10 Awesome WWE Returns RUINED By Awful Reactions
4. Batista (Royal Rumble 2014)
Had the circumstances been right, Batista's 2013/14 WWE comeback could have ruled.
Unfortunately, the circumstances were not right.
This was doomed from the start, as that year anyone not named Daniel Bryan winning the Rumble was going to damn near cause a riot. Giving the win to a part-timer who hadn't wrestled in four years made it even worse.
Batista showed up on the last Raw before the Royal Rumble, generating legitimate excitement as he hadn't been in a WWE ring in four years. This was picked up a notch when he announced he would be participating in the Rumble.
Then the wheels came off his return.
Fans hijacked the last couple hours of the show, constantly chanting for Bryan and growing more and more agitated every time he wasn't a Rumble entrant. When #30 buzzed, Rey Mysterio, normally a huge fan favourite, emerged from the curtain to a chorus of boos.
After that, the booing and catcalls were non-stop through the rest of the evening, getting worse after Batista eliminated Roman Reigns to win. A visibly annoyed Batista mocked Bryan and flipped the crowd off as he left the ring.
Batista was as much a victim of bad timing as anything. His return had no doubt been planned for some time; it just happened to coincide with the rocket ride Bryan was enjoying at the time. The result of this show would lead to a heel turn for Batista and a new nickname of 'Bootista.' Welcome back Dave.