Batista’s 20 Greatest Rivals

Kurt Angle was not the only wrestler to have their career come to an end at WrestleMania 35. Batista also quietly called it a career following his match with Triple H, and with all due respect to Angle, I was more looking forward to Batista’s swan song.

Few wrestlers in the last couple decades of WWE have given their character and storylines the attention to detail that Batista has, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. When Batista returned to the company on the road to WrestleMania, it became very clear and apparent to myself and fans of the like what Batista’s intentions were: to portray a man who has clearly let fame (and recent WWE experiences) change him for the worse. His WrestleMania entrance had an extra edge to it, and I’ll be damned if there wasn’t something special about hearing that crunchy guitar riff from Saliva. And although the match went on to receive some scrutiny for being much too long, there were multiple occasions where the insecurities and hubris of the new Batista character mounted over the match and ultimately led to a very dramatic downfall.

With respect to his finale as a wrestler, I felt it worth discussing Batista’s greatest rivals just as I did with Kurt Angle. You might find No. 1 to be a pretty obvious choice, but 2-through-9 took me a while to settle on, so make sure to let me know your thoughts via the Twitter machine.

20. Goldberg

Believe it or not, Batista and Goldberg HAVE faced off on one occasion. That’s really interesting to me, considering the similarities between the two inside and outside the ring. Inside the ring, some might see limited performers, but outside the ring, both men have really big personalities to them. As their careers progressed, we saw both sides blur together as they came into their own. The larger feud for Goldberg was with Triple H and Evolution as a whole, but it’s awesome that for just one night we got a match that, five years later, would become a dream match for some fans.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Goldberg (Raw 2003)

19. Mark Henry

It took Mark Henry a long time to come into his own as a performer, but he worked well with Batista when The Animal returned from the initial bicep tear that forced him out of WrestleMania 22. As the World’s Strongest Man, Henry was very limited with what he could do at this point, or rather, what he was allowed to do. Remember, it was around this time that WWE REALLY decided to go with Henry as a top guy, and he had been running roughshod while Batista was on the shelf. The impending return of the SmackDown star, however, led to some explosive confrontations with Henry that left both men better off than when they started.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Mark Henry, No Disqualification (SmackDown 2007)

18. Big Show

If I continue to produce lists like Kurt Angle’s and Batista’s greatest rivals, it would not shock me to find The Big Show making a cameo in every one. Show has been pitted against the who’s who of pro wrestling or sports entertainment (depending on your vernacular of choice), and he’s such a versatile performer that he was able to find a niche with everybody he worked with. As it pertains to Batista, his first encounter with Big Show did not happen until he took a double chokeslam from Show and Kane on the road to Survivor Series 2005, tearing a muscle in his back. The two had some singles matches later in Batista’s career, but my favorite encounter was when Batista appeared on ECW on SyFy to challenge Big Show for the ECW World Championship. It made for such a bizarre scene and something you never thought you’d ever see, but it definitely had a “so bad, it’s good” type of vibe.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Big Show (ECW 2006)

17. MNM

Let me be crystal clear here: MNM’s inclusion on this list actually has nothing to do with the affair Batista had with Melina. Batista himself admitted to this, though I’m not sure if it was a case of art imitating life or life imitating art. Regardless, Batista was tagging up with Rey Mysterio at this point, and the two made a very likeable team. It was around this time that I really began to accept Batista as a favorite of mine because it was so easy to see how much fun he was having. A part of me feels like he found it refreshing to be doing something other than singles main events, but I also feel like he had a lot of fun being in there with Rey (more on that later), plus MNM made for dance partners who were able to bump on his comebacks after lengthy feuds with the likes of Triple H and JBL.

Recommended Match: Batista and Rey Mysterio vs. MNM (Smackdown 2005)

16. Ric Flair

Batista and Ric Flair only had one match of note, but a Batista rivalry list would not be complete without including the Nature Boy, especially after his final feud with Triple H. Flair obviously operated as the catalyst towards getting these two to one more match, as it was Batista’s attack on Flair that ultimately got him the match in storyline, and cost him in the end. But remember, these two were World Tag Team Champions (one of the odder-looking pairings if you throw out the Evolution connection), so Batista in storyline had to be hurt that Flair cornered Triple H during The Animal’s WrestleMania coronation after all they had been through. Without Ric Flair, there is no Batista as we know it, even if much of their “feud” occurred outside the ropes.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Ric Flair (Raw 2005)

15. Kane

Batista and Kane have squared off several times over the years, and I guess it’s only natural. For years, Kane has been viewed like The Big Show as someone the WWE could stick with other big guys they wanted to get over and get a good match out of them. And I have to say, I always liked the chemistry Batista had with Kane. Sure, the matches were short, but they never lacked in the physicality department. Little known fact, though: The very first time these behemoths worked together was not on Raw, or SmackDown for that matter, but OVW Christmas Chaos 2001. Jim Cornette (a favorite of The Animal’s, btw) tells a great story about getting Kane to work Batista, then known as Leviathan in OVW, and I always get a kick out of seeing larger-than-life stars like Kane and The Undertaker pop up in smaller territories from time to time. But the Christmas Chaos match is definitely a hidden gem. The very next year, Leviathan became Evolution’s Animal, Batista, and was working Kane on Raw, which just goes to show how quick things can change in wrestling.

