Dave Batista to Return

[kblo247]

Quote:
MAJOR, MAJOR NAME RETURNING TO WWE

By Mike Johnson on 2013-12-20 22:12:53

Former WWE World champion Batista is advertised for the 2/16/14 WWE event in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas & Mack Center via both radio ads and internet advertising.

In speaking to WWE sources this evening, they confirmed he was expected back (one source believed at the Royal Rumble as a surprise) and that the advertising was released prematurely, spoiling a planned surprise.

Batista had been talking to Triple H about a return at least as far back as last Spring, according to sources, but his acting schedule (he has a big part in Marvel's Guardians of The Galaxy) prevented him from doing anything.

Batista has long talked of wanting to come back for one final WWE run, as opposed to just coming back to do one big match. He quit the company in 2010, completely unhappy with the PG type of programming the company was producing at the time.

One of the sources we spoke with tonight believed Batista would be working with the company until he was needed to do promotional work for "Guardians", which is slated for a 8/1/14 theatrical release.
via PWInsider
Quote:
WWE advertising the return of one of its biggest stars of the past decade

Dave Bautista will be returning to WWE for WrestleMania season, as was already reported in this week's Observer.

Bautista will be in for a significant role, and the first sign of his return by the company came in radio advertising for the 2/16 house show in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center, which means at this point he is scheduled not just for TV appearances. (thanks to Jeremy Botter)
Via Dave Metzler (F4WOnline)

Cena gets his second star back which he hasn't had since Dave left in 2010. And Dave's stock has never been higher profile wise, this means guys like Punk, Bryan, and Orton go to the lower end like 5-8 in WM season ranking wise, which is where they belong. We may even get Dave vs Brock and Taker v Cena or Taker vs Brock and Dave vs Cena.

I doubt this wasn't done with the idea of network rights negotiation and their network launch in mind as this is a bargaining chip

[skbucks1985]

I completely disagree with you about Batista's value and where he should be on the card. Unfortunately, I think the people in charge are much closer to your opinion than mine. I'd be somewhat surprised but definitely wouldn't be shocked to see Batista come back a few weeks before the Rumble or even be a surprise entrant in the Rumble and win it and take the title off Orton at Mania.

[kblo247]

Batistas value is the second biggest star since the attitude era. The rating record for spike TV was Dave's contract signing vs triple H. Dave for a period was wrestling Khali, Morrison, MVP, Burke, and the like with edge, Rey, and Taker all out and SD was garnering over 3 million viewers on Fridays and having their tapings sell out to actually maintain a brand split. He's the second biggest draw of his era, always was behind Cena and really and truly he should have been in Ortons place if he wasn't doing film promotional work during the TLC time.

Batista has made grounds in Hollywood. Let's be real here, Batista isn't Jericho, he's not seen as a joke and failure who has everything he tries outside wrestling get its plug pulled like all his shows. He is going into a huge marvel movie in a big role and he's doing so while under contract with one of the entities wwe is reportedly negotiating with. In a time where they are trying to launch a network by gambling WM30 as a tie in, and they are trying to negotiate a historic tv rights deal ... Dave Batista makes more sense and is an asset that helps them far more than punk, Orton, Bryan, or even part timers like Jericho and RVD.

If you ask any paying casual if they rather have Batista and Mysterio at mania featured prominently or the likes of RVD and Jericho, you will always get Dave and Rey. If you ask any marketing department if you rather have batosta with his look, his presence, his credibility in and out the ring or Punk/Orton/Bryan to gamble on and sell to stockholders they are taking Dave with a network launch. Its common sense

[kblo247]

Cena was technically the guy to take him out on screen. He broke Cenas neck, Cena broke his tailbone, and now Batista has proven that he should have been given everything he said he should with movie roles after he left. They could go that way if they wanted Dave the heel. I'd be interested in seeing if they can blur the line between his face ring work and heel character to create something slightly hew

[skbucks1985]

Batistas value is the second biggest star since the attitude era. The rating record for spike TV was Dave's contract signing vs triple H. Dave for a period was wrestling Khali, Morrison, MVP, Burke, and the like with edge, Rey, and Taker all out and SD was garnering over 3 million viewers on Fridays and having their tapings sell out to actually maintain a brand split. He's the second biggest draw of his era, always was behind Cena and really and truly he should have been in Ortons place if he wasn't doing film promotional work during the TLC time.

