7 Great Wrestling Heel Runs That Ended Prematurely
2. Batista (2010, 2014)
Not once but twice has Batista left WWE just as he was beginning to catch fire as a heel.
The first instance came shortly after he turned his back on the fans in late 2009, and entered a feud with John Cena soon after over the WWE Championship. During that time, Batista was far and away the best part about the flagship show due to his outrageous outfits and his scathing promos about how, unlike John Cena, he wasn't PG.
Although he lost each of the three matches he had with Cena that spring, the only thing fans remember is Batista's exit from the company - when he literally rolled himself out of the arena in a wheelchair still wearing his sunglasses.
That was the version of The Animal fans hoped to see upon his return to WWE in 2014, but what we received instead was the watered-down Batista, miscast as a babyface. Thankfully, he was eventually able to let loose and fulfil his full potential as a villain.
It was incredibly entertaining to watch, but before he could amount to more success, he "quit" Raw for Hollywood that June - and hasn't been seen since.