10 Wrestlers WWE Must Sign Before 2017 Ends

10. Batista

This is the pick to have the least amount of payoff in the long-term but there’s no doubt that a Batista return would strum up some interest in the product for a bit.

Last time The Animal returned to the company in Jan. of 2014, the ratings spiked for the night. That’s what WWE is searching for right now: something, anything, to get people to tune in. Since his last run, Batista has become an even bigger star and some fair-weather fans would surely watch to see what Drax is up to.

So what is it that he could do? Well, Batista hasn’t been shy about wanting one last program with Triple H (he’s stated Titus O’Neil as well on an episode of Talk Is Jericho, but that has roughly .00001% chance of happening). He could return in late 2017 to appear at Survivor Series, or set up a Royal Rumble appearance and then set the stage for a retirement match against Hunter at WrestleMania 34. In the meantime, he could be a Brock Lesnar-type attraction who shows up for an episode of Raw whenever they need a boost.

Considering Batista is 48-years-old, and the fact that his freakish physique is getting harder to maintain by the year, it’s getting close to now-or-never with him in regards to a final run. He’s open to it, Hunter would love the opportunity to battle a movie star and it would be a much more fitting end for him than Bluetista.