While Batista ponders a return to WWE for WrestleMania 35, he's leaving no stone unturned and met with one of AEW's top talents.
In a photo that was released Tuesday on Instagram, Batista can be seen posing beside Chris Jericho as the two were buddies, potentially speaking about what an appearance by Batista in All Elite Wrestling could do for the upstart wrestling promotion. It has been reported that Dave Bautista has been speaking with both WWE and AEW about a possible return to the ring, many likely expecting a WWE return at WrestleMania 35 was more likely. While it hasn't been confirmed Batista was meeting with Jericho to talk business, it is being speculated this meeting coincided with a meeting with the Khan family about an AEW contract.
Jericho wrote, "Killer hang with my bro @davebautista today! Had a great chat..." The post was flooded with comments assuming this was a sign Batista was close to an AEW deal but no reports have surfaced from either AEW or WWE as it relates to where they stand on any contract talks.
What This Means
If Batista is really in talks with AEW, it will be interesting to see how WWE approaches this. Will they work with Batista at WrestleMania and then let him move on over to AEW to show up for the Double or Nothing pay-per-view in May? Would WWE rather him not be a part of that show and ultimately sign him to a longer contract? Could WWE get frustrated with the fact Batista is even considering AEW, will let him go there and not compete by offering him more money?
The fact that AEW even exists now and has money to back up their talent acquisitions makes the potential battle between the two wrestling companies interesting. If Batista does go AEW, it has to be considered a big win for them, even if he shows up at WrestleMania 35.