WrestleMania 32 will go on without "The Animal."
Batista has turned down a role to return to the WWE for the biggest show of the year on April 3 at AT&T Stadium in Texas, according to PWInsider. There were plans in place for the wrestler-turned-movie star to return in a guest referee capacity -- likely for the rumored Triple H vs. Roman Reigns main event -- but he declined.
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"The Animal" appeared backstage at the SmackDown tapings in Tampa, Fla., last week, but when Vince McMahon approached him with the idea, he turned it down. The impression was reportedly given that Batista didn't want to return just for the sake of appearing and if and when he comes back, he'll hope for a more important role.
This could be a sign that Batista, whose star is beginning to rise as an actor in Hollywood, is flat-out done with the WWE. Or perhaps, he wants a role like The Rock had when he came back into the fold and got to insinuate that he had sex with Lana right in front of her real-life fiancé Rusev on national television.
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Batista has made it known that he felt a little salty over what transpired the last time he returned to the WWE. The six-time World Heavyweight Champion came back in 2014 after a four-year absence and won the Royal Rumble Match.
Reports then surfaced that the WWE planned on having Batista defeat Randy Orton in the main event of WrestleMania XXX to win the WWE's top prize, but the plans were nixed. The crowd revolted against Batista and a groundswell of support for Daniel Bryan became too much for the WWE to ignore.
The company opted to make the main event a Triple Threat Match, and "The Beard" had a crowning moment that night in New Orleans instead of Batista. The "Guardians of the Galaxy" star wasn't given what he was promised, and his temporary hiatus in June became a permanent one.
After his role as Drax the Destroyer in "Guardians" put him on the map, Batista landed several roles for more movies, and is involved in at least four projects due to come out this year.
It seems Batista turning down an appearance at WrestleMania could be yet another sign that he's distancing himself from the WWE.
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