Fans of World Wrestling Entertainment are buzzing with excitement about the impending return — and, moreso, eventual departure — of “The Animal” Batista.

It has been nearly four years since Batista — a tanned, tribal-tattooed, generally uninteresting sack of muscles — announced he was quitting WWE, to the widespread indifference of most viewers.

When WWE announced that Batista would be returning to the ring on the January 20 edition of Monday Night Raw, an initial flutter of excitement was replaced by a collective malaise that has become known as “Batista-fatigue” (an ailment that afflicted the majority of wrestling fans between 2002 and 2010).

“I’m already kind of sick of him, and he hasn’t even returned yet,” tweeted one fan.

“If he wins the (Royal) Rumble, I’m done with wrestling.”

During his hiatus from the WWE spotlight, Batista has appeared in a number of films that, cumulatively, have garnered almost one star from film critics. He also defeated an overweight man in a mixed martial arts fight that 17 people saw.

It is rumored that Batista has signed a long-term deal with WWE, though most fans are hoping that’s just typically unreliable dirtsheet reporting.

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