Dave Bautista set to return to WWE Raw this week
In what is shaping up to be a big night with returning stars, our Dave Meltzer is reporting that former WWE champion and budding movie star Dave Bautista will make his return to WWE Raw Monday.
Meltzer is told Bautista is backstage at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA, but is being kept hidden.
One would assume that the kickoff for a long-discussed HHH vs. Bautista match for WresleMania would be the impetus for his return tonight with the big holdup being HHH’s recovery from a torn pectoral suffered at Crown Jewel. On a recent NXT TakeOver conference call, HHH said he was cleared to begin training as his rehab was complete.
Recently, Meltzer and others reported that both WWE and AEW were interested in the Guardians of the Galaxy star’s services, but he later confirmed that AEW wasn’t going to be a reality.
Currently scheduled for Raw is the return of Roman Reigns and an expected positive announcement on his recovery from leukemia in addition to Ric Flair’s 70th birthday celebration. Shawn Michaels teased on social media that he would be on the show, and Wrestling Inc. reported that Sting and Ricky Steamboat are also backstage.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.