Original subtitles

You see, in this industry, just like in life,

everything evolves, you have to look to the future.

Batista has won the Royal Rumble.

Will Batista be the next World Heavyweight Champion?

[MUSIC]

Batista bomb, Batista bomb.

>> Speaker 2: Yeah.

>> Batista has won the world title.

Batista is the new Heavyweight Champion of the world.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: The Beast has been unleashed.

>> Speaker 2: Until you beat me, you will never be the man.

>> Speaker 1: A five-time champion, no doubt,

one of the most dominant champions in WWE history.

Batista, an animal on a mission.

>> Speaker 1: The power of The Animal.

>> Speaker 2: I will not be intimidated.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 2: Yeah, 70s Washington, DC was great.

[MUSIC]

I miss it a lot.

[MUSIC]

Looking back at my childhood, it just, I mean, to me it seemed normal,

but growing up and kinda reflecting on it, it was rough.

Go outside the little touristy spots and the political spots.

You kinda go outside Capitol Hill, a lot of DC is just ghetto.

[MUSIC]

I live in Florida now, but I won't retire to Florida, I'll retire to DC.

My mom was really insistent about that she wanted me to be born in DC.

She actually went into labor in Maryland and told my dad he better

get his ass to DC like quick, [LAUGH] cuz she wasn't having me in Maryland.

>> Speaker 3: I was such a true Washingtonian that when I was pregnant

with my kids, I made sure that they were born in DC.

I had a choice of a Maryland hospital, and

no offense to my Maryland sisters and brothers.

We're at DC Hospital, I held it in until I got to DC.

When he was born, he had so much hair that the nurses would do every day.

He'd have a different hairstyle and everybody had fun with him.

I took him home and I just couldn't believe this baby was so enormous.

He was like a king size baby.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 2: I mean, looking back on it, when I was older, I was like, man,

we had nothing.

A lot of times we just didn't have food.

Mom and dad had split up, and

my mom was trying to raise two kids and she was pretty broke.

And then for a while we had to actually stay with some relatives and

mom had to kinda go off on her own, try to get a job, get situated.

She actually did that a couple times, we didn't even have a real place to live.

My mom and my sister and I,

we all shared one big bed in the basement of a house we rented in DC.

So this is the alley we used to live in,

we actually lived in the basement of this house.

So right where that door is, [LAUGH] that's where we lived,

this little tiny basement.

There was me, my mom and my sister.

None of these houses, these are all brand new.

So you can see how the area is just kinda building up.

It's kinda cool on one hand, cuz I don't feel like the city's building up.

It's also kinda sad to me cuz it feels like,

my neighborhood's not gonna be the same anymore.

It doesn't really have that neighborhood feeling like it did when I was a kid.

It was always in our neighborhood.

There's always 10, 15, 20 kids.

We're all a big group of kids, of course, I was only a [LAUGH] white kid.

[MUSIC]

We had friends that lived in all these houses.

We had friends that live in there and there and there.

>> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> And we'd go get them, go get them,

go get them, go get them, go get them.

Next thing you know, there's 50 kids.

This is the main building we used to hang around.

We just call it 1000, it's a straight project.

Most of my childhood memories, really strong, great memories are really from DC,

but my mom worked at night, she developed film.

>> I think he felt like the man of the house.

I think he felt responsible, I mean, he took charge very young.

>> Speaker 2: Whatever needed to be done, I did, and she'd always say,

you're the man of the house.

You're the man of the house, I was a little kid, but

my mom never sheltered us, man.

She made sure that we could take care of ourselves.

She was real big on that.

>> Growing up in Southeast or any part of Washington, for

young people, it's a difficult thing.

>> Sex, drugs, violence, whatever, she made sure,

cuz she didn't want us to be victims.

She made sure that we knew what this was because she didn't want us around it.

This is bad, you're gonna see this, you're gonna have to deal with this,

and you don't wanna go near it.

>> Speaker 3: I had to be the rock, if I was scared, they'd be scared.

And I had to make sure that they were strong.

So I always was strong, even when it wasn't always such a good time.

>> Speaker 2: I think I saw and witnessed a lot more than most other kids,

definitely than most other kids that I know or that lived out in the suburbs.

>> Speaker 3: It was pretty rough, I'll tell you, it was scary.

When we lived here, it didn't look anything like this.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 2: Growing up in DC, and I grew up some years in San Francisco as well,

cuz we kinda went back and forth.

>> Speaker 3: We lived in DC, people kept getting shot in my front yard.

I was like this magnet, everybody was getting shot in my front yard.

And so I thought, you know what?

I don't want my kids to grow up around this.

I don't want them to be that hard.

We have to move, and we did.

We packed up and moved to San Francisco.

Didn't know anything about it.

Felt like I didn't have to worry about my kids as much.

They could go outside and have fun, and

nobody was gonna get shot in my front yard cuz there was no yard to get shot in.

