SUMMARY
- Batista has admitted in various interviews that he had a horrible childhood.
- One Christmas night, Bautista realized that he couldn't even afford Christmas presents.
David Michael Bautista Jr., or Dave Batista, is a former professional wrestler turned actor widely known for his tenure at WWE. He is a six-time World Champion and has his own legacy in the Stamford-based promotion. During his tenure at WWE, he has headlined many big events and been loved by fans.
The ‘Animal’ made his name in the squared ring after years of hardships and efforts. The 55-year-old wrestler had a humble beginning and was born into an immigrant Filipino family that was not financially stable. Batista has admitted in various interviews that he had a horrible childhood. After dropping out of high school, he started working as a bouncer in the clubs of Washington, DC.
He had to face various risks in his job, and he was even arrested one time. One Christmas night, Bautista realized that he couldn’t even afford Christmas presents for his daughters. In an interview, he said, “I had to go to a guy I worked for at a club and ask him if I could borrow money. I was so ashamed of myself that I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I gotta find something,” he explained, expressing his frustration and desperation.
This event broke him down, and Bautista decided to do something about his situation. With no financial background or education, he decided to pursue professional wrestling, given his years of weightlifting and workout experience.
Dave Bautista’s Journey to WWE
Batista went for a tryout at WCW, believing that he could earn a contract given his physique, but was rejected and told that he would never make it in professional wrestling. He took the rejection personally and went to a pro wrestling school known as the Wild Samoan Training Center. Dave worked hard and signed his first contract with WWE’s developmental territory, OVW.
He was known as Leviathan in Ohio Valley Wrestling and won the OVW Heavyweight Championship in 2001. Seeing his potential, WWE promoted him to the main roster in 2002. On May 9, 2002, Bautista made his SmackDown debut in a tag team match against Farooq and Randy Orton.
Bautista’s stardom and achievements in WWE
Batista rose to stardom early in his WWE first run. He defeated superstars like Randy Orton and D-Von, which led him to sign a contract with RAW. The 55-year-old was successful in the Red Brand and was a part of a dominant stable called ‘Evolution’ which included Ric Flair, Triple-H, and Orton.
Batista won the Royal Rumble of 2005 and went on to headline WrestleMania 21, where he defeated Triple-H to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He defended his title for 282 days. The ‘Animal’ also became the Tag Team Champion, along with Rey Mysterio, defeating the ‘MNM’.
Dave Bautista left the company in 2010, as he didn’t like the direction in which the company was going. Bautista returned in 2014 to win his second Royal Rumble but was turned heel and lost to Bryan in the WrestleMania 30. Dave’s journey to stardom is very inspiring and showcases his perseverance and determination. The 55-year-old is still a humble and nice guy, and he shares his story to motivate and help others.