Batista's return run...his last?

[Jeritron]

Source: The Wrestling Observer

During a recent media tour of the Philippines, Raw star Batista spoke out on the longevity of his wrestling career. When asked how much longer he would compete as an in-ring wrestler, Batista said he felt he had about one good year left in him and wanted to make sure that he ended it on a strong note.

So will he be retiring soon? I hope so. Nothing against him, but I feel his character is pretty stale and 1-dimensional at this point. It worked very well for a while, but there's nowhere left to go but down. I'd be all for one strong run if it resulted in a formal retirment.
I think the current product does well without him, and it helps free up spots and usher in the growing change.

He's up there, and injury prone. I think he's better off going out on a high note. Still, his television age is relatively young. He's still a "new star"
So, I think he'd be great for occasional appearances and maybe even one-offs. But as far as full-time activity goes, no thanks.

[Fabien Barthez]

I think he would slot into TNA well tbh.

Although he is only seen as one dimentional because he hasn't been getting any good programmes, but then thats mostly due to him being on the shelf most of the time.

[BigDaddyCool]

Bats used to be good, but he got lazy or hesitant or something and just stopped trying. Plus his infinite title shots get old and boring.

[Jeritron]

He's like Goldberg. His gimmick and popularity is built off being dominant and unstoppable. Goldberg was never able to function as a heel. When he wasn't holding the title, or chasing the title, his character was useless. That's all he was.

I give Bats a little more dimension than that, but there are similarities. They've never tried him as a heel, and his unstoppable monster gimmick requires him to chasing or holding the title at all times. That gets old for everyone. In many ways, it's a strong way to push a hoss, but it's a dead end.
You can create an enormously exciting and popular star, consisting of pure hype and have them steamroll towards the world title. But once they win it...then what?
Whenever they've taken him outside of the title picture, it's been a failure.

I honestly think there's a time table on characters like this, unless they add new dimensions early on.

[Team Sheep]

I'd only be somewhat interested in him now if he turned heel.

[Jeritron]

I'd like to see them try a Bats heel run. I think it would work well, but if retirment is only a year away they shouldn't even bother.

Truthfully, they should have turned him heel after his WM23 match with Taker. At that point, he was stale as a face. That was a big match for him, and a big loss. It would have been nice to see him make a heel turn shortly after that and work as a heel for a couple years.
Then his final face run over the next year could mean something.

[RatedGSuperstar]

When I saw this news, it became pretty obvious to me that he has one more title run coming to him.

If I had to guess, they'll have him feud with whoever ends up with the WWE Title after 'Mania, since they love to play up the Ex-Evolution feuds to death. Orton wins, Bats faces him at SummerSlam as a face. Triple H wins, Bats turns into a monster heel destroying everything in his path until we get a No DQ match with Trips or something. Still, considering that Orton is the one that (kayfabe) put him out of action, you'd think that's where they'd go upon his return.

Of course, there's always the possibility of an Orton/Batista double turn leading up to SS, but that would require a lot of foresight and I think WWE is showing with this WrestleMania build that they still lack that attribute.

Then there's always
Cena wins
And WWE only really got one sloppily-thrown-together match with the two last year before they wound up both getting hurt in that match.

[Jeritron]

I think a proper Batista/Orton fued has been a long time coming, and should be done this summer.
It'd be easy to go for it right off the bat, but I think it'd be better saved for Summerslam. After that, he should retire. Although he'll probably hang around until Wrestlemania 26. Maybe they'll have him face Cena there?

This is all hypothetical. He could stick around for 5 years for all we know. All I know is if he really does plan on retiring in 1 year they should definitely cash in off the Orton and Cena fueds while they can.
He should lose both of them too, obviously.

They'll probably squeeze a title reign in there too, to which I say whatever. The ends justify the means.


And like I said, although I get bored by Batista in his fulltime capacity, I would be all for random return matches or appearances once in a blue moon, because there's no denying that the guy is over as hell and can be fun in small doses.

