Batista surprises WWE Universe with new photo of body transformation
WrestleMania Goes Hollywood may have been an apt time and place for WWE's own Hollywood stars, Dave Batista and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, to get inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, neither of them did.
A year has passed, and here we are on the Road to WrestleMania 40. Everyone, from fans to wrestling personalities, is convinced the first Show of Shows under TKO is going to be the biggest yet. The Rock is seemingly back for the ride, while it is unclear what the case is for The Animal.
A week ago on social media, though, Batista became the topic of conversation for the WWE Universe as he was seen in a picture, presumably after losing weight. The 54-year-old actor shared an update on Instagram earlier today in what appears to be a return to form.
Check it out below:
"Nobody’s going to hand it to you. Fight for it #dreamchaser," he wrote.
Batista allegedly needed a change in physique for a role in an upcoming movie. While his in-ring career is self-admittedly done for good, The Animal is still a beloved superstar in the eyes of the wrestling world. Perhaps a Hall of Fame induction this year is not out of the question.
When Batista asked WWE Hall of Famer Stacy Keibler's ex-boyfriend for acting advice
While many newer fans of the product are not aware of it, thanks to his departure from the Stamford-based promotion as a full-time performer in 2010, Batista was instrumental in the success of the company's Ruthless Aggression Era.
The Animal played a key role, along with The Undertaker and Edge, in further legitimizing the World Heavyweight Championship between 2005 and 2010.
According to former WWE Superstar Maven on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Batista asked actor Geoff Stults for acting advice in 2005. At the time, Stults was dating Stacy Keibler.
"I think he's [Batista] the best character actor, and here's what's amazing about that. In 2005, Stacy Keibler started dating this actor named Geoff Stults [...] Geoff was at a show backstage, and Dave came up to Geoff, and I was standing right there, and asked him for acting tips," Maven recalled.
Maven went on to praise Batista for the latter's contributions as an actor. AEW star Chris Jericho also put The Animal ahead of The Rock and John Cena as the best wrestler-turned-actor in the business.