Gotham/GC Images
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Batista Talks Temptation to End Retirement
WWE legend Batista wrestled his final match in 2019, but he admitted this week that he still gets the itch to get back in the ring.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Batista talked about the allure of returning to pro wrestling, but also noted that he doesn't want to ruin what he feels was the ideal ending to his in-ring career:
"The way I wanted to go out was like a dream for me; it was perfect and romantic. Wrestlers don't usually get to choose their exit, but I did. I went out on my own terms, with the opponent I wanted, and I will never tarnish that.
"It's not that I don't miss it—I do. I miss the crowd, the energy, and I dream about walking out and hearing my entrance music. But I know that if I were to do that, I would just tarnish my storybook ending, and I'm just not willing to do that. There's always temptation because I miss it, and every time I hear my music, I want that feeling again. It's like a drug, pure adrenaline that I will never get anywhere else. I just have to come to terms with the fact that my time has passed."
The Animal's final match occurred at WrestleMania 35 against Triple H, who is Batista's longtime friend and played a massive role in the success of his career.
When Triple H started the Evolution stable, Batista was one of the two young, up-and-coming stars Triple H and Ric Flair chose for the group along with Randy Orton.
In the years that followed, Batista and Triple H were both on-screen partners and rivals, so it was poetic for Batista to go out against him.
The match also proved to be the final WrestleMania bout of Triple H's illustrious career, which adds even more meaning to it.
Now, the 55-year-old Batista is a huge star in the acting world, making him one of the most successful transitions from WWE to Hollywood, along with the likes of The Rock and John Cena.
It sounds as though wrestling will always be in Batista's blood, but he has nothing left to prove in that business and should have more than enough interest to stay busy as an actor.
Owens' WWE Contract Reportedly Expiring in Near Future
Kevin Owens signed a new contract with WWE in 2022, but that deal is reportedly set to expire soon.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestleTalk), KO's WWE contract will run up in early 2025, meaning he may have only a few months left on the deal at this point.
Meltzer added that when Owens signed the contract in 2022, it was considered "huge" at the time since it would pay him $2.25 million in 2022, $2.5 million in 2023 and $3 million in 2024.
However, Meltzer added that pro wrestling contracts have escalated even more since then, which means Owens could potentially be in line for another raise.
Earlier this week, Owens confirmed to Rick Ucchino of SI.com's The Takedown that there has been no change in his contractual status, meaning he has yet to sign a new one.
That doesn't necessarily mean Owens will go elsewhere or that he even wants to, but due to the competitive landscape in pro wrestling created by the emergence of AEW, wrestlers hopping between companies is always a possibility.
Owens has some close friends in AEW, including executive vice presidents The Young Bucks, so it wouldn't be hard for him to send out feelers if he wants to see what kind of deal he could get outside of WWE.
With that said, he has been part of WWE since 2014, is in the same company as his best friend in Sami Zayn and has been a consistent presence in angles of significance in WWE for most of his tenure.
Case in point, Owens will challenge Cody Rhodes for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Bash in Berlin on Saturday.
Although Owens is not expected to win, facing Rhodes could conceivably be the catalyst behind a heel turn, which is a big storyline that could allow WWE to reaffirm its faith in KO as a top star as the conclusion of his contract nears.
Cross Reportedly Re-Signs with WWE
A crucial component of the new Wyatt Sicks stable is reportedly set to remain in WWE for the foreseeable future.
According to Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), Nikki Cross reportedly signed a new, multi-year contract with WWE.
Cross, 35, has had a roller-coaster career of sorts in WWE ever since joining the promotion back in 2016.
She initially found success in the stable known as Sanity in NXT, but when the group was called up to the main roster in 2018, she was not part of it, and it wasn't long before Sanity broke up.
Cross ultimately did establish herself as a fixture in the women's tag team division, winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships three times. Two of them came with Alexa Bliss as her partner and the other was with Rhea Ripley.
She eventually gave her character a huge makeover, dressing as a superhero and renaming herself Nikki A.S.H.
That resulted in Cross winning the women's Money in the Bank ladder match and successfully cashing in the contract to become Raw women's champion, but her reign lasted only about a month, and it wasn't long before she was essentially off television.
After rarely being used in 2023, Cross was thrown a lifeline of sorts this year with the formation of the Wyatt Sicks, which is a group honoring the late Bray Wyatt.
Led by Wyatt's brother, Bo Dallas, the Wyatt Sicks also includes Cross, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and cross.
After weeks of teases, the Wyatt Sicks debuted in impactful fashion in June, and they have been a consistent presence on Raw ever since.
Cross hasn't had a match yet since the formation of the Wyatt Sicks, but her mere presence as a creepy character has added a lot to the stable, and it has seemingly brought her back to her Sanity roots in many ways.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.
