10 Best Ever Reasons For Wrestling Storyline Exits

6. Batista Simply Quits, Informs John Cena's Major Legacy

Batista Wheelchair
WWE.com

The Batista Vs. John Cena series probably doesn't hold up to the lens of modern scrutiny, but it doesn't matter: the matches were fun, big-time blockbuster spectacles so vivid that they left an indelible impression.

John Cena went 3-0 in their 2010 trilogy, at Over The Limit 2010, by throwing Batista from the roof of a car and through the stage below. In a great heel visual, Batista rolled himself to the ring in a wheelchair on RAW the next night to pursue legal action against his rival. When it wasn't forthcoming, he spat his dummy and quit. Petty and cowardly, the dissonance of this enormous man in a position of such stark vulnerability was sublime.

As was the ultimate intention of the angle, for better or worse.

John Cena and Batista were the 1 and A of the Ruthless Aggression Era. This dynamic of parity informed the intrigue of their inevitable series, from which Cena emerged as not merely the undisputed top guy, but a performer so vaunted in WWE's fiction that he was credibly promoted as WWE's Babe Ruth at this year's WrestleMania. Batista's selflessness (and admitted lack of interest) elevated Cena into the Mount Rushmore stratosphere, resulting in the Big Match John and SuperCena arcs, the most emphatic extension of the boo/yay dynamic that defined him.

Batista quit; Cena Never Gave Up.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!