On April 8th, 2019, actor Dave Bautista, better known to the WWE Universe as Batista, publicly stated that his match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35 would be his last professional wrestling match and that he was retiring from the sport. ‘The Animal’ posted on his Instagram and Twitter account, "To all the WWE fans across the world that gave me the opportunity to suspend your disbelief, thank you... I am officially retiring from Sports Entertainment.” The six-time World Champion has also publicly stated that he'd rather go broke than wrestle ever again, saying, "I'll go and do manual labor before I tarnish that. If I go broke again, I know what it's like to be poor. I don't like being poor, but I know what it's like. I will go f***ing broke and be poor before I ever go back to wrestling. I will never wrestle again." However, Batista recently shared that he’s been cast as the main character, Kratos, in the God of War series, which will be coming to Amazon Prime in 2027, and he stated he gained 20 pounds of muscle just to play the Spartan demigod. Even with his constant public denials about ever heading to the squared circle again, it has been speculated that ‘The Animal’ could potentially make an appearance at the 2027 Royal Rumble.
While those speculations could just be to hype up nostalgia, there is some sense in seeing Batista finally appear back in WWE, even if it’s just for the Royal Rumble. First, ‘The Animal’ is gearing up for his role as Kratos, where he will certainly look to be in peak physical condition. In WWE, the six-time World Champion has always been admired for his physique, with many admitting Batista has one of the best physiques in WWE history. So seeing ‘The Animal’ in his best physical condition in some time could change his mind about being back in the ring. Secondly, WWE’s premium live events air on ESPN, although they are owned by Disney, which would promote its own streaming services such as Disney+ or Hulu; however, if Amazon Prime pays for advertising for the show alongside Batista appearing in the Royal Rumble, it could help both markets see a boatload of cash. Having millions of eyeballs watching the ads for the God of War series could help Amazon Prime get the viewership they're looking for while Disney gets to air one of the biggest Royal Rumble returns of all time. This leads into the third point, where seeing Batista return at the 2027 Royal Rumble will have the crowd in Glendale, Arizona, going bonkers while everyone at home in awe of who has finally arrived back to WWE. It may be the biggest Rumble return ever due to the huge movie star ‘The Animal’ has become, from his success in The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Knock at the Cabin, Dune, Blade Runner 2049, and more.
When Batista filmed Knock at the Cabin, he bulked up to 315 pounds for the role. After filming, the six-time World Champion felt uncomfortable being that weight and wanted to feel healthier and look more natural on screen. Since then, ‘The Animal’ has lost 70 pounds, dropping to 240, but has now started putting muscle weight back on for the role of Kratos. WWE fans may not have been happy with Batista’s last match against Triple H; however, ‘The Animal’ is happy with it, and we’ve accepted that as time has gone on. Depending on what number you are in the Royal Rumble, the Rumble may not even seem like an actual match, considering how short a time some superstars have lasted. Potentially putting the six-time World Champion at the 30th entry would bring even more shock value to the show. Batista doesn’t even have to stay in the ring more than five minutes; seeing him back would ignite the entire crowd in Arizona and bring a moment the WWE Universe would never forget.
‘The Animal’ has brought so many memorable moments to WWE over the years. Batista appearing in the Royal Rumble, even if it’s just this one and one time only would bring so many emotions out for many fans. The 2027 Royal Rumble, which is the 40th annual Royal Rumble, could be one of the best in history if all goes right. Having the six-time World Champion a part of the show would only captivate an audience that has enjoyed his films and roles in Hollywood but has starved to see ‘The Animal’ back in the ring.
