Review for Batista: The Animal Unleashed

Batista: The Animal Unleased follows Batista on his return to the WWE and what he has been doing since he left. He discusses the changes in the business, the move to PG and how that will effect what he will be able to do. He talks about his MMA training and his film career including his upcoming role as Drax in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.

The forty minute documentary does not go into anything about his past or his development in the business (Though this was covered in his previous DVD set) and because of this, it does seem a little pointless. I understand that WWE wanted to show the journey of Batista on his return, but by not having the rest of the back story, if you are new and have never seen him before you may have no idea who he is. This is something even Batista comments on that he worried about. What is strange is how they try and gloss over how horrendous the reception to him winning the Rumble was and trying to pretend that he did 'deserve' the push?

I don't like Batista. I never enjoyed him as a wrestler and when I read his biography I disliked him as a person too. When he left the WWE I rejoiced that I wouldn't have to watch his awkward, lumbering matches anymore. Then in 2014 he came back and like most superstars when they come back he got a huge ovation... then he got pushed to the moon, winning the Rumble and we all turned on him.

The set comes with three disks worth of matches and depending on whether you like Batista will depend on whether you can sit through basically the same match. What is surprising is the number of TV matches opposed to PPV (again most are included on the previous set) and because of this the restrictions of being a Raw or Smackdown match such as time restraints is apparent. Though because of this at least most of the matches are ones that fans not have seen for a while.

I doubt even Batista would admit he was a great technical wrestler, but I will give him credit that he was great at that Goldberg-smash style with very little psychology. At times it makes the match exciting, though if you like the methodical style of a Daniel Bryan or CM Punk, you may dislike what you see.

An interesting match is him as 'Leviathan' against Brock Lesnar in OVW from 2001. This is a very early match from both and shows just how much raw talent was in both. I don't recall if they ever had a proper WWE match, but it does look like a perfect fit.

There is also a tag match of Reverend D-Von and Deacon Batista against Faarooq and Randy Orton, which is interesting to see the two future members of Evolution. Oddly, the only Evolution-related match is a great tag match of him and Ric Flair against RVD and Booker T which is a nice tag match and him and Flair did work well as a team.

A six man tag match of Batista, Rey Mysterio and Bobby Lashley against King Booker, Finlay and Mark Henry is almosy unwatchable and this is sad when you consider the amount of talent on display. Though thankfully we didn't have to hear Queen Sharmell screeching All Hail King Booker! Which we do get in the Triple Threat Match between Batista, King Booker and Finlay which is fine, as is the Fatal Four Way between Batista, Kane, Finlay and Mark Henry.

Batista against Shawn Michaels at One Night Stand in a Stretcher Match would have been great if they didn't have the stupid stipulation as this match never works and even with someone as great as Shawn Michaels it was just awkward to watch. Batista against CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at Great American Bash is an interesting match and not one I remembered. This is great simply for reliving CM Punk cashing in he Money in the Bank on Edge. It is such a miss-match that it shouldn't work, but it does. It's just a shame the ending is a little pointless.

Batista against Chris Jericho at Cyber Sunday was Jericho at his smuggest and best. This match also benefits from having Stone Cold as the referee. Though I will admit the messing around with the referees was a little bizarre at the end.

Batista against Randy Orton at Extreme Rules is too short to mean anything and didn't need to be in a steel cage. Though I will admit the two matches against Rey Mysterio, one from Survivor Series and then a Street Fight on Smackdown are great and much like the Punk match this dynamic shouldn't work, but it does. As does his 'I Quit' match against John Cena at Over the Limit, which would have been his last match. This is a good match and if he had gone out on this match it may have been a good last match to go out on.

However... he did come back and we get to see the horrendous performance at the Rumble. Now, I hated this Rumble and him winning was so utterly pointless. It is true that the crowd did not help this match, but surely WWE should have realised what would happen. The last match is an utterly pointless one against Alberto Del Rio from the Elimination Chamber which did nothing for either superstar.

Batista: The Animal Unleashed will be a great set for Batista fans. If you dislike Batista or only have a passing interest then there's very little on this set to recommend. I can't say that it isn't worthwhile as there is a lot of content and matches and for the most part they are enjoyable, but if you are not a fan of his the documentary will be boring and a little pointless. The set really should have been an update of the previous set, then the animal would truly be unleashed.