Written by Matthew Widdis
No Rock. No Cena. No problem! There’s always another megastar from the 2000s with a billion dollar movie franchise. Dave Batista gave the usual series of interviews post-Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and, in each one, he mentioned wanting to come back to WWE for a full schedule one last time.
It was a bit surprising. He’s at the half century mark. He sure doesn’t need the money or the risk. And, the last time he returned to the ring, he was boo(tista)ed everywhere he went for not being Daniel Bryan by the fickle fickle fickle fans. But then came that Evolution reunion at Smackdown 1000. The crowd reception. The subtle but serious challenge that Triple H has done it all… except beat him.
Meanwhile, Triple H has morphed into a bit of a symbolic Undertaker. He shows up once or twice a year to put over a Seth Rollins or to establish a marquee value at a borderline international incident. And he’s hurting. A chip shot away from 50, himself, Hunter obviously stays in shape and motivated. But he has always carried more mass on his frame than nature intended and has sustained some rough injuries in his recent outings. (That torn pectoral muscle was gruesome.)
My guess would be that Triple H is ready to lay down the sledgehammer for good. You could clearly see Shawn Michaels telling him, “We’re too old for this!” at Crown Jewel and that was just as much shoot as it was work. “No Holds Barred” means that the ring general of his generation, Triple H, can pace and lay out an entertaining match with drama and an appropriate finish.
The Game takes a Batista Bomb on the arena floor for the 1-2-3 and walks to the back with HBK and the rest of D-X… except… why not cross off that “never beat Batista” spot on the list by having him take a jab combo, a Fame-Ass-er, a superkick, and maybe even a few Flair chops before a Pedigree? Protect the guest star, have a Wrestlemania Moment TM, and leave that door open for Tampa in a year. If Big Dave wants a full schedule, give him six months off the road to build for a second retirement match; one in a warmer, more amenable climate.