And I thought, well, this is a nice place to raise kids.

They'll be happy, and it started off great.

And then he started getting in a little bit of trouble.

And I thought I saw it getting worse and worse.

And I thought, this is tough, because if I don't do something about this,

my son's gonna either end up dead or imprisoned.

At 14, I sent him back to live with his dad,

which he'd never lived with his dad before.

>> Speaker 2: My early teen years,

I moved back from San Francisco to live with my dad in the suburbs of Virginia.

She thought, he'd be a good influence on me.

And I was getting a lot of trouble.

A lot of trouble, it was just odd, I mean, we didn't click.

We talked about this years after the fact.

And I told him, I said, I don't feel like I know him.

I don't feel like I have any connection with him at all.

I don't even have much feelings for him, he's just some guy.

I think when you're a kid you can adapt, but

maybe that was part of the reason why it took me a while to warm up to people, but

once I had friends, they were great friends.

>> Speaker 2: Never really talked to many people.

But when he was your friend, you knew he was your buddy.

>> Speaker 2: I was real shy, I was an introvert, I always had a little bit of,

I think, social anxiety.

It was hard for me to find my niche in high school.

I did a little bit of everything.

I played basketball, I did track and field.

I really loved amateur wrestling.

I didn't discover amateur wrestling until my last two years of high school.

>> Speaker 3: Here Dave just starts wrestling as a 17 year old.

So, experience would hurt.

He'd be ahead in a match and then make a mistake, and

then the experience factor would kick in, and he would end up losing a match

that probably should have gone in the win column just due to a lack of experience.

>> Speaker 2: Every day I wrestled, I wish I had found it earlier,

cuz it really is one of those sports that really you have to develop a skill at.

Wrestling was kinda the first experience, or

what I could relate to the experience of having brothers.

>> Speaker 3: Great work ethic, but

David also had a lot of other issues going on outside of the wrestling room.

>> Speaker 2: I was the king of makeup work, I would let it go,

let it go, let it go.

And then I'd do all this makeup work, just to get my D so I could pass [LAUGH].

>> Speaker 3: Dave got into some academic difficulties and

thus was ineligible to wrestle for his senior year.

>> Speaker 1: Go to the gym, maybe show up at school, and then go back to the gym and

sleep, eat, main thing, that's what he did.

>> Speaker 2: When I was working out,

I just always felt like a fish that was put back in the water.

I felt like I fit in and I really just found serenity in the weight room,

man, I was all business.

Seriously, I loved it too.

It just made me feel good and made me feel better about myself.

>> Speaker 4: We lifted a lot together, he was real quiet and calm, but

when he started lifting, he was just tenacious under the weight.

He was the strongest guy in the gym.

When he started bench pressing, he had an audience,

I mean, the crowd would gather around.

>> Speaker 2: I had my own key to the weight room, [LAUGH] which I

don't remember how I came across, but I'd skip gym class to come to the weight room.

I don't know, I just felt comfortable.

I started lifting weights all the time, and

then really started to develop muscularly as well.

So then when I got out of high school, that just opened up a whole new can of

worms, man, I started lifting and ways to just grow, I'm like a weed.

Honestly, at the time, didn't even really care about finishing high school.

I mean, I was out on my own, my senior year of high school,

I was already living on my own.

My senior year of high school, my dad kicked me out of the house.

Back then, it was really just a matter of making money to buy food and

kinda support myself as best I could.

I don't know too many kids that age who are out on their own without a family to

support them.

School just wasn't important to me, though,

which is one of the biggest regrets of my life.

I could go to school if I wanted to, if I didn't want to, didn't have to.

Most of the times, I just didn't want to.

Oddly enough, my first job was at a gym [LAUGH].

I worked at Olympus Gym in Falls Church, and it was a bodybuilding haven,

man, I took to it right away.

A lot of the big bodybuilders liked me, too, cuz I was a big kid.

I mean, coming right out of high school and I was already dummy, and

I was already jacked.

A lot of the bodybuilders wanted to train with me and help me work out and develop.

The funny thing is,

I actually got into bouncing before I even got out of high school.

I think probably my first bouncing job, I probably made like 30 or

40 bucks for the whole night.

>> Speaker 1: He was always the bouncer at the door.

Every club we went to, I mean, I think we were 17, he was a bouncer.

>> Speaker 2: My early years of bouncing, it was a little rougher cuz one of those

things where I wasn't working in the best spots, I was working kind of rowdy places.

But then I hooked up with a lot of promoters, working with promoters, and

working in nicer clubs.

It was a cake, it's easy, it's kinda one of those things.

You just kinda stand around and look big [LAUGH].

>> Speaker 5: We were working at a club, I was new, and everybody was like, man,

there's this guy, he's huge, and I'm big, I'm thinking, I'm big.

And they're like, no, he's huge, Imani and I go in the back, and I look at Dave,

and I'm like, he had to be the biggest human I had ever seen in my life.

