Batista's 5 most memorable WWE moments
In 1999, a 30-year-old Dave Bautista attended a try-out for World Championship Wrestling at their Power Plant training facility in Atlanta, GA. The head trainer, who went by the name Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker (his gimmick was that he was a State Trooper who wrote his opponents tickets and no I am not kidding) informed young Mr. Bautista that he would never make it in the business of professional wrestling.21 years later, the 6-time World Champion known as Batista will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. It's both a testament to what one can achieve with hard work, imagination and perseverance and a testament to how much of a knucklehead Buddy Lee Parker is (only teasing, Mr. Parker).
The Guardians of the Galaxy/Stuber/Kickboxer: Vengeance star was announced earlier this week as one of the headliners of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 (along with the original three members of the nWo and my close, personal friend, Sean Waltman). So, as we did with his fellow inductees, we're taking a look at the five most memorable moments in Batista's WWE career.
Before we get to those, though... I'd like to add my own personal Honorable Mention...
Honorable Mention: Batista at the WrestleMania XXX press conference
If things had gone according to WWE's initial plan, WrestleMania XXX in 2014 would have closed out with a match between then-WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton and Superstar-turned-movie star Batista. Well... we all know how that actually played out (and if you don't, well... look it up, I've got a lot more to write about here). Essentially, Batista's triumphant return to the ring was overshadowed by Daniel Bryan's meteoric rise to mega-popularity.
So, here's the thing lost when most of us remember this whole situation - Dave (and I call him that because I'm talking about how he handled all of this personally) actually really took it in stride. He knew from the moment he returned what - and who - the audience really wanted to see, and worked to make that happen. He had already moved on to the next successful phase of his career and was essentially back to help out the company and the business that helped him get there.
His speech at the WrestleMania XXX press conference demonstrates that - he had a great sense of humor - not just about the situation at the time, but how the fans were reacting to his return and how happy he was to be back in the business he loved.
Anyway... let's get into the actual list, shall we?