12 Times Vince McMahon's Plans Blew Up In His Face

5. Batista, The Conquering Babyface

After five years of training in mixed martial arts and breaking into Hollywood, Dave Batista returned to WWE in January of 2014. Having filmed a role in upcoming Marvel blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy, Batista was seen as a something of a mainstream star, and having been absent from the company for so long, it was hoped that the former WWE Champion would turn business around leading into WrestleMania. Batista's first appearance on Raw drew huge ratings, but when he won the Royal Rumble, fans were irate - after all, the superstar they supported, Daniel Bryan, wasn't even a part of the match. Batista was booed through a feud with Alberto Del Rio, and finally, WWE had no choice but to turn him heel. Bryan was added to the Batista-Randy Orton title match at WrestleMania, and when he won, fans got the moment they had been craving for months. Though cooler heads prevailed, it's astonishing in retrospect that WWE felt Batista could stand in for Bryan and win the crowd over.