WWE: 8 Controversies Batista Has ALREADY Caused Since Returning
8. Calls Alberto Del Rio A 'C' Level Worker
Before he had even stepped foot back in a WWE ring, Batista had already kicked things off with his colleagues. The issue came with Alberto Del Rio, who in the storyline was saying on TV that he intended to eliminate Batista from the Royal Rumble matchup. It's the kind of standard stuff you would expect from a heel, all designed to see him be cut down to size by the returning star. However, Batista didn't want to wait until the Rumble to sort Del Rio out. Instead, the big man tweeted on the 7th of January - "So I hear Alberto Del Rio is talking trash. Just one question... Who the hell is Alberto Del Rio?!!!" It was a pretty light hearted response at first, and in fact helped to invest some further interest in this mini feud. The problem came when Del Rio tried to have some light hearted banter back. The Mexican claimed he was the guy who had been winning world titles while Batista was getting beaten up by his plumber, ending his tweet with "See you at the Rumble". There really wasn't anything wrong with Del Rio's tweet. It was clearly done in character to help sell the Rumble (hence see you at the Rumble) and the plumber comment related to Batista fighting in MMA (a fight he actually won). Despite this, Batista appeared to lose his grip on what was a work and what was reality, he hit back to call Del Rio "a C level star" and warned "Don't turn a work into a shoot. #realitycheck". With this comment, the tone had changed. The C level star description had the little edge of a personal attack that may have upset Del Rio. Essentially Batista was saying he was better than him. The warning to not turn a work into a shoot was also mired in controversy, with connotations of threat and intimidation. This wasn't a storyline. This was Batista having a personal dig and threat at a fellow worker - right away he had put himself in controversy. The arrogant attitude can't have gone down well with Del Rio, who ended up working very little beyond his actual elimination with Batista in the Rumble. The irony is that Del Rio as one of the hardest men in WWE would probably kick Batista's a** in a straight shoot.