Recommended Match: Levithan vs. Kane (Ohio Valley Wrestling 2001)

14. JBL

I always liked the work Batista did with JBL after initially arriving on SmackDown in the summer of 2005. “Jibble” could work a similar pace to that of Triple H, so it was really a spiritual extension of the big man’s feud with The Game in a lot of ways. JBL, for all his nefarious tactics, could never get the better of the top young stars like John Cena and Batista, and these feuds ultimately led him into a “downward spiral” that allowed him to take the necessary time off to heal a bad back. As for Batista, this was more of a fun little rivalry designed to endear him to a similar, but not quite the same SmackDown audience. You have to admire the willingness of both guys to add something to each of their subsequent matches. Upon rewatch, I really enjoyed their match at SummerSlam ‘05, when JBL took the Batista Bomb on the steel steps. If you watch closely, you can actually see Jibble’s soul leaving his body for a split second.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. JBL (SummerSlam 2005)

13. Chris Jericho

The origins of the Chris Jericho-Batista rivalry go all the way back to Batista’s days in Evolution and really acted as an extension of Chris Jericho’s long-time storylines problems with Triple H (which, to sidebar, is one of those feuds I think you could always revisit, even when the two go geriatric). Things took a turn when Jericho debuted his “No Country for Old Men” suit-wearing heel persona, and it led a great little series with Batista and Jericho. They had an AWESOME match at Cyber Sunday 2008, filled with theatrics of course, but the real match to watch is the steel cage match from the following night on Raw. The story goes that Batista bladed following a brass knuckle shot on top of the cage, which makes sense, but because this occurred in the “PG Era,” he went on to be fined $100,000 for his actions. That’s right! He literally bled for the company and got fined for it. There is…so much I can say on this subject, but that might be best kept for another day.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Chris Jericho, Steel Cage (Raw 2008)

12. Rey Mysterio

In the MNM entry, I kind of alluded to how elated Batista always looked when he was working with Rey Mysterio. After more than four strong years as the top-guy babyface, Batista needed a fresh coat of paint, and in turning on Mysterio (one of his best friends both on and off camera), The Animal got just that. I’ll admit, some of the stuff Batista did to shake his babyface character was…a little over the top (see – EDDIE’s DEAD), but attacking Rey was a great way for Batista to take his character in a different direction. As far as the matches go, they went about as well as they could have. Both guys worked really hard, but the styles of both Mysterio and Batista just didn’t quite mesh with one another. Then when The Great Khali was added to the mix, you begin to notice the pro wrestling version of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly truly come to life.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Great Khali (Unforgiven 2007)

11. Great Khali

I know what you’re thinking: Why on earth is The Great Khali so high on this list? Nobody had good matches with Khali, and his programs were not remotely entertaining. But that’s where you’re wrong. This feud can be summed up by one of Batista’s most memorable quotes, “BASKETBALLS DON’T HOLD GRUDGES.” With a man of Khali’s size and language barrier, there’s only so much you can do, but Batista did an admirable job given the limitations. In fact, I might one day make an article like this for Khali. If I did, you’d have 1.) Undertaker 2.) Batista and that’s it. But looking back on it, it was not often that Batista squared off with an opponent significantly larger than him. I guess if you must check out a match, go watch the second Punjabi Prison match, because remember, the first one pitted The Undertaker against the Big Show. Random, I know.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. The Great Khali, Punjabi Prison (No Mercy 2007)

10. King Booker

King…… BOOKAHHHHH. I loved the chemistry Batista had with King Booker. On one hand, you had a bonafide, ass-kicking babyface in The Animal, and on the other hand you had a comedic, yet semi-serious and very heelish King Booker. As the old saying goes, styles make fights. But did you know that despite some of the great in-ring segments we got between these two, the true rivalry began with a behind-the-scenes altercation? Batista got into a real-life fistfight with Booker T, and in an attempt to get ahead of the dirt sheets, WWE.com published a story with both men recounting their side of the story. Booker T had words with Batista over his ego, and those backstage praised Booker for speaking his mind, but to quote another famous expression, it’s not wise to poke the bear, er, Animal in this case. But once again, I enjoyed the matches these two had, even if they didn’t reinvent the wheel. Booker represented another established veteran for Batista to work with, and the recurring theme here is that in Batista, wrestling fans, promoters and people working behind the scenes have the blueprint for how top stars are made. WWE’s copy must have gotten lost in the trash.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. King Booker (Survivor Series 2006)