Batista has made grounds in Hollywood. Let's be real here, Batista isn't Jericho, he's not seen as a joke and failure who has everything he tries outside wrestling get its plug pulled like all his shows. He is going into a huge marvel movie in a big role and he's doing so while under contract with one of the entities wwe is reportedly negotiating with. In a time where they are trying to launch a network by gambling WM30 as a tie in, and they are trying to negotiate a historic tv rights deal ... Dave Batista makes more sense and is an asset that helps them far more than punk, Orton, Bryan, or even part timers like Jericho and RVD.

If you ask any paying casual if they rather have Batista and Mysterio at mania featured prominently or the likes of RVD and Jericho, you will always get Dave and Rey. If you ask any marketing department if you rather have batosta with his look, his presence, his credibility in and out the ring or Punk/Orton/Bryan to gamble on and sell to stockholders they are taking Dave with a network launch. Its common sense

The Batista-HHH segment did well in the ratings but after that he wasn't a huge success. That period in Smackdown, if you look at the quarter hour breakdowns, the guys that were doing the best ratings were Eddie and Booker T, Eddie especially after he turned heel on Rey. Batista's feud with Edge was the only time he was getting consistently ratings.

Batista's achieved a much higher level of success in Hollywood than I ever thought he would, but he's not The Rock. He's never headlined a movie (he won't headline GOTG either). And that's important because that's who people go to see movies for and that's who people will buy wrestling PPV's for.

If you want someone for late night appearances or for Wall Street than yes I think Batista is better than Orton, Bryan, Punk or Jericho because they can use that Marvel name. I don't see that translating into buyrates.

[kblo247]

You understand UPN lost many markets and was going dark while they were still getting viewers right before CW finally merged?

Does it have to translate to buyrates or does it have to translate to subscriptions and TV rights? New day, an asset like Batista is better for getting subscriptions and TV rights deals done. It never hurts to tell a network we have a working relationship with a guy like Dave who is apparently planning on being there from Jan-SummserSlam

[skbucks1985]

Yes and in the couple months where Batista was on Smackdown and Eddie and Rey still were having there feud, the Eddie-Rey segments were by far the highest rated segments on those shows. And afterwards, King Booker's court was what was grabbing artings.

Whatever metric you want to use, PPV buys, subscriptions, TV rights I don't think Batista makes an appreciable difference in any of it. Does it hurt, of course not. But I don't see there likelihood of attracting a cable subscriber going up at all because of Batista's name. And if there's an expectation that an apprecaible number of people subscribe to there network if they choose the over the top model because of Batista, they're delusional.

[jr lucosa]

I used to be a pretty big fan of his, but I honestly haven't missed him. Good for the WWE if having his name in their back pocket does anything to help them, but personally I'm pretty indifferent to this news and I'll probably be annoyed with Batista rather quickly if they shove him straight to the main event picture.

[Dunthreevy]

Blah blah blah, ratings from 8 years ago, blah blah blah. We're all wrestling fans here, right? Keeping that in mind, when did any of YOU ever buy something because of BATISTA?

[kblo247]

Blah blah blah, ratings from 8 years ago, blah blah blah. We're all wrestling fans here, right? Keeping that in mind, when did any of YOU ever buy something because of BATISTA?

His documentary, hiac him vs trips, some sd house show tickets with Rey/edge/Taker all hurt, and the list goes on ... Wrestling fans as in wwe fans know he's the second biggest star since the attitude era, not Orton, Punk, Bryan or even Brock pre UFC.


http://youtu.be/c_5AWFzWFkE

[skbucks1985]

Blah blah blah, ratings from 8 years ago, blah blah blah. We're all wrestling fans here, right? Keeping that in mind, when did any of YOU ever buy something because of BATISTA?

I will readily admit I wasn't a huge fan of his, with that said in his singles face run I remember very, very little. I remember the HHH feud, I remember the Eddie feud, and the feud and Taker match at Mania. I remember very, very little other than that in those 4.5 years until he turned heel. When he turned heel, those last few months he was fantastic and I remember everything he did during those months.

[CapeCrusader]

Blah blah blah, ratings from 8 years ago, blah blah blah. We're all wrestling fans here, right? Keeping that in mind, when did any of YOU ever buy something because of BATISTA?

His documentary, hiac him vs trips, some sd house show tickets with Rey/edge/Taker all hurt, and the list goes on ... Wrestling fans as in wwe fans know he's the second biggest star since the attitude era, not Orton, Punk, Bryan or even Brock pre UFC.


http://youtu.be/c_5AWFzWFkE

I duno pre UFC Brock was pretty big. When he went to UFC, Dana White cashed in on all the loyal WWE fans that went to watch him fight. Vince cashed in when Brock came back and will continue to do so.

