12 Terrible Wrestling Returns That Should Have Been Great

1. Batista - 2013

Like The Rock, Batista left the wrestling business to head off to Hollywood. Unlike The Rock, when Batista came back, it was terrible.

Weeks of hype preceded The Animal's return, but those videos didn't represent reality as Batista did not resemble the Batista of old.

While still muscular, he was roughly half the size he was when we last saw him in a wrestling ring. He was also dressed in clothes that were more fitting for someone 20 years younger than him. And upon his return, despite being portrayed as a babyface, he immediately hugged ultra heels in Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, which was an incredibly foolish decision. In one segment, Batista's long-awaited new run was D.O.A.

Fans saw the former World Heavyweight Champion as a relic of the past, and not as someone they were willing to accept as a top star in the company again. They caught onto the fact that he was destined to win The Royal Rumble, and their reaction to him became increasingly hostile.

Plans for Randy Orton vs. Batista main-eventing Mania had to be scrapped, and Daniel Bryan was inserted into the match to appease the fans. By the end of The Animal's run, he was being mocked for wearing blue trunks with blue sleeves. It's hard to imagine things going any worse for him.