What if Batista faces Triple H at WrestleMania 35?
On the 1,000th episode of SmackDown, WWE staged a reunion between the members of Evolution. It felt like a special moment. Randy Orton is the only alum of the group who still works full time as a wrestler for WWE, while Triple H is an execute and part-time special attraction.
Ric Flair has only appeared sporadically—mostly in support of his daughter in recent years. And then there’s Batista, who has an uneven relationship with fans and hadn’t appeared for the company in four years—in a largely unpopular run for which he got his biggest pop by blowing up at and walking out on Triple H and the company.
So it was an anomaly to see these four greats back in the same ring, and particularly while Triple H and Orton are involved in such different corners of WWE programing now—The Viper as an upper mid-card heel on SmackDown, Helmsley working a separate nostalgic reunion angle with Shawn Michaels on Raw.
All the more so, WWE generated intrigue when Batista poked fun at Triple H for never having beaten him. The short hint of a confrontation got the rumour mill up and running about WWE’s intentions for the two stars. Might they meet at WrestleMania and, if so, what will that mean?
#5. The Game gets his win back
The main source of tension between Triple H and Batista during their confrontation on SmackDown was the fact that Triple H hasn’t beaten Batista. The two had one major feud with one another back in 2005, in which Batista won the World Heavyweight Championship from his former mentor at WrestleMania 21, and went on to largely dominate the rematches to follow.
Triple H has been known to care about his image, so booking Batista on a comeback tour just so The Game can get his win back wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility. Moreover, Triple H has been known to win matches at WrestleMania for which the more obvious, feel-good story would have seen him lose, including the WrestleMania 2000 Fatal Fourway, his match with Booker T at WrestleMania 19, and his bout opposite Sting at WrestleMania 31. It wouldn’t be a complete shocker if The Cerebral Assassin finally hit a Pedigree on his protégé for the pin.