10 Dream WWE Returns That IMMEDIATELY Became Nightmares

2. Batista

Shane McMahon WWE WrestleMania 39
WWE.com

'Are they saying Boo-tista?'.

Nah, fans in attendance for the 2014 Royal Rumble were definitely jeering as the fireworks rolled around a giant WrestleMania XXX sign and Batista pointed towards it after winning the 30-man match. In-ring, 'The Animal' looked baffled that folks would jeer his comeback success. Why were they doing it anyway?!

Two words, one name: Daniel Bryan. He'd caught fire with the core audience, and so fans dismissed Batista as a Rumble winner. They wanted the underdog technician, damn it! Big Dave took that one personally for a while, and obviously didn't care for the fact that a packed house in Pittsburgh booed the sh*t out of his return.

In fairness, that cannot have felt good for the returning hero. Batista could be forgiven for thinking everyone would be pleased to see him headline 'Mania, but no - Bryan was the name on everyone's lips. The feedback was so fiercely negative that WWE had to turn Dave heel.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.