9. SHIELD

The Evolution reunion is worth discussing as Batista’s initial return to WWE in 2014 fell short of his expectations. Nevertheless, the Evolution vs. SHIELD matches from Extreme Rules and Payback were a lot of fun and provided a chance for older fans like myself a chance to see Batista do for Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns what many established veterans of the industry had done for him in the past. Of course, the SHIELD should get a lot of credit for making the series work. Triple H was probably past his in-ring prime even in 2014, Randy Orton has a tendency of looking disinterested at times and Batista still had a hint of ring rust despite having been back for three months at this point. Still, the Evolution and SHIELD matches immediately come to mind when you’re rattling off the list of great SHIELD feuds, so naturally the same can be said for Batista and Evolution as a whole. Plus, six-man warfare is a nice diversion from a series of main event programs, no?

Recommended Match: Evolution vs. The SHIELD (Payback 2014)

8. Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels mixed it up with Batista pretty frequently early in his career (since Michaels naturally had an issue with Triple H and Evolution as a whole), but their matches on Raw paled in comparison to what they were able to do in 2008. As a precursor to the rekindling of the Chris Jericho feud, Michaels had a mini feud with Batista in 2008 that featured matches with Jericho as the special guest referee in addition to a stretcher match. But if you go back and watch both matches, you can really see how far Batista had come as a performer. In working with Michaels in 2008, Batista got to show off his full arsenal of skills, and Michaels’ presence in the matches was just the cherry on top. I won’t give away the finish to their match at Backlash, though I will say it had a hint of creativity that you just don’t see out of WWE anymore.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Shawn Michaels (Backlash 2008)

7. Edge

The saying goes that you can’t have good guys without quality bad guys. And Edge played a very important role in the careers of Batista and John Cena, the fruit of the Ruthless Aggression Era. Interestingly enough, my first time experiencing both these guys happened when they were booked against one another, in addition to Chris Jericho, for an Intercontinental Championship triple threat match at SummerSlam 2004. Both careers branched off that match into two totally different paths, until Edge interrupted Batista’s feud with The Undertaker coming off WrestleMania 23 by cashing in Money in the Bank, moving to SmackDown in the process and into a collision course with The Animal. The best feuds usually involve both wrestlers scoring big wins, but the Edge feud saw Batista lose at Judgment Day, One Night Stand and Night of Champions. In fact, Batista never truly got his comeuppance on Edge, though the situation eventually got The Undertaker involved and HE would be the one to get retribution on the Rated-R Superstar.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Edge (Night of Champions 2008)

6. Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan needed to make this list and occupy a relatively high spot. To back track, the main event of WrestleMania 30 was legitimately set to be Batista vs Randy Orton. As the main event of WrestleMania 29, that type of match has a much better ring to it. But for the 30th ANNIVERSARY? I know! And apparently so do you, the fans, because Bryan eventually forced his way into the main event and a world title win at WrestleMania that year, which likely would have otherwise belonged to The Animal. Ultimately, Batista’s return that winter was mishandled and done in by tone deaf booking, but the interactions between Batista and Bryan sparked memories of Batista and Michaels, as Bryan has what I call the “Shawn Michaels gene” of a performer who will rise to the occasion on the biggest stages. It only makes sense seeing as he trained the guy, but for better or worse, Batista and Daniel Bryan will always have their careers linked for this reason. And really, the way that storyline ended ultimately allowed Batista to save face on that 2014 run.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania 30)

5. Randy Orton

Randy Orton joined Batista and Daniel Bryan in the WrestleMania 30 main event, though his origins with Batista go all the way back to the beginning of Evolution. If you recall, Randy Orton was always marketed as the World Heavyweight Champion-in waiting, while Batista came across as “muscle” more often than not. But when Orton broke off from the faction, it created an opportunity for Batista to play Orton’s role in addition to his own role as an enforcer, and the increased camera time allowed him to ascend into the main event. So coming off WrestleMania 21, it was only natural that we would eventually get Orton vs. Batista to prove which Evolution prospect had the best…well, prospects. These two feuded countless times through the years, but I just rewatched the Elimination Chamber match at New Year’s Revolution 2005, and I firmly believe that was The Animal’s star-making performance. It also featured a great promo with Batista and Orton before the match, and you could just tell how dialed in both guys were, eager to prove themselves.

