This thread actually makes me sad. Not that Batista is winning. If anyone feels he should win, then go for it.
No, it's the constant classification of Rick Rude as little more than a mid-carder by a bunch of people who's only live memories of the guy are when he was the bodyguard in DX (if even that).
Let's make something clear. Rick Rude was not a 'mid-carder'. He was not an 'almost was'. He was one of the best of his era. An era that gets referred to today as the 'Golden Age' to give anyone an idea of how good he was.
From the very beginning, Rude was a champion wherever he went. His look, his gimmick... promoters and fans couldn't get enough of it, and even before he'd developed into even an average in ring talent (and he ended up being so much more than just that), they would put their top title on him because they wanted this guy selling their shows.
We have to understand the territory system a little bit here, and get the notion out of our heads that WWF or "NWA" success was the only thing that mattered. When Rude first started, the territory system was alive and well. If you were champion in Florida for example, this was just as important as being champion in Georgia, Texas, or anywhere else. Sure, some territories were bigger and more prestigious than others... but the thing there, is that Rude worked the bigger and more prestigious territories, and they always put him on top.
Florida made him their champion when they were one of the most important territories in the country. Memphis was always one of the most important territories, and they made him their champion when they got him. Texas made him champ when they got him, and even seceded from the NWA and went it on their own while having him as their champion. The popularity of the Von Erichs was the main reason for this. Having someone like Rude as their champion though, was also a part of why they were so confident to do that. JCP made him their tag champion when they got him, and for those who've been educated to the fact that tag teams are a step down and not that important over the last 10-15 years... back then that wasn't the case at all. Tag teams were extremely important, would routinely be a focal point of any promotion, and many guys had extremely successful careers doing nothing more than wrestling in tag teams. It spoke a lot for Rude that JCP would immediately put him on top with that title, especially considering the quality of tag teams they already had (Road Warriors, Midnight Express, Rock N' Roll Express to name a few). When he went to the WWF, he was placed with Heenan and the Heenan Family. A top, coveted spot for any heel wrestler in the 80's. And he wasn't just a member. He was a centerpiece of that faction. True he never got to work with Hogan like other top Heenan wrestlers, but politics came into play here. You see, Rude was a straight shooter. A man's man, and one of the true, legit tough guys in the business. He was the type of guy that despite his gimmick, never took his wedding ring off. He'd just put tape over it before he competed. He wasn't the biggest fan of Hogan as a person, and honestly, Hogan didn't want to work with him because of it. He was afraid that if Rude went off script, that he would get seriously hurt, and if Rude didn't like the script there was that danger. Not that Rude would have (Hogan was so big that no one in the World would take liberties with him, no matter how they felt about the man), but as far as Hogan was concerned, he didn't want to take the chance, so Rude never got that opportunity.
However, despite that the WWF pushed Rude hard. They made him Intercontinental champ when that title was at worst the 3rd most important in the World anywhere outside of Japan (and it could be argued was more important than the NWA/WCW title by this point). With the WWF makeup at this time, that was the literal peak that Rude could have ever expected. Heels just were not meant to be anything more than an extremely brief transitional champion. A long term IC title reign was a better spot for a WWF heel. They put him over the Ultimate Warrior when they were building the Warrior to be their successor to Hogan, and no one went over him. They trusted him to be the guy who put the Warrior over after they had him succeed Hogan. It didn't work, but no one in the know ever blamed Rude for that. No one was getting Warrior to that next level.
Had Batista worked in the same time period, he would not have had more success than Rude. At best, he would have had equal success, but that's it. Also, at any point in Dave Batista's career was he ever considered to be the best in the World? Not kayfabe World Champ or anything like that. Critically considered to be the absolute best? He wasn't... but Rude was. When he left the WWF for WCW, was made US Champ and the centerpiece of the Dangerous Alliance, he was widely considered by all who mattered to be at the absolute peak of his game, and the best wrestler in the World. Period. That WCW dropped the ball and didn't make him more than US champ is their folly. They wanted to build around Sting as their Hogan/Warrior instead of making Rude their next Flair and building Sting with an epic chase to take the title from Rude.
Also, remember when Batista came back after being away for several years? How well was he received? Compare that to when Rude came back after being away for several years in ECW. How well was that received? Please feel free to look it up. Rude coming back went over huge, and he didn't even wrestle. Every time he came out, he always left them wanting more. Batista coming back? Fans couldn't wait for him to leave again.
Vote Batista if you need to. But please do not try justifying it by saying that Rick Rude was 'just a mid-carder' or an 'almost was'. He was anything but that.
