50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE WrestleMania

Anyone who thinks Batista was little more than a powerhouse meat head monster needs to go back and watch his body of work. The guy could do that if he wanted to, but he was much more at home in matches that required careful thought and maximum effort. It's grossly unfair to retrospectively tar big Dave with the meat head brush and leave it at that.

WrestleMania 21's match vs. Triple H would be a nifty starting point for anyone who thinks that way but is willing to give him another go. As an isolated example, it's fantastic, and it wasn't even the best bout both ex-Evolution members would produce as rivals. Batista had nuance to his game, which is rarely given enough credit, and Hunter was willing to sell, sell, sell to help cement his former protege as a standalone star.

Basically, it's rather easy to forget just how banging Batista was between the ropes on his day. At first glance, he looked like the kind of wrestler Vince McMahon built from the ground up in a WWE video game's creation suite. That was only half the story with Dave. He could talk, he worked effectively as both a heel and a babyface, and he meshed well with a variety of peers; Trips gets the nod here because of the 'Mania focus.

Not everything Batista produced was world-beating stuff, but he was sorely needed back in 2005. Brock Lesnar was gone, so WWE needed a new powerhouse with versatility to fill that spot. Big dishy Dave was just the tonic. It would've been easy for him to be another "next big thing" that flopped.

If you've always been a doubter, then why not go back and see if he clicks for you second time around?