10 Major Stars Who Escaped WWE Creative Jail

4. Batista

Y2Jail WWE
WWE.com

Jim Cornette has taken to reviewing - incinerating - Monday Night RAW on his excellent Experience podcast of late. Were he to review this week's episode, he'd likely revel in being proven right. Again. Corny once predicted that the future Batista would headline WrestleMania in five years - precisely five years before he did.

The Louisville Lip also bemoans the modern, over-produced WWE TV norm. WWE deviated from it spectacularly on Monday night by producing a wild, dangerous angle that lived up to the flagship's name more than anything has in years and years. Batista, growing into his full-time role as an actor, pulled it off brilliantly.

He didn't quite draw the same level of critical acclaim as 'Deacon' Batista.

This was a Peak Big Johnny Laurinaitis development. Cornette's vision of Leviathan was...a bit goofy, but the premise suited the performer. Batista was an absolutely massive monster of a man. WWE likes monsters. WWE likes monsters a great deal. Johnny advised this monster to cover up his muscles with a suit. And, because Big Johnny was as deft at communication as he was casting, he didn't bother telling the penniless OVW grad to go cheap. Batista was subsequently asked to cut the sleeves off, and was ordered also to wear a donation box around his neck.

He didn't have to ask for money by 2005; after connecting with the right crowd, and honing his cool destroyer bit, he drew the then-biggest PPV buy-rate in company history.

Motherf*cker.

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!