DUB Magazine Feature : Batista
If you’ve ever seen World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) World Heavyweight Champion David Bautista (better known as Batista) in action, you know why he earned the nickname “The Animal.” WWE has had famous big men, but none like Batista—combining speed, agility, energy, power and a massive chiseled physique all in one.
A truly unique individual, Batista’s life has been equally remarkable, rising from humble roots and dealing with many obstacles before rising to the top and becoming the face of WWE, loved and respected by millions around the world.
Batista grew up in the Washington, D.C. area making his living as a bouncer. While his original dream was to become a bodybuilder, no matter how massive he became, his height (6 feet, 6 inches) made him look less developed than most and eventually he gave up that dream.
He got into wrestling after meeting WWE legends Road Warrior “Animal” and “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig at a body building show in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He learned the basics of the business from Arthur “Afa” Anoa’i at the Wild Samoan Training Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and debuted as “Kahn” in World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW). He remained with WXW for seven months before heading to Ohio Valley Wrestling, WWE’s training ground for up and coming superstars. During that time, he battled future WWE superstars such as Kane, The Big Show, Randy Orton, John Cena and the The Undertaker.
Finally, on May 9, 2002, Batista made his debut with WWE, and since then, his career has gained momentum, and now he finds himself atop the heap. Now, Batista is prepping for his next big match, WrestleMania XXIV on March 30, 2008, live at the Florida Citrus Bowl. Make sure to catch Batista and The Road to WrestleMania XXIV beginning January 27, 2008 at the Royal Rumble live on Pay-Per-View from Madison Square Garden.
DUB: You’ve mentioned you had it rough growing up. What kind of stuff did you have to deal with as a kid?
Batista: Growing up in D.C., it wasn’t bad back then as it is now. Me and my sister were the only kids in the neighborhood who weren’t Black, so we were kind of out of place to begin with. My sister also had a big mouth, so I was constantly fighting for her and sticking up for her. We also witnessed a lot of poverty and violence. There were a lot of times when we couldn’t even afford to eat. My mom would make us one meal that had to last us all week. There’s one story I tell in my book, where she made this big pot of Navy bean soup—it was supposed to last all week—and she burned the crap out of it, but it was all we had to eat, so we ate burned bean soup the whole week. It’s a story I always tell my kids because they’ve been kind of spoiled, but I want them to know that they come from humble roots and not to ever let anything go to their heads or take anything for granted.
DUB: Growing up, who was your favorite professional wrestler, and why?
Batista: Most guys say Hulk Hogan or the Macho Man…Ric Flair. But my favorite growing up was The Warlord ’cause he was so massive; he was the most massive human being I had ever seen. That’s kind of why I watched when I was a kid; I liked to see all the big muscle guys, but The Warlord was my favorite.
DUB: What inspired you to pursue professional wrestling as a career?
Batista: Honestly, when I first got into pro-wrestling it was just to make a buck. I had been bouncing for 10 years and had nothing to show for it. I kind of stumbled into wrestling. My first trial, I failed miserably and they told me I’d never be a pro-wrestler, which, for about a day, it broke my heart; then it just pissed me off. So, it became a challenge, then passion, an obsession. I was just so driven.
DUB: What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome to reach WWE?
Batista: Well, for one, I started out at a later age. WWE usually looks for guys in their early 20s, who’ll have longevity in their careers. I also had to come out of 10 years of bodybuilding, so I had to retrain my body to be athletic again. I was always an athlete, but for several years I just concentrated on getting big and muscular. I lost all my endurance and flexibility, so I had to refocus myself, refocus my training.
DUB: What’s the toughest thing about being on the road with WWE?
Batista: The travel. Our schedule is brutal, plus we’re year-round. We’re international; we do shows all over the world, and we just don’t get a break, especially the guys that are higher up on the totem pole. We’re constantly out there, promoting the company and pushing our product ’cause we love it so much we just want to get out there and meet our fans and make sure the public knows we’re coming to this town or that town, or this country or that country. We’re usually all beat up, too. Just the wear and tear of the travel alone—I don’t think the normal person could handle it.
DUB: Since you’re on the road a lot, how often do you actually get to drive your own cars?
Batista: I don’t drive my cars a whole lot. It’s kind of a shame that they sit in my garage and waste away. They all have barely any miles on them because I don’t drive them much. It’s one of those things where, besides my daughter and my home, they are something I look forward to coming home to. I mean, my home and my cars are just stuff that I worked really hard for.
DUB: By the way, what was your first car and what was its fate?
Batista: My first car was given to me by my dad; it was a ’72 Volkswagen Beetle. It was yellow, and I hated that it was yellow. It was a Bug to begin with…when I was a junior in high school I had to drive to school in a yellow ’72 Bug. So, my dad took it to Earl Scheib and got the $99 paintjob. He got it painted blue, but if you opened the doors, the inside was still yellow, but it had these blue paint streaks running down. We used to pile, like, 10 guys from the wrestling team in there and go off to tournaments. One day, I was driving down the street and the battery—you know, their batteries are under the backseat—just exploded and the seat flew up, and that was the end of that car. My dad had it towed off. I guess it’s in a junkyard somewhere. It was ready for the junkyard when I got it.
