I think there is a problem that is happening with the beginning of the fights in Death Battle episodes where we just beging the fight...mid-fight which makes the whole introduction to the characters, stakes and storytelling of the episode just feel "off".
like with recently with Bakago vs rese and Gru vs Megamind comes to mind where we just start the fight during combat, which just loses the idea on why they are fighting and what are the stakes they are fight for.
for instance we know Bakago is a hero and trying to save people from the villian, so it would of been better at first to see Reze at first causing damage and loss of life in order to Bakago to step up and fight this threat. something like Shigaraki vs Mahito
or with Gru vs Megamind, just starting off with Gru chasing megamind in the ships and saying he's a villian, why not show Gru getting told to bring in the villian known as megamind from HQ, something like how James Bond does in Jame Bond vs John Wick.
it also puts stakes and more impact on the end when we know megamind in the movie and show has changed to be a hero but the big company that gru works for (cannot remember it's name) still thinks he is a villain because they never encountered something like him before, making the death feel more of an impact that could of been prevented if they had talked it out first.
but with this it just makes it feel like, oh the fight started... okay let's see what stuff they do, instead of how the world's of both franchise bounce off eachother.
like in with ichigo vs yusuke, they both think they are a different type of demon that they must defeat
or with cell vs metal sonic of cell wanting a challenge.
and especially with Omni-man vs Homelander
I will say sometimes it can be done well like in Superman vs Goku 3 where they are just friends that are having a sparing match.
just feel like a set up to the fight should be more focused on and the reason why the whole fight should happen instead of it just being "oh the fight has already started and we are just thrown into it"
but that's my opinion and curious what you all think