By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

WWE star Batista says he was originally brought back to TV the night after WrestleMania for a non-wrestling role for several weeks. He was not scheduled for the Judgment Day PPV card to challenge Randy Orton for the WWE Title.

Instead of WWE bringing him back slowly after a serious leg injury, Batista says WWE decided to utilize him as a regularly-scheduled wrestler after the tremendous crowd reaction he received for his return.

"WWE said, 'we need you in there wrestling, the crowd really missed you. So, I'm back on full duty," Batista told the U.K. Sun. "I was just going to be on television until the end of May, but I'm back full-time."

WWE pulled the trigger on the Orton vs. Batista feud for Judgment Day and Batista says he's looking forward to working with Orton.

"Orton and I had a really good thing going before I got injured. Orton's really come into his own. I think he is definitely going to be the future of sports entertainment," Batista said. "To watch him mature in ring and to watch him become the entertainer that he is has been amazing to me."

Batista and Orton's maturity in the wrestling business is traced back to being part of Evolution with Triple H and Ric Flair. Batista says it's heart-breaking to him that more younger wrestlers aren't trying to learn from veterans with the knowledge they need to become bigger stars for WWE.

"You see these kids coming in out of developmental camps, all they do is hang around each other, they don't hook up with the guy who has been in the business a long time and try to pick his brains. To me it's heartbreaking," Batista said. "The tradition of storytelling in the ring is being lost. The psychological part of sports entertainment is being lost."

Batista is encouraged by Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, Jr., though. He looks at them to break out as major stars down the road.

"DiBiase was really hungry to learn, not just the physical part but also the psychological part," he said. "I think we will see huge things out of them both. DiBiase will break out on his own soon."

Link: U.K. Sun interview with Batista.

RELATED STORY at PWTorch.com: Batista talks retirement and heel turn.

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