brilliant segment of television he has ever seen.

Oh man, that's it.

[Anybody Thrilla]

This. Example - When Bret Hart came back in 2010.

Funny that Impact running opposite them on that night was enough to make them worry.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Remember when they got their highest ratings ever by making the audience believe anything could happen as opposed to just telling them what would happen.

:'(