>> Speaker 6: I think as heaviest, he was about 370, he came to this club.

I remember walking down the alley,

everybody thought it was an incredible hawk walking down the alley.

>> Speaker 2: People would see him, and he was just big, unimaginably big,

easily the biggest person that many people had ever seen.

>> Speaker 2: You get that quick fix, I'm coming home with cash every night.

I think it makes you kind of you're not really shoot for any other goals.

And all I have to do is go work in a bar a few times a week, and I'm set.

Working as a bouncer here for ten years, and

that's kinda how I got stuck in that rut, man.

It was just such a comfort zone, I mean, I knew everybody, all the nightclubs,

real big, in the nightclub scene, a lot of close friends, and I mean,

always had a job.

Work all night, I'd go to the gym, I'd sleep all day, I'd go back to the gym,

[LAUGH] then I work all night again.

>> Speaker 4: I mean, he was really interested in bodybuilding.

>> Speaker 2: I mean, ravenously interested in bodybuilding.

>> Speaker 7: People were intimidated by him cuz he wouldn't talk and

he had this piercing, mean look on his face.

But it's usually because he was intense to his workout.

And he just walked around, and everybody would like look at him, like, wow.

>> Speaker 2: Being able to pursue bodybuilding, which I really love,

bodybuilding at the time was great cuz I loved working out so much and still do.

>> Dave push weight around the gym that to this day,

I still laugh at just how much weight he moved around.

He would pack the leg press machine with ten plates on each side, then another four

plates on the middle, and then he would have me sit there and he would do reps.

Dave was Superman to me, Dave is like my big brother.

He was Superman to me.

Dave was Superman.

Dave couldn't do anything wrong.

Dave, I mean, nobody does ten plates plus four more, plus people sitting on top.

So they were Superman to me.

>> Speaker 2: Wherever I wanted to work in the city, in DC, I could work.

They all knew me, all the clubs knew me.

I had a real good reputation.

So whenever I wanted to work, I had it.

Man, I kinda wish it hadn't been that easy for me to go and

just make cash every night.

Next thing you know, ten years are gone from your life.

Gave up bodybuilding, still working in a nightclub, I got two kids.

What am I gonna do?

>> Speaker 8: He actually was with a woman that I loved, her name was Marianne.

>> Speaker 2: I already been dating a girl for six years.

She was actually a girl that I met when I split with the mother of my children.

But when I met Angie, I just, I mean, I fell head over heels in love with her.

>> Speaker 5: He was like,

man, I saw the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life.

>> Speaker 2: Before I even started talking to Angie, I called my mom and

I said, mom, I met the girl I'm gonna marry.

>> Speaker 8: And I said, what?

And I said, you and Marianne are getting married?

And he said, no, I met the girl I'm gonna marry today, and I said, what?

And he said, her name's Angie.

>> Speaker 2: I couldn't stop staring at her, man,

I just couldn't take my eyes off her [LAUGH].

>> Speaker 7: He was like, you see that girl with a tattoo on her arm?

She's fine.

>> Speaker 9: I started going to Gold's Gym with a friend in Alexandria, and

I saw him, and I just thought he was absolutely, amazingly beautiful.

I really did, I've never seen anyone of his size, and

I always had interest in bodybuilding and things like that.

But the one thing that stuck out to me was just that he always looked kinda sad.

And I just remember thinking to myself, I'm gonna make him smile.

>> For one, I just thought she was drop-dead gorgeous.

I loved everything about her, man, just the way she carried yourself and.

She seemed like she's such a classy girl and she's so beautiful.

>> Speaker 2: I always saw Dave as kind of Superman, so out of my league.

Just someone you kind of dream about,

[LAUGH] not something that really happens to you and just so

I was taken by that and it kind of took off from there.

>> Speaker 1: I really fell in love with Angie and like I said, I'd been dating

this girl for six years, but I couldn't stay away from Angie, I really couldn't.

And she knew I was dating someone too.

It was a bad deal all the way, bad decision.

I should have broken up with my ex girlfriend.

I really wish I did cuz she was such a great girl.

But I fell in love with Angie, so we started dating and

eventually my ex girlfriend [LAUGH] caught on.

She actually caught us together,

it was actually probably the most embarrassing moment of my life.

>> Speaker 2: There's a lot of things that had been going on, a lot of drama and

it was probably best that we kept it low key.

>> Speaker 1: I just felt horrible cuz like I said, she was a great girl,

she was really good to me.

And Angie felt bad too cuz she's a sweetheart.

She wasn't the type of girl to go around stealing other girls boyfriend.

I felt bad and I tried to really make it up to this girl, she was so

upset that she moved out of the DC area and she moved up to Minneapolis.

So I felt bad so I tried to go up there and work it out with her.

>> Speaker 2: He really did love her,

maybe he wasn't as in love as he is with Angie.

