10 Wrestlers WWE Wished They’d Debuted Differently

10. Deacon Batista

Debuting as Deacon Batista in a suit with cut-off sleeves, accessorised with a giant chain around his neck and acting as the bug-eyed heater for Reverend D-Von, Big Dave’s first ever offensive move on the main roster was against none other than Triple H.

Of course, he was only in that spot to get his face on TV and ride around with a veteran for a few months, but even after the obligatory turn and beatdown of his old boss, he was still the mook who’d carried around the church repair fund in a big white box.

Trimming off the kooky midcard mannerisms made a difference, as did a rebrand: in more ways than one, since only two months after he dropped the ‘Deacon’ from his name he debuted on RAW, quickly lining himself up with Ric Flair. His new gimmick?

Batista was a product of a broken foster system, having been the product of a violent sexual assault, and so carried around all this rage as a result. Flair knew about his past and would encourage him to channel it into explosive in-ring performances.

This angle was so revolting that they barely hinted at it before scrapping it completely when Flair and Batista joined Triple H and Randy Orton in Evolution… but Batista blew out his tricep a few weeks later and was sidelined for seven months, finally making it back to begin making his name in October 2003, seventeen long months after being called up.