WWE Missed Opportunities: Brock Lesnar vs. Batista
At WWE Hell in a Cell, John Cena defeated Randy Orton to earn a shot at reclaiming the WWE World title from Brock Lesnar.
Whenever that match takes place, it will almost certainly be on a WWE pay-per-view event, which will mark the fifth time the two stars have battled on a big stage.
WWE has recognized the potential of a feud between these two men as it pits one of the biggest heroes in company history against one of its most disliked villains.
And though Lesnar and Cena were destined to clash from the moment they entered WWE, there was another battle that seemed like it had to happen—yet it hasn't.
That would be a match pitting Lesnar against Batista.
These two men joined WWE at roughly the same time. They both signed with the company back in the year 2000, joining Ohio Valley Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory at that time.
Both men debuted on the main roster in 2002, and though they were booked in totally different directions, it wasn't hard to imagine a future clash between the two hulking Superstars.
These thoughts became even more relevant after the two men began to have quick success in the company. Lesnar would defeat The Rock to become the youngest WWE champion of all time. Though Batista waited a little longer, he too would reach the top of the mountain.
Lesnar kept to himself for the most part, allowing Paul Heyman to speak for him. Batista would go on to become part of one of the most influential groups in WWE history—Evolution.
Batista was the muscle of the group, defending Triple H, Ric Flair and Randy Orton. This helped him rise to the top of WWE, setting the stage for him to be one of the company's major players.
A match with Lesnar would be huge money for WWE. It had to know that, but it probably wanted to wait for the perfect time, most likely at a WrestleMania.
Only that never happened, mainly because Lesnar decided to part ways with the company.
Brock Lesnar's Departure
Right after WrestleMania 20, Lesnar decided to end his WWE tenure. Due to a combination of a rigorous travel schedule and wanting to pursue other interests, Lesnar walked away from a company that clearly saw him as a major asset.
Lesnar's departure was highly disappointing as he certainly had the tools to be one of the most decorated Superstars of all time.
To fill the void, WWE wouldn't have to look far.
Batista Rises to Power
With Lesnar out of the picture, Batista moved into an even larger role. He would go on to win the WWE World Championship at WrestleMania 21.
Batista would grow into one of WWE's most popular Superstars, and plenty of success would follow.
He went on to have great feuds with guys like Triple H, Undertaker, Edge and Cena.
Batista had faced every major name WWE had on its roster during his tenure—all except for one.
Sadly, the idea of a match with Lesnar would soon be forgotten. Finally, in May 2010, Batista left the company.
Brock Lesnar Returns
The night after WrestleMania 28, Lesnar made a shocking return to WWE. In a scene many fans may have thought they'd never witness again, Lesnar was on Monday Night Raw, attacking Cena.
While he was out of WWE, Lesnar managed to become the UFC heavyweight champion. This made the list of WWE Superstars who could legitimately be placed up against Lesnar very short.
But during his absence from WWE, Batista had chosen to get involved in mixed martial arts as well. While he didn't come close to achieving the level of success that Lesnar did, it did make a potential matchup between the two even more appealing.
Lesnar would go on to have battles with Cena and Triple H, but it became clear he would only be getting in the ring for matches against the bigger names in the company.
Could the Match Still Happen?
In January 2014, Batista made his long-awaited return to WWE. After re-introducing himself to viewers, he took part in the 2014 Royal Rumble match.
Batista would go on to win the match, the second Royal Rumble victory of his career.
That also meant he was in the main event at WrestleMania 30, free to face whoever the WWE World champion was. The WWE still had several weeks to come up with a plan to put the title on Lesnar.
Had it gone this route, Undertaker may very well still be undefeated at WrestleMania. That's obviously a moot point now.
Instead, WWE went a different direction, placing Batista in a Triple Threat match with Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan.
Yes, a valid argument can be made that Batista and Lesnar—two part-time competitors—should not headline WrestleMania. However, there have been fans who have waited over a decade to see the match take place.
After losing his match at WrestleMania 30, Batista hung around WWE until June 2014 before taking another indefinite leave of absence. He was written out of storylines in order to promote the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, which he starred in.
Since then, Lesnar has run roughshod over the WWE roster. Not only did he end Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania, but he dominated Cena at SummerSlam in a manner WWE fans had never seen.
Currently the WWE champion, Lesnar is waiting for his next challenge.
Still, it seems like WWE missed out on the chance to have this match not just once but twice. After Lesnar left in 2004, it seemed like the only way we'd ever see them go at it might be in a mixed martial arts cage.
But when Lesnar and Batista decided to resume their WWE careers, placing them both under contract together for the first time in nearly 10 years, WWE should have jumped at the chance to make the match.
No matter what, this potential match wouldn't be as good as it could have been back in 2004. But now that Batista is out of WWE and a date for a return is a guess at best, one has to wonder if it will ever happen at all.
Perhaps the match is best left to the imagination of the WWE fans after all.
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