The expression “Superstar” is frequently thrown around by commentary team of World Wrestling Entertainment. Jim Ross, Jerry “The King” Lawler, and Michael Cole use this phrase over and over again. That’s because it is, of course, the official phrase used to distinguish WWE on air wrestling talent. Superstar is used for all of the sports entertainers, no matter if you are John Cena, Triple H, or the long since released Billy Gunn. WWE legend Mick Foley expressed in his second autobiography that this seemed to be a faulty, and somewhat humorous way to label the wrestlers.
Of the many wrestlers who the majority feel deserve this moniker, I feel there is one in particular that appears as very intriguing. I feel there is one who comes across as being somewhat difficult to completely figure out. That man is The Animal himself, Batista.
Batista is, unquestionably, one of the biggest stars in WWE right now. His place in WWE’s main event scene is well established. However, upon closer inspection, you will see that Batista’s appeal with the audience is not so obvious. The guy has a chiseled physique, but so do a lot of professional wrestlers. He’s not a great talker, and in fact, really only gets by on the microphone. His wrestling ability is far from being the best in the business.
So then, how do you explain the appeal of this man with WWE fans? How do you explain how Batista can get such strong crowd reactions, despite not being all that much out of the ordinary?
One reason my be that Batista comes across as being a down to earth, regular guy. A real man’s man that fans can connect with. When you look at the WWE main event scene, you’ll see that it is full of wrestlers who have become embedded within the over the top nature of professional wrestling. Triple H is a mastermind who is consumed with holding a World Championship. John Cena is a former rapper and is caught up with the hip-hop culture. Nothing needs to be said about The Undertaker. While there are some wrestlers who are not so over the top, Batista really comes across the best as someone fans can relate with.
He’s not really a flashy guy. He comes out, poses for a good scene while the pyros go off, and just has a great deal of passion and intensity for getting his job done. He wants to bust his ass to beat the Undertaker, Randy Orton, or whoever he may face that night. I’m willing to bet that the average man does not dance around like Shawn Michaels, nor are they so consumed with top tier success like Triple H. Batista just tries to get the job done.
However, it also doesn’t hurt that Batista has been booked very well over the years. How many people can say they have pinned Triple H three times on three consecutive pay per vies? How many people have beaten John Cena cleanly? That is a very short list, indeed.
He manages to convey a large amount of intensity in the ring, which obviously gets cheers from the crowd. A guy who is an every day man and working hard with unbridled intensity is something a lot of fans can relate to. He’s not the Ultimate Warrior in terms of intensity, bit very few people are.
He’s not the best wrestler in WWE, nor is he really one of the better performers in the company. But, as it has been historically proven, you don’t always need to be the best in ring performer to be successful. John Cena, while I feel he is underrated, is not a Bret Hart by any means. And of course, nothing needs to be said about Hulk Hogan.
The word Superstar is used to refer to WWE sports entertainers. While it may seem odd to use that expression with regards to some wrestlers, it is almost certain that Batista fits the bill. However, it may not be so easy to figure out WHY. What attributes does he have that make him such a success? He may be a true superstar because he is a down to earth guy, has intensity that people can relate to and root for, and even though he’s not always a great wrestler, he has the tools to overcome that. He may be tough to figure out, but after analyzing the Animal, you may be able to see how he can earn such a following.
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