[Jeritron]

Oh and if he retires, I definitely don't think WWE will stop employing him somehow. He may be loyal as hell, or give Vince his word, but Vince knows better than that. There's no way they'd let him free to have a change of heart (or wallet) and show up in TNA.

I suspect he'd get a deal similar to what Foley had, and others have. A contract that pays him to stay away from other companies and collect off merchandising. Maybe even with a clause for a set number of appearances a year.

[Destor]

I dunno. If Bats got the itch he could just sign a new deal with the E. Why go to TNA?

[Destor]

Not like they're on bad terms or TNA could realistically pay him more than Vince could without going under...and when you think about that as an option maybe Vince should send him to TNA...

[DAMN iNATOR]

He's like Goldberg. His gimmick and popularity is built off being dominant and unstoppable. Goldberg was never able to function as a heel. When he wasn't holding the title, or chasing the title, his character was useless. That's all he was.

I give Bats a little more dimension than that, but there are similarities. They've never tried him as a heel, and his unstoppable monster gimmick requires him to chasing or holding the title at all times. That gets old for everyone. In many ways, it's a strong way to push a hoss, but it's a dead end.
You can create an enormously exciting and popular star, consisting of pure hype and have them steamroll towards the world title. But once they win it...then what?
Whenever they've taken him outside of the title picture, it's been a failure.

I honestly think there's a time table on characters like this, unless they add new dimensions early on.

Dude, he debuted in WWE as a heel. Do you so easily forget that? (\/)

<EMBED src=http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x87cnp_batista-debuts-as-deacon-w-reverend_sport&related=1 width=480 height=381 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true"></EMBED>
Batista debuts as Deacon w reverend D-von vs Triple h (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x87cnp_batista-debuts-as-deacon-w-reverend_sport)
Uploaded by simba_yacoub (http://www.dailymotion.com/simba_yacoub)

[thedamndest]

If Vince wanted to bankrupt TNA he would fire Batista, Mark Henry, and Mr. Kennedy.

[screech]

I used to be a fan of Batista, but his character has become stale and his ring work is, well shit. I'd be okay with a heel turn and seeing the Cena and Orton feuds (with him losing both), and a title run (as a heel). Then he could maybe end as a face by taking on Cena at Mania.

I wouldn't mind him making some appearances and such, as long as when he retires, it's for good from active competition.

[Rammsteinmad]

Woah, Batista has aged loads over the last seven years. I remember him debuting as the Deacon, but against Triple H? I kinda forgot that. Quite ironic really.

[Savio]

Bats used to be good, but he got lazy or hesitant or something and just stopped trying. Plus his infinite title shots get old and boring.
Bats was never good, Most overrated wrestler out there.

[Jeritron]

Dude, he debuted in WWE as a heel. Do you so easily forget that? (\/)

<EMBED src=http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x87cnp_batista-debuts-as-deacon-w-reverend_sport&related=1 width=480 height=381 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true"></EMBED>
Batista debuts as Deacon w reverend D-von vs Triple h (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x87cnp_batista-debuts-as-deacon-w-reverend_sport)
Uploaded by simba_yacoub (http://www.dailymotion.com/simba_yacoub)

I am aware of this. I neglected to point out what I really meant. He hasn't been utilized as a heel since his arrival on the main event scene (WM21).

[Anybody Thrilla]

I was sort of enjoying him during the Michaels/Jericho feud. He could have easily turned heel then, and I think it would have been good. As a face, he can kiss my ass, though.

[Kane Knight]

I was sort of enjoying him during the Michaels/Jericho feud. He could have easily turned heel then, and I think it would have been good. As a face, he can kiss my ass, though.

We need more dominant heels anyway.

I'm betting Face Batista is still money though, and even if he's not, I bet WWE believes he is.

[Anybody Thrilla]

It almost feels like Triple H is the only heel allowed to be dominant.

