Source - Wrestling Observer Newsletter
"Dave Bautista, who turns 49 next month, is very serious about going back for a relatively lengthy (six months to a year) final full-time run. He doesn’t need to do it but it appears it’s something he wants to do. He’s doing well in Hollywood but the problem is if you sign with WWE, they own your contract and if something comes along, the company wanting him will have to negotiate with WWE, which makes the deal more difficult. As far as doing a thing like Goldberg or Lesnar where he works a few dates as a big attraction, that makes all the sense in the world, but he’s talking a more regular schedule.
The last time he was in WWE, he noted how much more he enjoyed doing house shows than television, so that may play into it, but he didn’t work a full house show schedule. Plus, I’m not sure what you would do if he’s there for a year as a weekly character. Jericho can get away with it, but Jericho is a far more versatile performer and more entertaining, and also Jericho doesn’t care about winning and losing and is fine working midcard away from the title scene as long as he can be creative, since he has the mentality he’ll get anything he’s in over"
I actually think this could work out relatively okay as a final run if they let Batista play a more goofy babyface and show off his comedic side.