>> Speaker 1: Moved up to Minneapolis and actually started training at this

gym that two former sports entertainers trained at.

Animal, Road Warrior Animal and Mr. Perfect.

And they both trained there and the WCW was actually having open tryouts or

they were advertising open tryouts at the time.

I was kind of floating around, I was still working in gyms and

half assed trying to work things out with my ex girlfriend.

But still every day on the phone with Angie, I love you, I miss you.

>> Speaker 2: He did go and I think it was very hard for him and he came back and

he missed Angie so much.

>> Speaker 1: Eventually, it was just one of those things,

we couldn't erase the past.

I couldn't make it up to my ex girlfriend and I honestly, like I said,

it was a half assed attempt, I didn't wanna be there.

I wanted to be with Angie.

So I moved back, we lived in Northern Virginia at the time.

And I was back for maybe a couple days and I gave Angie this really weak,

half assed attempt at a proposal [LAUGH].

>> Speaker 2: He was like, I have this idea.

And I'm like, what?

And he was like, what do you think about being my wife?

>> Speaker 1: I said, what would you think if we got married?

>> Speaker 2: I think it's a great idea [LAUGH].

He was like,

all right, well, call around and see what we need to do [LAUGH] to get married.

I'm like, well, when he goes Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I'm like, okay.

>> Speaker 1: She called in, I think on a Monday.

She called into work and said, I can't come in today [LAUGH].

We went down, we did it all in one day.

We went down the got our marriage license and

went straight over to justice of the peace and got married.

>> Speaker 2: Our silver bands didn't fit.

Mine was too big, his was too small, and we were both in jeans and shirts and

we got married.

And after we got married, there's a little chili hot dog cart outside, and

we had two chili hot dogs and an orange Gatorade and we called it a day [LAUGH].

>> Speaker 1: It was an apartment where my wife and I first got married.

It was this tiny little efficiency apartment.

Our first place to go.

We don't have like any pictures or anything.

The only thing we have is she went down, she wanted to get her driver's license

changed so bad cuz she wanted to put Batista on her driver's license.

>> Speaker 2: The only thing he wanted to do was change my driver's license.

>> Speaker 1: And that was the only picture we had from our wedding day is her

new driver's license.

And we still have that picture.

>> Speaker 2: It was a very happy day, I think for both of us,

I think we had Permagren for a while.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: At this point, I'd gone back, I was living in the DC area and

Angie and I were married.

And I, at this point,

I really already had in my mind that this is what I wanted to do.

I wanted to go into sports entertainment.

>> Speaker 1: Coming soon on Pay Per View, Clash to End All.

>> Speaker 3: When you look at Davies,

you're gonna become a professional wrestler.

That's you [LAUGH].

That's what I always said.

That's where you're going.

And the next thing you know, I mean, ultimately, I think when he finally

decided to do it and it just doors opened up for him like a year and a half later.

>> Speaker 1: I actually had a buddy of mine, his name is Lance, and

he was actually really interested in it as well.

And we were training together, we're doing a lot of.

He's a big guy too, still is a big guy.

We decided we were gonna do it, man.

We were going to go down WCW and we're gonna try out and

we're both gonna be sports entertainers [LAUGH].

We borrowed some money and went down, went to a tryout.

They had this little half pint trainer down there.

Everybody called him Sarge, but he really was just a drill instructor.

Just a real bad Napoleon complex.

He was, I think he was like 5'2.

>> Speaker 4: And I remember going into the building with him,

walking into the building and they tried to destroy him.

>> But he jumped right in our faces and had us doing these squats on buckets.

And so both of us, we were puking.

Lance's nose just started bleeding all over.

>> Speaker 2: I think everybody wants a certain amount of respect.

I think that was definitely not going on down there, but.

And he just, he got really motivated about it.

I mean, he really believed this was something that he could do.

>> Speaker 1: So he told me straight out, I'd never be a sports entertainer.

He said, you don't have what it takes.

You don't have the heart.

Just leave, don't come back.

>> Speaker 4: He tried to do everything that they could to break him and

they couldn't break him.

I mean, he told him he would never be a wrestler.

Told me he had no coordination, I mean, they told him so many things.

And I just look back at that time and I laugh because all the things that they

said, he couldn't be, he surpassed them in his first two years of wrestling.

He surpassed where they were their whole careers.

>> Speaker 1: I was pissed, I was livid.

Who the hell is that little midget with a big mouth gonna tell me that

I'm not good enough, that I can't do it?

So, sir got back on the phone.

A friend of mine, Jonathan Meisner, still my best friend,

he's my best friend in the world, called WWE and actually told him the story.

And this was what happened.

And they said, well, they recommended a camp.

>> Speaker 5: My partner and I, Richard, we researched the school with him.

We tried to figure out what the expenses would be and

figured out a way to help him to pick up a new and go live there.

>> Speaker 3: He financed it.

The early goings on, when the money was coming in.