[kblo247]

Pre Brock was big sure, but Trips was out drawing him on the opposite brand. I think Brock is certainly bigger than when he left. Who knows, maybe hadn't he left in 04, he would actually be a bigger deal anyhow with the upcoming rise of Cena and Dave

Will also point out that Dave belonged in place of Orton in this past unification feud

[kblo247]

Blah blah blah, ratings from 8 years ago, blah blah blah. We're all wrestling fans here, right? Keeping that in mind, when did any of YOU ever buy something because of BATISTA?

I will readily admit I wasn't a huge fan of his, with that said in his singles face run I remember very, very little. I remember the HHH feud, I remember the Eddie feud, and the feud and Taker match at Mania. I remember very, very little other than that in those 4.5 years until he turned heel. When he turned heel, those last few months he was fantastic and I remember everything he did during those months.

He was on sD. In his SD stay he really was on a torn apart roster. There was a point that Edge, Rey, and Taker were all out and his weekly opponents were Elijah Burke, MVP, Morrison, Jaime Noble, Khali, younger Lashley, Kennedy etc ... They were selling tickets and stuff still but he deserves more credit for his work. Just YouTube a match with him and MVP ... Hope you remember the return to whoop. Henry's ass

[CapeCrusader]

Pre Brock was big sure, but Trips was out drawing him on the opposite brand. I think Brock is certainly bigger than when he left. Who knows, maybe hadn't he left in 04, he would actually be a bigger deal anyhow with the upcoming rise of Cena and Dave

Will also point out that Dave belonged in place of Orton in this past unification feud

I agree that Batista would of been in that unification match for sure. I also think that Cena has to owe Brock thanks for leaving so soon as well. I dunno if Brock would of done the same job as Cena. But once Brock left, Cena was thrown into the mix quick.

[kblo247]

I always say JBL was lucky Brock left. Cena and Brock seemed like a logical feud at the point after Brcok had destroyed him and took out his knee years before.

[skbucks1985]

I used to be a pretty big fan of his, but I honestly haven't missed him. Good for the WWE if having his name in their back pocket does anything to help them, but personally I'm pretty indifferent to this news and I'll probably be annoyed with Batista rather quickly if they shove him straight to the main event picture.

I was thinking about who I think Batista should face looking at it from the perspective of what I think would be a good matchup but also what would be appropriate for a guy of his caliber. And unless you throw him in there with main eventers there aren't a lot of great options. I think the most obvious option would be to hold off on The Shield breakup and he has a match with Roman Reigns but I think that match would probably not be very good. Same thing with a match with Bray Wyatt. He could have a six man with a couple of partners with either of those trios but I think if he's coming back for a short run like this, his WM match should be a singles match.

The two best options IMO would be if they decided to heat up Ziggler again this would be a helluva way to do it and Ziggler can bump around for him and carry him to a competent match. The best option would be Sheamus. Introduce one of them as a heel (I'd prefer Sheamus) and its a fresh matchup plus I think those two would have a solid top of the mid-card/bottom of the upper card 8-10 minute brawl.

[skbucks1985]

Blah blah blah, ratings from 8 years ago, blah blah blah. We're all wrestling fans here, right? Keeping that in mind, when did any of YOU ever buy something because of BATISTA?

I will readily admit I wasn't a huge fan of his, with that said in his singles face run I remember very, very little. I remember the HHH feud, I remember the Eddie feud, and the feud and Taker match at Mania. I remember very, very little other than that in those 4.5 years until he turned heel. When he turned heel, those last few months he was fantastic and I remember everything he did during those months.

He was on sD. In his SD stay he really was on a torn apart roster. There was a point that Edge, Rey, and Taker were all out and his weekly opponents were Elijah Burke, MVP, Morrison, Jaime Noble, Khali, younger Lashley, Kennedy etc ... They were selling tickets and stuff still but he deserves more credit for his work. Just YouTube a match with him and MVP ... Hope you remember the return to whoop. Henry's ass

Like I said, I wasn't a huge fan of his and never found Batista as a babyface a memorable character. A large part of the reason I didn't find that 2006-2007 SD period you're talking about to be good television was because the Batista character did nothing for me. And no I didn't remember him coming back and kicking Mark Henry's ass because I didn't care about either of them at the time.

[WRau1]

I do not like Batista.

[kblo247]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJpaJe9yKsY[/youtube]