Power wrestlers make great heels, but can occasionally become fan favourites. The problem with pushing monsters as babyfaces is that it only works when they're facing bigger monsters, the most obvious example being Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant. Dave Batista is a monster, no doubt, and he's also been pushed as a babyface plenty of times, including at the beginning of his recent return. In true monster fashion, he piqued the interest of fans for a few weeks, then started getting boos, right around the time that he won the Royal Rumble. Like Orton, Batista suffers from two huge problems: his performances are dull, and he reminds us of ten years ago, when the WWE really sucked. Batista had an MMA career that earned him a single win - so there you go: one due - but as a wrestler the Animal still has to prove he's more than just another huge dude with power moves. His current contract looks long-term, so hopefully he can try something different soon.
Check out "The Champ" by my alter ego, Greg Forrest, in Heater #12, at http://fictionmagazines.com.
I used to do a mean Glenn Danzig impression. Now I just hang around and co-host The Workprint podcast at http://southboundcinema.com/.
