WWE’s decision to bring Batista back as a SmackDown! wrestler has been deemed perplexing by those in the industry, says the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
While adding a legitimate main-event talent to the SmackDown! roster made sense given the absence of Rey Mysterio and Undertaker’s limited schedule, Batista does not appear to be the logical choice. Having returned early from his injury, Batista, too, will not be working a full road schedule and thus does not truly fill in the main-event gap on the house show circuit.
There was also general criticism over the fact that he did not work a lengthy “revenge” program with Randy Orton (they just had one blow-off match), as WWE quite graphically attributed his absence from the ring to Orton’s assault rather than an accidental injury. The feeling is that injury angles, as opposed to announcements of hiatuses for surgery, only make sense if they lead to a heated feud down the road.