>> Richard and Jonathan had found out about this camp in Allentown,

Pennsylvania, the Wild Samoans with Appa.

And he wanted to try.

>> Speaker 5: I mean, it was a big change to leave Virginia and go up to Hazleton,

Pennsylvania.

>> Speaker 2: We really didn't have anything holding us back, no big jobs or

anything.

And I wanted him to want for something.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 5: He was willing to just pick up and move to Pennsylvania, and

Angie would go back and forth working.

He was up there training, I mean, he dedicated everything to wrestling and

to kind of honing his skills and getting ready.

>> Speaker 2: So, yeah, we did it, we moved.

And it was tough.

I mean, financially, it was really hard, very difficult.

We had help from our friends, borrowed money.

>> Speaker 3: Something told me this is what he needed, this is what he had to do.

And if I could do anything to help him get there, that's what it was.

>> Speaker 2: Once we got up there,

I think he was starting to learn what it really took to become a wrestler.

>> Speaker 1: I saw a lot of potential in him, I told him if he gave me his heart

and soul, chances are that I might be able to help.

>> Speaker 3: He could actually see there was something there, not even opposite.

He said initially, as soon as he walked in the door, I saw his face just light up.

>> Speaker 1: I walked in, and after was him.

He was all smiles, and he goes, he didn't know me, or whatever.

He goes, son, what took you so long?

[LAUGH] He said, and we talked to Basin.

I wish you would have come 10 years ago.

>> Speaker 1: It was a matter of how teachable was he,

I think from AFA's standpoint.

>> Speaker 1: It was brutal.

It was no weight training and no working out could ever go against that workout.

It was horrible bootcamp.

He struggled, but he got through it, and so he's a fighter.

>> And I was still working for the company, and my job is to make sure that

when I see good talents out there, to let him know, and I did just that.

>> Every day I was there, he treated me like a son.

It was just a really, really good experience.

Afa and I still are very close.

I owe him a lot, and I try to always give him credit.

>> Speaker 1: I think he got more of kinda a father figure advice from

Afa more than the business aspect.

>> Speaker 1: It was hard to bring that animal out of him at the beginning,

because he was that quiet.

>> Speaker 1: He was really, really good to me and my family as well.

As his training progressed, I think within four to five,

six months, I said to myself, it's almost time for

me we call him in my gym to graduate a person in order to

advance him to a different level.

I have decided it's time for me to make the phone call, and I did.

I went straight to Ms. McMahon, and Batista was born.

>> Speaker 1: He was very focused and he was just doing what he had to do to get to

the next level and absorbing as much as he could.

Afa is a great teacher, I think.

I mean, he took it as far as that camp could go, and

he was ready when he moved on.

Yeah, the funny thing is Afa sent me up to the WWE for a tryout, and

the next day they called me and Cindy offered me a job.

And originally, I wasn't supposed to go to OVW.

I was supposed to go to Memphis, which was our other developmental camp.

>> When I first met Batista, it was in Louisville, Kentucky, in OVW.

>> Speaker 1: He was massive, unbelievably powerful.

He had the most dominating presence of anyone in that

Ohio Valley Wrestling class.

Batista, Cena, myself, Shelton Benjamin, it was a small, intimate group of

guys who were all learning and we busted our butts down there, man.

>> Speaker 1: Jim Cornette said,

I got this great idea for you, and he was really excited about it.

He said, I got this persona for you.

The character's name is gonna be Leviathan.

Seemed a little odd to me at the time, but I figured I'd go with it.

It seemed like fun.

So for the persona of Leviathan, I came up with all these kinda goofy ideas, but

I thought they were cool at the time.

[LAUGH] So I went out to Home Depot and got this great big metal chain that I

would wear around my neck because I thought it looked cool.

The guys hated it because they would punch it and

they'd hurt their hands cuz it was a great big metal chain.

Originally, I started wearing these fangs, and they started coming off, and

I'd be chewing on them or spitting them out, and

it just [INAUDIBLE] think you're a big, tough guy and your tooth falls out.

So the fangs didn't last.

So everything that I thought would be cool for

this character ended up just being a nightmare.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: Obviously, Batista has always had a great look, but

as he progressed in the ring, you could tell there was something special there.

>> Speaker 1: I would say the first time I saw Dave Batista,

I knew he was gonna be something.

I just knew it was a matter of time.

>> Speaker 1: He had the intangible, the X-factor that you're always looking for.

>> Speaker 1: So pray for your body, because your soul belongs to me.

>> Speaker 1: I learned a lot from OVW.

I think one of the greatest things that Jim Cornette ever did for the people that

went down to OVW was make sure they were familiar with the traditions,

sports entertainment, locker room etiquette, stuff like that.

Worked out good.

I was very thankful I got some good breaks, and

I just feel like I was in the right place at the right time.

