7 underwhelming WWE returns

#2 Batista - 2014

BOOtista

After being one of the biggest superstars in wrestling for the previous five years, multi-time WWE Champion and World Champion Batista returned to WWE in January 2014.

Around the same time as his return to WWE RAW, it had been leaked out that Batista was the planned winner of the 2014 Royal Rumble, and fans were not happy. The big problem for The Animal was that he returned during the era of Daniel Bryan. WWE had portrayed Bryan as a B + player who would never be 'The Guy' in WWE, and his build-up had been perfect for winning the Royal Rumble and headlining WrestleMania, it was like hand in glove.

So upon Batista's victory at the Royal Rumble, the babyface was loudly booed in a reaction that can still be heard today. WWE were forced to turn Batista heel and he lost at WrestleMania and had a couple more high profile losses before departing WWE in early June.

When most people are making a list like this, they would probably rank Batista's return as the number #1 worst return ever. However, I don't think it was a complete failure because, at the very least, Batista did provide us with three of 2014's best WWE matches. His Triple Threat with Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania was superb, and the two Evolution vs. The Shield matches were fantastic too.