[Jeritron]

I don't think Orton evolving into a dominant heel is out of the question. He seems to flip-flop between both types depending on booking.
Sometimes he's a force to be reckoned with, running through faces. Other times he's a cowardly, cheating type.
He's not quite the HHH type heel, but he isn't an Edge type either.

I think having him go over HHH clean at Mania, and several face challengers during the summer would be the way to go, but we'll see.

[Destor]

I don't think Orton evolving into a dominant heel is out of the question. He seems to flip-flop between both types depending on booking.
Sometimes he's a force to be reckoned with, running through faces. Other times he's a cowardly, cheating type.
He's not quite the HHH type heel, but he isn't an Edge type either.

I think having him go over HHH clean at Mania, and several face challengers during the summer would be the way to go, but we'll see.Which describes this mental disorder angle perfectly.

[Jeritron]

very good point

[Jeritron]

but I do think the general incosistency has been there a while now, dating back prior to the IED angle.
In the summer of 2007, I believe it was, he started on a dominant streak where he put RVD, Shawn Michaels, Cena and others out of action in kayfabe.

Then, when he won the title, he suddenly couldn't get the job done and he began to morph into the scoundrel character. After spending a summer making mince meat of top guys, he suddenly had to steal victories. This was obviously for convenient booking, and protection of top guys.

[BigDaddyCool]

By good, I mean relative to how he is now.

[Jeritron]

I just think his character should be more consistent regularly, and on the dominant side specifically.
The fact that it's flip-floppy and has duality is more than fine now, for the reasons Des pointed out. In the future when they're past this though, I think he should stick to the dominant route. It seems to be what's working.
The two time periods (other than early 2004), that he has been most over and had the msot momentum are the past few months, and the summer of 2007.
In both cases, he was playing up the ruthless dominance, and the crowd was eating it up. Once they got him to the top, they backed off.

I think it's clear, for whatever reason, that the crowd responds to him in that role best. Even in 2004, when he was getting extremely over in his program with Foley, it was his vicious attacks on Mick, and other legends that people took to.

Once they tried to make him a coward and scoundrel, he lost steam. I think there's just something inherent in Orton that people gravitate towards, where they would rather watch him (and boo him) for being dominant and better than everyone, rather than running scared from Taker and HHH types. They already have a heel who plays that role perfectly. His name's Edge.

[Theo Dious]

I hope he retires. I don't hold any ill will against him personally, so it would be nice if it was by choice. But he has no entertainment value for me anymore. When he had to give up the WHC on Smackdown that one time, the promo was so well played that I was sure he was going to take a place among the modern greats... but since he came back from that... just meh.

[Mr. Nerfect]

When Batista first started to swell up in late 2004, I, like pretty much everyone else, bit into it hook, line and sinker. It was a good slow-burn angle, with some great mark-out moments along the way. I do remember questioning Batista's shelf life as a main eventer, though. Not because of his age, but because of his character and the circumstances behind his push to the top.

Batista has done very well for himself. Maybe not in terms of the ring work to his name, or the constant portrayal of his character (he's been far from consistent), but four World Heavyweight Title reigns for the man is not bad. Personally, I think one year is a very short span to really wind down with Batista. When he returns, he's going to be over, and going after Randy Orton. That feud could be very intense, and with Triple H likely being in the title chase, as well, a feud between the former members of Evolution seems likely.

But, like others have mentioned, I also want to see Batista as a heel. I don't even like the man that much, but that is like a two year plan for him right there (I believe turning him heel will freshen him up incredibly).

[GD]

I am expecting Big Dave jobbing to Super Cena.

[FourFifty]

I would like to see Dancin' Dave as an enforcer. Maybe he could get in the ring in the occasional tag match, but mostly just use him as a threat.
While I'm not a Batista fan I do wish him the best in whatever he does, and think that if he semi-retires he still has some use.

[Jeritron]

Very few, if any, retirements in wrestling are final unless the person is dead, or physically unable to compete.
But, if this does hold any truth, it's pretty ironic that he will be outlasted by HHH, and only himself outlast Flair by one year.