If I'd done it earlier in my life, I probably wouldn't have been ready for

the pressures and the stress.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: [LAUGH] My brother,

it is now time to go out to the ring and testify.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: I remember the first time I saw Dave on national

television was with D-Von.

>> Speaker 1: First reaction when I found out I was gonna be called up was a whole

bunch of feelings.

I think it was kind of it's about time cuz everybody around me was getting called up.

Randy Orton had been called up, Brock had been called up.

>> Speaker 1: I don't know what the expectations were for

Batista when he first came up from developmental to the WWE roster.

I think it may have been a hiccup creatively.

>> You're with D-Von, D-Von's doing this and that, and

I had been watching the show, so I knew what he was doing.

I just didn't know how I was gonna fit into it.

And then they explained the box and the building fund, and

I'm helping protect his money, and that's what I'm doing.

I am now Reverend D-Von's bodyguard.

[LAUGH] So it's not the big glamorous coming up that I thought it

was gonna happen, but hey.

>> Dave's on TV.

It was surreal.

It really was.

It was a really great achievement for him, and we were proud of him.

>> Speaker 1: I kind of assumed that he might be like a lot of other big,

muscular wrestlers and maybe not have the great greatest potential, but

he proved me wrong.

>> Speaker 1: Batista just loaded with muscle, and speed, and

power, about 6"6, 313.

Look at the face on this dude, man.

>> Speaker 1: I think this guy's borderline psycho.

D-Von really took me under his wing, and I try to always give him credit for

that, cuz he really looked out for me.

The biggest, probably the most important lesson I learned from them sticking me

with D-Von is that was exactly where I needed to be.

I wasn't ready to shoot to the top, not even close.

I was exactly where I needed to be.

That was my position.

It was perfect for me.

I needed to be there.

I needed to be on the sidelines, needed to watch the guys and see what they're doing,

and try to learn from there, and I wasn't ready for the spotlight.

I wasn't ready.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: This is not good.

>> Batista, planting D-Von.

>> Speaker 1: I think they really just still weren't sure.

They weren't sure if my heart was in it.

And they really weren't sure about my ring technique,

how I was coming along as far as being an entertainer.

And so they sent me down to train with Fit Finlay [LAUGH] for a couple days.

>> Speaker 1: We've seen a lot of potential in Batista, and

I was the one that could bring out aggression in people, and

I think that's what we needed to do with Batista.

>> Speaker 1: You need to be able to garner this knowledge from these producers

and agents that know the industry and that are more than willing to bestow

their knowledge upon you and help you to the next level.

>> Speaker 1: Yeah, I learned something there that still I hold true to this day.

I swear, it's one of the best things I've ever learned, and

it's to live in the moment.

>> Speaker 1: I put a lot of time into people and I'm a short burst guy.

I bring the best out of people in a bad way.

>> Speaker 1: Batista making his Raw debut.

300 plus pound carnivore.

>> Speaker 1: My gosh, look at this guy, JR.

What an athlete this Batista is.

>> Speaker 1: 308.

Eighteen pounds, he's ripped.

Look at the size.

He's a monster.

That's a freak of nature.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 3: We started looking at everybody,

basically to see who had what and what we wanted for the group.

And we our time with it and started looking at guys.

Dave had the agility and

had an athletic ability about him that you don't see with a lot of guys that size.

And that was probably the thing that struck me most.

>> Speaker 4: I was so giddy about it, but at the same time,

I didn't wanna get my hopes up.

But inside I was just jumping out of my skin like, I can't believe this, guys.

Please let this happen.

And being involved with Rick and Hunter and Randy, who was my really good friend,

we trained together, we went through OVW together.

So I was really excited about it, but until it happened, I didn't believe it.

>> Speaker 3: I think Rick and I both saw the same thing in him and

saw this just big, huge guy that could become a big star in the business.

>> Speaker 2: Dave Bautista, 6' 5" 325

pounds of genetic stopping power.

>> Speaker 3: He was like a big, giant lump of clay.

He had all the tools.

He just had no idea what to do with them.

>> Speaker 6: He's very reserved by nature.

And I think when a company with such experience, like Ric Flair, like Hunter,

I think he just learned to be himself.

And that's what's led me to success today.

>> Speaker 4: I knew what my job was.

I was an enforcer.

I knew they looked at me in a certain way.

They didn't look at me like the future star that Randy Orton was gonna be,

but I didn't care.

Again, I had my foot in the door.

I was where I wanted to be.

I mean, I was put under the wings of two of the best wrestlers that have ever

lived, Ric Flair and Triple H.

And I knew that I was gonna learn a lot from them and pick their brains.

And so I was really excited about it.

I mean, really excited.

I can't even tell you how excited I was about it.

>> Speaker 7: Having Ric Flair and Triple H take us under their wing,

it couldn't have been any better for us.

We were very fortunate, very lucky to be in evolution.

We learned a lot.

>> Speaker 3: They were very open to everything that either I said or

Ric said or the company.

Dave was a very quick learner.

