Report: WWE Expecting Dave Batista to Return for WrestleMania 31 Match

Following the success of Dave Batista's film Guardians of the Galaxy—as film industry website Box Office Mojo notes, it has made a staggering $314 million domestically since its release on August 1 and is one of the biggest hits of the year—it would be easy to understand why some people would never expect to see him in the WWE ring again.

Coming off the Marvel film, the wrestler will no doubt be getting major offers from various film studios.

Throw in his age, his history of injuries and the fact that his return to WWE earlier this year wasn't exactly warmly received by fans, and you could easily see the star deciding wrestling isn't worth the hassle anymore.

However, according to Dave Meltzer in this week's (subscribers-only) Wrestling Observer Newsletter, people in WWE are expecting the star to return around WrestleMania season for one last run—and a program with old nemesis Triple H is apparently an option.

"It’s also expected Batista will be returning for a run toward WrestleMania, perhaps ending up as his farewell run, because he noted that at 45 (he’ll be 46 early next year), he knows his time is limited and was looking at doing a program with HHH for Mania as his farewell," Meltzer noted.

Report: WWE Expecting Dave Batista to Return for WrestleMania 31 Match

As noted, Batista's babyface run in WWE in January and February didn't live up to expectations. Would things be different if he came back as a good guy? I think so.

For one thing, fans won't resent him for trying to take Daniel Bryan's lead babyface spot this time around. He might also benefit from the overwhelming popularity of Guardians of the Galaxy.

A potential feud with Triple H sounds promising too.

As their memorable 2005 program illustrated, the pair do have a ton of chemistry, both in the ring and in interviews. They undoubtedly bring out the best in each other and could churn out something very special at WrestleMania.