Former WWE World World Heavyweight Champion Dave Bautista opened up about why he left the world of professional wrestling. Also known as Batista, his journey is marked by his rise alongside stars like John Cena, Randy Orton, and Edge.
Bautista debuted in WWE in 2002 and quickly made an impact. He first gained attention as part of Evolution with Triple H, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton, standing out due to his size and strength. As Bautista left Evolution, he emerged as “The Animal” but frequently faced comparison with John Cena, another prominent WWE star. Tensions grew over the opportunities given by WWE, with Bautista feeling frustrated by the treatment Cena received, reported EssentiallySports.
Despite their successes, Bautista’s WWE career was marked by frustrations not receiving more opportunities. He left the promotion in 2010 to try his hands at acting but had to return four years later, initially as a babyface despite his desire for a heel turn.
His second stint was brief and fraught with management issues regarding his character, leading to his departure and a successful transition to Hollywood. His retirement saw him wrestle Triple H WrestleMania 35 in 2019. Despite a hugely successful WWE career, Bautista recently revealed the reasons behind his exit from professional wrestling and what might have kept him in the promotion.
What Dave Bautista says about his WWE departure?
After leaving WWE, Dave Bautista achieved significant success in Hollywood. He earned acclaim for his role as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy. He appeared in major films such as Spectre, Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and Army of the Dead. His Hollywood career has proven to be as successful as his WWE tenure.
In an interview on the Buzzfeed Celeb podcast, Batista discussed how he might have stayed within the promotion if he hadn’t pursued acting or if his Hollywood career hadn’t taken off. “I would still be involved with WWE, I hope. Because I really loved it. It wasn’t that I ever wanted to not be a part of that universe because I love the WWE Universe,” he said candidly. “It was just that I became so passionate about acting, and I’m still pursuing it with everything I have, but I still love that world. I have a good relationship with the company. I hope that they would always leave the door open for me because I just love professional wrestling.”
With Batista expressing his strong passion for WWE and desire to stay involved with the promotion, it will be interesting to see if he appears in a non-wrestling capacity in the future. Meanwhile, his new movie The Killer’s Game has been released worldwide, featuring WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre in his acting debut.
