Batista as the Short-Term Answer to WWE's Long-Term Problem

Batista's road to WrestleMania is leading him to the main event match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  The Animal's upcoming title shot is the result of his recent win at the company's Royal Rumble pay-per-view in which he survived among 29 other Superstars.

But thus far, Batista's path back to the top of Vince McMahon's company has been rife with controversy. Much of that controversy involves the debate on the merit of featuring former main event stars in key spots on the card.  And despite where fans fall on this issue, the fact remains that Batista is merely the short term answer to WWE's long term problem.

Truth be told, Batista's return started off pretty well.  From the moment that it was announced on WWE programming, the wrestling world was buzzing over the news.  Fans began speculating on exactly what role Batista would play in the storylines and just how he would be presented when he came back.

For those that followed WWE when Batista first worked for them, the anticipation was likely very high. After all The Animal had been a World champion, working main event matches on the worldwide stage. He was also one of the most popular Superstars that WWE had; he was a top babyface that had received his shot at stardom versus WWE's top heel in Triple H.

It was that rivalry that began Batista's career as a WWE headliner.  Evolution was just the beginning for him, as Batista had grown and become his own man in the company.

To see him back in the fold after a four year absence would have definitely satisfied his fans.  It would also have opened up a world of possibilities for dream matches against talent like Brock Lesnar.  On the surface, Batista's WWE return seemed like a great idea.

But the execution was perhaps all wrong.

The biggest reason for this is due to the fact that Daniel Bryan is currently the hottest star in WWE. Bryan was the one that many fans wanted to actually win the Rumble match, not Batista.  The goat faced underdog has been capturing the imagination of the WWE faithful since 2013, and his star has been burning brighter with each passing week.

credit: wwe.com

Fans have witnessed Bryan's struggles against The Authority since the night after SummerSlam last year, and they have supported him since that fateful moment when Triple H betrayed him.  The crowd had become emotionally invested in Daniel, and they truly wanted him to succeed on a very high level.

However, Batista no longer seemed to have that connection with fans.  While many wanted to see him come back, the fact is that it was a case of incredibly bad timing.  He has yet to really get over the way WWE surely wants him to.

Batista is just the latest example in the initial debate of the former WWE headliner versus the current WWE hopeful.

The truth is that as of right now, WWE really only has two full-time top tier talents that are trusted to carry the ball for them; John Cena and Randy Orton.  The third name on this list was CM Punk, but his unceremonious departure from the company has fans wondering exactly how long he will be gone.

credit: wwe.com

Big Show, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio are the next level, as all three Superstars have had their individual championship runs in the past.  That leaves part time Superstars like Brock Lesnar, as well as old favorites like The Rock, Undertaker and Chris Jericho, to take up the slack on the rest of the card.

That slack comes from WWE's apparent unwillingness to cultivate new main event stars for the next generation.  While The Shield, The Wyatt Family, Antonio Cesaro, Big E Langston and Titus O'Neil are all potential headliners, the fact is that each man is still a work in progress.

Meanwhile, Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, The Miz, Kofi Kingston, Wade Barrett and Ryback are basically just filling up the middle of the card.  Each Superstar has his own unique talents he brings to the table, and each man has had his own shot at main event glory.  However, none of these men have been given what many fans feel should be an extended amount of focus to truly get over on WWE's top tier.

In the midst of all this is Batista, whose return to WWE has not been well received by fans to say the least.  He is just another example of what many feel is the biggest issue in WWE today.  The Animal is just the short term answer to the company's long term problem, and that does not look to be changing anytime soon.

Until WWE decides to seriously move ahead with newer faces as top guys in the company, fans should keep expecting to see past Superstars return.  Batista is just the latest example.