DUB: What do you look for in a car?
Batista: I’m just a car lover. I don’t really look for anything. I’m real into style. I think the Europeans have nice styling in their cars. It really depends on what I’m in the mood for, what catches my eye. There are all different types of beautiful cars. I don’t really look for anything; I’m not really a speed demon, although speed is always nice to have.
DUB: Of all your ink, which one is your favorite piece?
Batista: My angel tattoos are the most significant to me and have the most meaning. It’s my ex-wife’s name…when we first got married—she’s Japanese—her mom wrote her name out for me, and I took it to the tattoo parlor and had it blown up and put on my arm. I still love her to death. We actually divorced because I was on the road so much; it just wasn’t what she signed up for. And my hereditary flags—Filipino and Greek. I’m real proud of my heritage. Probably [my left] arm is my favorite arm [laughs].
DUB: Have you seriously considered a career in film or TV after WWE?
Batista: Yeah, I really want to start branching out into more mainstream stuff, especially movies. I’d love my own big super hero buff…big sci-fi buff. I’ve had some good offers lately. My career in the next few years is probably going to start winding down, and I want to try and bring as many viewers into wrestling as I can. That’s the way to do it, if you go out there and do more mainstream stuff. People might ask; Where is this guy from? Oh, he’s a wrestler. Maybe they’ll tune in to watch our show. At least, that’s what I’m hoping to do. I’m hoping that’ll be my legacy in this business.
DUB: How would you describe your style?
Batista: Whatever is comfortable, whatever I can get that’ll fit right. But, I think that I’m a jeans and T-shirt guy. I do have a closet full of suits that I only wear on TV. It depends on what mood I’m in. Some day you might catch me in sports gear—definitely always representing D.C. or wearing my Lou Gehrig jersey. One day you might catch me in jeans, boots and a cowboy hat.
DUB: What do you usually bump in your car on any given day?
Batista: I’m the same way with my music; it depends on what mood I’m in. I love rap, especially old school R&B. But, I’m a headbanger, too. I like my Metallica and Rage Against the Machine. I don’t dig country too much, but I’ll jam to some Johnny Cash every once in a while.
DUB: What do you usually do with your spare time? Do you have any hobbies?
Batista: Yeah, I really only have one hobby…I collect vintage lunchboxes. It’s not an obsession, but it’s definitely a strong passion of mine. But, if I have spare time, I’ll try to spend it with my daughter.
DUB: Do you have any secret talents?
Batista: Well…I have no “secret” talents…eh…never mind…[laughs]. Let’s just say “no.”
DUB: Who’s one person you would trade places with?
Batista: Brad Pitt would be one of them…look at his line of ex-girlfriends. Maybe I’d trade places with 50 for a day…Fiddy!
DUB: What’s the craziest thing that a fan did for you?
Batista: [Laughs] I told the story in my book. I had this crazy girl in Helsinki, Finland who showed up at 3 a.m. in the morning…she was off-the-hook nuts. She was at some music school in Sweden, and she came up and sang for me; got naked and sang for me. She had her friend come over and they acted out this play without their clothes [laughs]…it was just nuts! That was definitely the craziest.
DUB: What did you buy after your first big check?
Batista: I wasn’t making that much money and I wanted to get my wife a nice car. She was sick, and I went to a Mercedes-Benz dealership and they wouldn’t approve me for credit; my credit wasn’t that great. A few months after that, I got my first big check—it was a WrestleMania check, 2005—and I bought her a brand new SL 500, and I just paid cash.
DUB: Do you do everyday people stuff like going to the movies, fast food restaurants, etc.?
Batista: Yeah. When I’m home I go the same places all the time, and I do that for a reason ’cause everybody knows me and don’t make a big fuss about it, don’t ask me for autographs. I’m just the same big goofball they see every week. So, I go to the gym, the movies, the grocery store, certain restaurants I go to, just like everyone else.
DUB: What has been the reaction from the Greek and Filipino communities across the country due to your dual heritage?
Batista: Ah…I get huge reactions from both Filipino and Greek communities. But, definitely, the Filipino community…they’ve really, really embraced me. Somebody explained it to me and said that the Philippines is a really poor country—I’ve been there a few times, and it’s really sad; it’s really impoverished—but they don’t have many heroes. They’re searching for heroes. It’s hard to find a Filipino that’s branched out internationally and made it, and someone they could look up to. And even though I’m half Filipino, every time I go back there, it’s incredible…the reception I get.
DUB: What do you treasure most in your life?
Batista: Both my daughters…they’re, by far, the most special things in my life. And, also, this might sound strange, but my ex-wife. She’s just the most precious woman I’ve ever met in my life.
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HEI BATISTA
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This is Vinayak from India. Batista please come back i wanna see you again on wwe raw.. you cant quit bro. you are the best dont give up like this. if all the wwe superstars leaves the company. then wwe is a waste and nothing else. I hope you will come back in wwe fatal 4 way.! GET WELL SOON Batista. Best Of Luck For Your Future!
Your wwe fans will miss you!