The only way was up for Batista once he moved to Raw from SmackDown, and became a member of Evolution. It was only a matter of time before Batista became one of the most polarizing stars in WWE history. The Animal may not be an in-ring technician like Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels but he knew how to put on a show.
Batista is a six-time WWE World Champion, and he was meant to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020 but that was curtailed due to coronavirus. He was going to be inducted in 2021 but declined as he wanted to be inducted with a full crowd present. Nevertheless, the sure-fire WWE Hall of Famer's 10 best matches as rated by fans on Cagematch.net were definitely watchable affairs.
10 Batista Vs. John Cena - Extreme Rules 2010 (Rating: 8.14)
Both Batista and John Cena's careers are intertwined after they captured their first World Titles at WrestleMania 21 signaling a changing of the guard. They rekindled their feud in 2010, and Batista was seeking to regain the WWE Championship in a Last Man Standing match against Cena at Extreme Rules.
They had great chemistry together in a hard-hitting brawl with both men having a refusal to stay down. However, Cena expertly tied Batista's feet to the ring post with duct tape with Batista helpless to fight his way out of it. Thus, Cena retained the WWE Championship in an enthralling match.
9 Batista Vs. The Undertaker - Survivor Series 2007 (Rating: 8.30)
Batista and The Undertaker had the feud of the year in 2007 with four high-profile World Heavyweight Title encounters on pay-per-view. They collided once again at Survivor Series in Undertaker's specialty, the Hell in a Cell match with Batista entering the Devil's favorite playground as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion.
As expected they hit a home run with neither man backing down in an exceptional contest. Both were at the top of their games which made the quality of their matches second to none. Ultimately, The Deadman was closing in on another World Title reign but Edge returned and nailed Undertaker with a con-chair-to. Batista took advantage and hung onto his World Heavyweight Title by a thread.
8 Royal Rumble Match - Royal Rumble 2008 (Rating: 8.39)
The 2008 Royal Rumble match was star-studded with the likes of Batista, Triple H, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and a returning John Cena all involved in this titular bout. The Animal was looking to score his second Royal Rumble match victory, and he joined the fray as the eighth entrant.
Nothing less than a Royal Rumble triumph would sit well with Batista as he was determined to be World Champion once again. He had a respectable performance as he eliminated Tommy Dreamer, Umaga, Mr. Kennedy and Kane with some help from Triple H. Batista reached the final three alongside Cena and The Game but his former Evolution member removed him from the match with Cena going on to win.
7 Royal Rumble Match - Royal Rumble 2005 (Rating: 8.41)
The Royal Rumble match has been a catalyst for many stars to become involved in the main event title picture. Batista was on the cusp of attaining his goal of becoming World Champion for some time, and he entered the 2005 Royal Rumble match as the 28th participant.
Drawing a late number was significant for Batista and he tore through the field with ease. The Animal eliminated six wrestlers in a cameo that lasted just under 11 minutes in an extraordinary performance. Batista and Cena botched the finish but the match was restarted with Batista tossing over Cena to book his place in the main event of WrestleMania 21.
6 Batista Vs. The Undertaker - WrestleMania 23 (Rating: 8.58)
Batista and The Undertaker were far from happy with their positioning on the WrestleMania 23 card but they turned their frustration into having the match of the night. Undertaker won the 2007 Royal Rumble match, and he was looking to convert his Rumble triumph into the World Heavyweight Championship.
They pulled out all of the stops in a barnburner of a match which is arguably the best match of Batista's career. They went back and forth, and Batista put Undertaker through the announce table. Ultimately, The Phenom weathered the storm and nailed Batista with a jaw-dropping Tombstone Piledriver to become a five-time World Champion and going 15-0 at 'Mania.
5 Batista Vs. The Undertaker - Backlash 2007 (Rating: 8.71)
As expected, Batista invoked his mandatory rematch for a shot at The Undertaker's World Heavyweight Championship in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash 2007. This was truly a rivalry that did both men favors as they were both big men who could operate at a high level.
Undertaker and Batista battled around the arena making full use of the Last Man Standing stipulations. It encapsulates the greatness of both to keep the fans heavily engaged with both having their respective fans. Nonetheless, Batista had a great showing but he was unfortunate to not walk away with the World Heavyweight Title as he nailed Undertaker with a devastating Spear off the stage. Neither man could answer the count of 10 with Undertaker retaining.
4 Evolution Vs. The Shield - Extreme Rules 2014 (Rating: 8.80)
Shortly after WrestleMania XXX, Batista, Randy Orton, and Triple H reunited Evolution. The three former World Champions engaged in a brief but memorable rivalry with The Shield. Nonetheless, the battle lines were drawn when the two factions clashed in a high-profile six-man tag team match at Extreme Rules 2014.
The match was exceptional as expected and they hit a home run with all six men working well together. The Shield had the support from the fans but it wasn't a successful return for Evolution with The Shield picking up one of the biggest wins in their careers.
3 Batista Vs. Randy Orton Vs. Daniel Bryan - WrestleMania XXX (Rating: 8.83)
There would have been a riot if Batista and Randy Orton closed out WrestleMania XXX for the WWE Championship. That did not materialize with Daniel Bryan defeating Triple H in one of the best opening matches in the history of WrestleMania to make it a triple threat match in the main event.
Batista and Orton formed a mini-Evolution reunion of some sort as they worked as a cohesive unit to remove Bryan from the equation. They momentarily got him out of the match as they executed a picture-perfect RKO and Batista Bomb combination with Bryan crashing through the announce table. Ultimately, Bryan's persistence paid off as he returned and forced The Animal to submit to the Yes Lock.
2 Batista Vs. Randy Orton Vs. Triple H Vs. Chris Benoit Vs. Edge Vs. Chris Jericho - New Year's Revolution 2005 (Rating: 9.13)
Batista had a golden opportunity to capture his first World Heavyweight Championship in the Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution 2005. The title was vacant but standing in Batista's way was Randy Orton, his Evolution stablemate Triple H, Chris Benoit, Edge, and Chris Jericho. Shawn Michaels had a close-up view of the action as the special guest referee.
Nevertheless, Batista entered the match last and he had a big say on proceedings once he got involved. He eliminated both Benoit and Jericho. Orton stopped Batista in his tracks with an RKO and The Game could have broken up the fall but opted not to. The Cerebral Assassin went on to prevail in a superb match.
1 Batista Vs. Triple H - Vengeance 2005 (Rating: 9.20)
The rivalry between Batista and Triple H finally culminated inside Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship at Vengeance 2005. This was one of the best Hell in a Cell matches in WWE history in a violent contest.
Both wore the proverbial crimson mask, and a steel chair wrapped into barbed wire was used. Triple H bled from the mouth after Batista nailed The Game square in his throat with The Game's trademark sledgehammer. Triple H thought that he became an 11-time World Champion but Batista narrowly kicked out of the Pedigree. Ultimately, Batista sealed the deal with a devastating Batista Bomb.