5 most underappreciated Batista matches
There is no doubt that Batista is one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. Having established himself as an elite in-ring worker and character, the six-time world champion is an icon of the wrestling industry.
Batista announced his retirement from wrestling after his defeat to Triple H at WrestleMania 35. Throughout his time in the company, he wrestled countless great matches and dominated many of them.
While fans fondly remember his many battles with The Undertaker and John Cena, there have been some matches of his that have gone under the radar. The Animal is one of the most underrated in-ring workers of all time, and as such, has quite a few underrated gems on his resume.
On that note, here are the 5 most underappreciated matches that Batista has been a part of.
#5. On our list of great Batista matches you may have forgotten: Vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 35)
We'll start with Batista's final WWE match, where he locked horns with former Evolution stablemate Triple H at WrestleMania 35. It has been three years since the contest, and it has acquired underrated status despite being a great outing for both men.
While some fans will rightfully point to the excessive runtime or a partly-tired crowd, that doesn't take away from the in-ring work and storytelling. The two legends waged nothing short of war in the ring and told a great story filled with emotions and brutality.
Big Dave's efforts to make his last match a memorable one must be appreciated, as should his willingness to take some pretty serious damage. While he has wrestled better matches in his career, this one deserves more love than it has gotten.
#4. Vs. Eddie Guerrero (No Mercy 2005)
The late Eddie Guerrero was one of the greatest wrestlers to step foot in a WWE ring. Incidentally, his final pay-per-view match was against Batista, and it was one of the latter's finest performances.
While Guerrero is nothing short of an in-ring mastermind, it was the Guardians of the Galaxy star who proved that he could hang with the very best in the business. The two former friends clashed for the World Heavyweight Championship and did not surrender an inch to the other.
The veteran sold like crazy to make his younger opponent look good, and The Animal played his part to perfection. This match has gone under the radar since then, and it is a contest you must watch to get a feeling of what the two superstars were all about.
#3. Vs. Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania XXX)
Yes, we are aware that this world title match at WrestleMania XXX is a modern-day classic and is among the best matches of the past decade. However, this match makes our list solely because we feel fans didn't appreciate Batista for the part he played in it.
While Daniel Bryan rightfully got all the plaudits, Batista played the role of heel and foil to perfection. He did a sterling job at making the underdog Bryan look like a million bucks. He even took the fall to bring about arguably the greatest world title win in wrestling history.
The Animal reminded fans why he was regarded as a legend of the business. His performance in the contest isn't talked about enough, and so this match deserves to be on this list.
#2. Vs. The Undertaker vs. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio (Bragging Rights 2009)
This match brought together four humungous WWE Superstars with vastly different styles. They laughed in the face of doubters and put on a clinic that has become underappreciated over the years.
Batista, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk and The Undertake wrestled a high-octane, high-drama match that had fans hooked from bell to bell. What made it click was its unpredictability, as all four men looked equally likely to pick up the win.
Of particular interest was Batista, who played his part to perfection. The post-match scenes saw him turn on Mysterio and viciously attack him, showing he was as incredible a heel as he was a face.
#1. Vs. Shawn Michaels (One Night Stand 2008)
“I DON'T love you, and I am NOT sorry.”
@DaveBautista added insult to injury when he faced @ShawnMichaels in a Stretcher Match 13 years ago today at WWE One Night Stand 2008. https://t.co/5Q36jm8io3
Shawn Michaels retiring Ric Flair was one of the most emotional moments in WWE history. However, some people took exception to it, and one of them was Batista himself.
Batista and Flair were teammates at Evolution, which meant the latter's retirement was a sore point for The Animal. He questioned Michaels as to why he took the win, leading to the two being caught up in a bitter battle.
After HBK resorted to faking an injury to take the win at Backlash, the two superstars competed in a rematch at One Night Stand 2008. They competed in a Stretcher match at the show and tore the house down. Big Dave has always thrived in matches that could showcase his mean streak, and it was no different here.