Evaluating Batista's Best Booking Options If He Returns to WWE

Batista is one of the latest WWE Superstars whom many fans believe could be headed back to the company sometime soon. The six-time world champion has not been on Raw since June of 2014, and considering the company's penchant for leaning on former top Superstars to sell events, perhaps The Animal will be the next man back.

But the question of booking is always an issue, of course, and that will surely come into play here. What is a guy like Batista to do in a company that is lacking main event talent but not yet fully moving forward with the next generation of stars?

Common sense says he could slide right back in as he did before, having his run of the place and heading straight into the main event of WrestleMania. After all, he's apparently not burned any bridges with the McMahons. Vince McMahon reportedly met with the Animal backstage at Royal Rumble to pitch ideas for a return, as reported by Ryan Satin of ProWrestlingSheet.com, so why not fast-track him again?  

Therein lays one of the primary points that must be addressed for Batista.

Bring him back as a babyface

When Batista returned two years ago to WWE, he did so in great fashion. His comeback was hyped, he looked good and he seemed ready to take on the world. He even got on his knees and kissed the mat out of respect, obviously very happy to be back in the ring.

But it all went downhill after that.

WWE fans were completely absorbed in Daniel Bryan, and anyone who could potentially stop him from reaching the top was considered the enemy. When it became clear that Batista was back to challenge Randy Orton for the title, fans saw the writing on the wall.

They turned on Batista as if they never knew him.

But that WWE is not the one Batista would be coming back to now. Bryan is still on the shelf, and many fans have grown tired of the constant speculation on his future. Roman Reigns is the most embattled babyface since John Cena, and Cena himself is not in the picture right now.

Batista would likely have a much easier time adapting now than he did before, and it all begins with him coming back as a protagonist.

The goodwill he now carries with him from Guardians of the Galaxy would surely be enough to get a positive reaction from WWE crowds. His acting career thus far has been very successful, as he has indeed become a legit star in Hollywood.

This time, the ego must be gone. He can't look down his nose at fans and get upset if they did decide to turn on him again. As long as he stays humble and is put in the right spots against the right heels, he should get over as a face.

WWE is sorely lacking when it comes to bankable babyfaces, and Batista could step in and change that.

Versus The Authority

Batista's last run led many to believe he would be in direct opposition to his former mentor and best friend, Triple H. The Animal seemed to be on the right side of the fans, which meant he was on the wrong side of The Authority.

But then the heel turn happened, and that avenue was not fully explored further. However, that could change if he came back again.

Triple H is now the WWE world heavyweight champion, which means he's calling the shots on every level. The fact that his title win came after booking himself in the last Royal Rumble spot and after Roman Reigns was destroyed by The League of Nations would only provide ammunition for Batista.

Watching The Game use others to do his dirty work, manipulating them to get what he wants, would surely cause Batista to have major flashbacks to his time in Evolution. Once again, Hunter would not be working to earn his rewards but would instead be using everyone around him to get what he wants.

Batista would have no reason to align himself with Roman Reigns other than a mutual dislike for Hunter's methods and a mutual respect for each other earned in 2014. But that would be enough to see the two team against Sheamus and Rusev, two heels who are very easily hated.

Of course, the heat between Batista and Triple H would eventually boil over at some point, which means a title match could perhaps be in their future. That match may or may not have a chance of happening at WrestleMania, but if it didn't, maybe it could actually happen on Monday Night Raw.

WWE could always use a ratings boost, and a title match between these two could be it. 

It could end with a run-in, in disqualification or with a double count-out. The belt does not have to change hands for the match, or Batista, to get over.

Unleash The Animal

Batista is referred to as The Animal, a nickname he was given during his first successful run in WWE. That nickname connotes power, intensity and unbridled rage, things that he was sorely lacking last time.

But that should change if and when there is a next time.

Fans respond to power, they respond to the visceral emotion it evokes, and it works practically every time. Once the crowd senses a guy losing control yet taking control of the ring at the same time and taking out every heel that crosses him, it's an instant pop.

It's the same approach that worked for Goldberg, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, and it would definitely work with Batista now. Watching him single-handedly devastate The League of Nations, The Miz, The New Day and anyone else who got in his way would surely get him over and bring the house down at the same time.

Batista could perhaps be presented as just a Superstar this time, a guy who wants one more run in the company before calling it a day on his wrestling career. He may not even be looking for a fight, but one could find him anyway. He may want to stay out of The Authority's way and just work his match, but somehow the faction could end up in his business.

Maybe Batista would be content just to wrestle and reconnect with the fans who helped make him a success. But inevitably, he would be forced into a situation that would make him snap.

The Animal would be unleashed, and the end result would be destruction on an epic scale.

Bring on The Beast

Brock Lesnar is king of the WWE jungle and has been for quite some time. He is the one who crushes Superstars underfoot, the one who comes in like a hurricane and wreaks havoc in the ring. No one can best him, and very few could ever hope to even slow him down.

This is the match that many believe is meant to happen, the only one that is even logical at this point. Batista versus Brock, two titans of WWE, in a slugfest to end all slugfests. This would be Drax the Destroyer versus Doomsday, with ultimate bragging rights hanging in the balance.

Whoever won this match would officially be the baddest man in WWE.

But the problem is that no one gets over on Brock Lesnar. In one night, he took away the work WWE had done to get Roman Reigns over, and now Roman couldn't be farther away from the top spot. He practically dominated The Undertaker in their feud, to the point that Taker couldn't win a match without taking a cheap shot.

Every time he's on the card, he's the most popular guy and gets the loudest pop. Facing him would not be easy and would likely heel Batista out the moment it happened.

Any popularity Batista would've brought with him because of his movie career would be out the window. Being on the wrong side of Triple H wouldn't help him. Clearing the ring of heels wouldn't make a difference. The moment he laid hands on Brock, Batista would be booed out of the building.  

But if Batista were to come back to WWE, whether it was now or later, Brock Lesnar would be the ideal opponent for him. There's really no way around it, and there are so many ways to build the match that it would really work on every level.

They came up together, they have similar gimmicks, each man has MMA training and each man has had the reputation of being money first or money last. It's one of the last great dream matches, and if it's going to happen, then it should happen when all parties involved could make the most money on the most visible platform possible.

That platform is WrestleMania, and now the only question is: Will it actually happen?

Tom Clark can regularly be found on Bleacher Report and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Windows Phone, Amazon Android and online here