He was just very fast to pick things up.

And the good thing is they got to do it every night.

>> Every time we did something wrong in the ring, I told him what it was and

we came back and talked about it.

And after a while, he just started rolling along.

And then one night, he wrestled Shawn Michaels on the pay per view and had that

breakthrough match where he really all of a sudden become that accomplished guy.

And we ran from there.

>> Speaker 4: That was my night.

That was a really big breakout night for me.

It was my first really big singles match with Shawn Michaels.

I had a lot of backstage stuff.

To do, which I had really never done before.

And to top it all off, I got to win tag team titles with Ric Flair.

>> Speaker 5: He was so fired up about it, that got me a little wired.

He was great and he was excited and he was really honored to be my partner.

And what makes that moment great for me is the night that I would get to

the Dave Batista and he was so thrilled to be my partner.

>> Speaker 4: I was on cloud nine.

Even now, still think I always get asked, what are the highlights of your career?

And I always say it's a toss up.

It's either 2005, WrestleMania 21, or

the first time I won tag team gold with Ric Flair.

Who would have thought?

Not me, not in a million years.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 9: When we first started Evolution, everybody, and that's how

it was laid out on tv, even Dave's the muscle and Randy's the next in line.

You know what I mean?

Randy's the diamond in the rough.

>> Speaker 10: Truth be told, that was supposed to be Randy Orton and

not Dave Batista.

Randy Orton, as we all know, won the title at SummerSlam in Toronto,

and a creative directional change was made almost immediately.

>> Speaker 9: Somewhere along the way, about halfway into Evolution,

we were having a conversation and everybody was talking about Randy,

Randy this, Randy that, Randy this.

And I said, mark my words, guys.

You guys all are looking at Randy Orton.

It's not gonna be Randy.

It's gonna be Dave.

>> Speaker 10: All of a sudden, Dave Bautista had these little subtle things

that he could do about himself that the people started buying into.

>> Speaker 9: I have opportunity to become good friends with him and

mentor him when I can,

trying to get him to show let that charisma that we see come out.

>> Speaker 10: Dave had won over the people he needed to win over to make sure

that his growth and his ascension took place from winning the Royal Rumble.

And how ironic it was that in that year,

2005, it came down to Batista and John Cena.

I mean, these burgeoning superstars that now are on top talk,

they were just breaking through the glass ceiling at the time.

>> Speaker 1: John Cena Batista.

The final [INAUDIBLE], this is a dream matchup.

>> Speaker 6: I think that Royal Rumble match was certainly a moment in WWE

history.

That is fascinating.

It's the first time we kind of ever competed against each other.

>> Speaker 1: Batista has won the Royal Rumble.

>> Speaker 4: I have to win the Royal Rumble.

I mean, it was weird because all this stuff within a couple months,

all this stuff had come about.

Win the Royal Rumble.

I'm going to go to WrestleMania and headline WrestleMania.

>> Speaker 1: Batista will be in the Main Event at WrestleMania 21.

>> Speaker 4: I was like, I just can't believe this.

It's like out of nowhere.

It's not like years in the making.

This is, I mean, within a few months time, I mean, it's like a whirlwind.

I don't know what's going on.

It's like crazy.

>> Speaker 9: The lead in for me and Batista was huge.

>> Speaker 4: Hunter, I've known what I was gonna do for a long time.

>> Speaker 9: You couldn't wait for it to happen.

>> Speaker 2: I'm staying right here Raw.

That WrestleMania.

I'm taking the world Championship from you.

>> Speaker 8: I think when I watched Batista and Triple H, I think that feud,

that is what really, I believe, brought him into his own.

I think that's what helped really secure him on the map as

a legitimate contender and a major player in WWE.

>> Speaker 2: Batista, you were like a brother to me.

And when you turned on me, I was very angry.

It's all about the game and how you play it.

What a game got played.

>> Speaker 2: Batista, I will not hesitate.

>> Speaker 2: I'm bigger.

>> Speaker 2: There will be no remorse.

>> Speaker 2: I'm better.

>> Speaker 2: No regrets.

>> At WrestleMania 21.

>> Speaker 2: At WrestleMania 21.

>> I will beat you.

>> Speaker 2: Your ass is mine.

>> Speaker 2: And officially become the man.

>> Speaker 1: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, around the world.

We are live in Hollywood and

this is WrestleMania 21.

>> Speaker 4: Going into WrestleMania 21,

to say that I was a ball of nerves that day would be a huge understatement.

I barely slept that week.

I had all kinds of stuff going on.

I was so nervous about that in itself, and I knew where it was going and

the future responsibilities that I would have.

[MUSIC]

And also was having physical problems, too.

I was having a lot of back problems, my L4 and L5 got really bad, had bulging discs.

So I tell people this and they don't believe me, but

I went through the whole match in WrestleMania 21 not feeling my left leg.

It was completely numb as my side nervous.