Recommended Match: Elimination Chamber (New Year’s Resolution 2005)

4. Eddie Guerrero

After Triple H, there might not be a single wrestler more important to the success of Batista’s career than Eddie Guerrero. Batista reportedly had trouble assimilating to life away from Triple H and Ric Flair on SmackDown, having to prove himself to a whole new set of wrestlers. But Guerrero believed in Batista and took him under his wing without asking for anything in return. It was for this act of kindness and many others along the way that I call Eddie my favorite wrestler to this very day. And the chemistry between these two was electric. They had an ability to make you laugh, cry or flat out capture your attention depending on what the scenario called for. Guerrero had been sort of, kind of, turning face at this point, hoping to become Batista’s friend after being named No. 1 contender. Following their match at No Mercy, very much your basic wrestling match, it SEEMS as though plans called for Guerrero to eventually take the title off Batista, taking their feud to a new level while acting as a transitional champion for Randy Orton with Batista chasing him at WrestleMania 22. Sadly, Guerrero passed away before any of this could come to fruition, and Batista ended up missing WrestleMania that year with a bicep tear. But Eddie deserves his spot on this list, just for all the ways he helped push Batista into becoming the performer we know him as today.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Eddie Guerrero (No Mercy 2005)

3. The Undertaker

Batista vs. The Undertaker is the textbook way to do a babyface vs. babyface feud: rather than turning one of the wrestlers, take one sect of your fanbase (new-school fans) and turn them against the other (old-school fans) and BOOM. At the time, Batista’s ring work had come under scrutiny as recent matches fell short of living up to what he and Triple H did at Vengeance 2005. So everybody was pleasantly surprised when he and a 41-year old Undertaker tore the house down at WrestleMania 23. The entire feud was predicated on each man’s desire to run the yard on SmackDown as World Heavyweight Champion, and sometimes that’s more than enough. When Edge entered the mix, things took a real interesting turn as you now had these two superstars forced to work together (at times) against a common enemy, while also vying for the same stakes that pitted them against each other in the first place. Complex storytelling made it work in the long run, but to anyone looking for a good example of how good guy vs. good guy can work, look no further than Batista’s rivalry with the Deadman.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 23)

2. John Cena

The rivalry between John Cena and Batista was always so much more than what we saw on camera. For a long time, WWE kept the two rising stars on separate shows – and for good reason. Anticipation built for a match between the two, to a large extent without requiring any extra work on the WWE’s part. Cena and Batista were always compared, even going back to their days in OVW, and by 2005, it became the talk of the playground. Who’s the better champion? Who’s more likeable? Who could beat who in a fight? We eventually got an answer to that question at SummerSlam 2008, although their first encounter five years prior stood out most, when both icons stood tall as the final two competitors in the 2005 Royal Rumble. Batista, of course ended up victorious, but Cena went to on accrue a greater slice of the mainstream appeal pie (until Batista launched his movie career years later). This became a point of contention between the two heading into WrestleMania 26, as Batista had recently turned heel. I don’t think there could have been a better setting for these two living legends to square off at. Had Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels not caught fire again, it would have been a worthy main event to the show. And over time, this feud garnered some similar elements to that of the Eddie Guerrero-Rey Mysterio feud of 2005, with Eddie becoming more and more diabolical with each mounting loss to the good guy Mysterio. Without the John Cena feud in 2010, there is probably no final run for The Animal in 2019, as the elements of paranoia and desperation were absolutely borrowed from the character he played nearly a decade earlier.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. John Cena, I Quit Match (Over the Limit 2010)

1. Triple H

There could only be one option to occupy the top spot on this list – Triple H.

Once WWE realized what they had in Batista, a marquee match with Triple H became inevitable. Sure, an eventual Randy Orton face turn out of Evolution was always going to be there, but there weren’t any plans for Batista to follow suit – until he started to get himself over. After New Year’s Revolution ‘05, WWE started to make it loud and clear that Batista would soon follow Orton in turning on The Game, forcing a match in the main event of WrestleMania 21, my first WrestleMania, no less. That match was just okay. The definitive Batista-Triple H match came at Vengeance 2005 inside Hell in a Cell. If Batista hadn’t debuted his new theme, “I Walk Alone” by Saliva on this show, it couldn’t have been more than couple weeks old, but that entrance (and the tone of the match) is accentuated and set by Jim Ross’ call, “The world champion is about to set sail on his maiden voyage to hell.” And the dynamic he had with Triple H was just too perfect. Hunter, as a heel who hid behind his flunkies in Evolution unless the moment absolutely called for him to get his hands dirty, this time wanted a piece of his opponent – his former protégé, who had been a thorn in his side for the better part of the year. That was a powerful image, no doubt, and the match delivered in spades. For me, this is up there with the greatest Hell in a Cell matches of all time, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the A++ build we got between Batista and Triple H, The Animal’s greatest rival.

Recommended Match: Batista vs. Triple H, Hell in a Cell (Vengeance 2005)

Enjoy retirement, big man! Thanks for the memories.