WWE seems to be building towards a WrestleMania 35 dream match between Batista and Triple H, so will “The Animal” appear on next week’s episode of Raw after crashing Ric Flair’s birthday party?
Though WWE fans were aware that Batista would be backstage in Atlanta during Raw this week, few could have anticipated his actions during Ric Flair’s 70th birthday celebration. It seemed like the segment would be used to further the rivalry between Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and (well, now, former) Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
Instead, Flair never showed up to the ring, and Becky never returned after being arrested earlier in the night. No, this segment was all about Batista and Triple H, as the former superstar made his second appearance in WWE since his return at the 1000th episode of SmackDown in his hometown of Washington D.C., using this appearance to take out the Nature Boy.
Batista beat the hell out of Flair in his dressing room, dragged his unconscious body outside, and called out Triple H, calling back to the seed he planted last October with his scathing promo on WWE’s “COO”.
PWInsider.com’s Mike Johnson reports that Batista will be back on Raw next week in another major wrestling city in Philadelphia, presumably to escalate the tensions between him and his former Evolution stablemate even further.
It’s been no secret that Batista has wanted to return to WWE for one final run and a program with Triple H, which wouldn’t come at the expense of any of the roster’s young talent. Based on his attack of Flair, it seems like he’ll be back as a heel, but, well, it’s hard to see the WWE Universe booing Batista over Triple H this time. After all, while Batista was booed because of Daniel Bryan’s popularity in his last stint with WWE during WrestleMania 30, it was Triple H who was Bryan’s most reviled nemesis.
Next week’s show in Philadelphia should give the WWE Universe more clarity after a wild, well-executed angle in Atlanta during the Nature Boy’s crashed party.