4 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 26
2. Stars Earn Stripes
Batista wasn't long for WWE by the time he surrendered the WWE Championship to John Cena at WrestleMania 26, and more's the pity - the Hollywood Heel persona was an absolute rip-snorter long before Dave managed to actually live the gimmick as one of the company's biggest crossover stars.
John Cena hadn't ever found the Rock to his Stone Cold Steve Austin for years as the company's tippy-top guy, particularly when efforts to make Randy Orton exactly that were laughed all the way off of a lot of B-Shows.
It was the very reason Batista felt so aggrieved with 'The Champ', and the foundation of a feud that fostered this hugely enjoyable effort. Batista was a mere 'Animal' no more, and his refusal to be considered one made his premature exit just two months later all the sadder.