I was having so many problems.

>> Speaker 2: Batista.

>> Batista Bomb, Batista Bomb.

Can Batista [INAUDIBLE], yes.

>> Speaker 2: The beast has been unleashed.

Batista is the new heavyweight champion of the world.

>> Speaker 1: When Kyota handed me the title,

I think I literally just broke down.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: I actually had tears in my eyes, I was so proud of him.

>> Speaker 1: It was really a dream come true for all of us.

I mean, we were really sharing in the moment.

>> Speaker 3: I was there.

I was so excited.

I was crying, he was crying.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 4: I was so proud of him.

I remember hugging and just him falling in my arms and

him just bawling his eyes out, truly.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: WrestleMania was so special to me that I also wanted it to be

special for my family as well, and especially for my wife.

So I never really gave her a proposal, I never gave her a ring.

And I wanted to make her, I wanted to make it her night as much as it was mine.

So I had this big, goofy plan, how I'd do this proposal and

finally give her the proposal she deserved.

I planned to, after the match, come back and propose to her.

>> Speaker 4: He dropped to one knee in front of everybody saying that this was

something that he thought that I always deserved, and he wanted to give it to me.

And he thought this would be a great moment for us to celebrate.

>> Speaker 5: A very cool moment for him to do it in, I guess,

in a way where it was all of a sudden all about him.

And he turned it around and made it all about her.

>> Speaker 4: I was shaking, I was totally, absolutely surprised.

So, it was a great day for both of us.

>> Speaker 1: It was such a special night.

It just easily, by far, one of the best nights of my life.

[NOISE] >> Then

it was like a whole new can of worms just open.

And Hunter actually said to me, and I'll never forget it, and

he's given me a lot of good advice.

He said, just enjoy it, man, enjoy the ride, cuz it's gonna be a roller coaster.

And he said, I mean, you gotta be on the money, man, cuz you're now the name and

face of the company.

A lot of people are counting on you, and you're gonna,

you have a lot of grief if you let a lot of people down.

[LAUGH] >> Speaker 6: I'm the man.

>> The power.

>> Speaker 6: I'm the predator.

>> The strength.

>> Speaker 6: I'm the World Heavyweight champion.

>> Speaker 1: The intensity.

>> Speaker 6: And on the top of the food chain.

Was pretty much, that's it.

Here's your title, go home and pack your bags.

You're not gonna be home.

[LAUGH] Get out there.

Get out there and represent our company.

>> Speaker 6: I will chew them up.

>> Speaker 2: Spinebuster, spinebuster.

>> Speaker 6: Spit them out.

>> Speaker 2: Batista Bomb, Batista Bomb.

>> Speaker 6: And I'll enjoy doing it.

>> Speaker 2: Can anything stop Batista?

>> Speaker 6: I am the World Heavyweight champion.

[MUSIC]

I was really, at that point, I was World Heavyweight champion.

I was really at that time when my family life just, especially my marriage,

just really started to fall apart.

It was really bad, I was never home.

My wife was really resentful because of that.

It wasn't what she signed up for.

I don't want to be married to a guy who was never home.

>> Speaker 4: We were the couple that we did everything together, and

we loved it like that.

Some couples that would drive them absolutely nuts, and

they can't function like that.

But I was his world, he was my world.

When he started traveling a lot, I think it affected us immensely.

It's really hard to stay connected to someone that's not a part of your world,

and vice versa.

I was always so proud of him, so there was always a part of me that understood.

But I did become resentful, there was a part of me that started getting angry.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: It was around this time as well that I had gained

full custody of my children.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 7: I grew up with my mom.

She's always had custody of us.

And then when I was 12, I think,

that's when my dad filed to get custody of me and my sister.

[MUSIC]

I don't know, Angie, my stepmom's basically like my mom.

I've known her since I was three or four, so she's always been there for me.

>> Speaker 1: I picked up my family and we relocated to Florida.

My oldest daughter didn't come with us when we first moved down,

because at the time she was pregnant and she kept running away from home and

there's nothing we could do, and she kept running away to her mother.

We thought at that time that the safest thing would be to just let her stay with

her mother while she was pregnant.

And she was still very young,

still worried about her as far as health concerns or being such a young mother.

And so the agreement was that she stayed there until she had the baby, and

then she relocated with us to Florida, which is what she eventually agreed to do.

It was a little tough, she didn't wanna come in first because she thought that

she would never see the father of the baby anymore.

And we said, we'll bring him down here as long as he wants to be a father.

We want him in your life.

So we did.

I mean, we brought him down, we moved him down, we bought him a car,

we rented him an apartment and really took care of him.

>> Speaker 7: My grandma moved in to help raise us.

>> Cuz now we had, my two kids and a grandchild, and

my wife [LAUGH] wasn't crazy about the situation.

And at that time, I was never home, and she was,

we were starting to have problems, so my mom moved on to help us out.

>> Speaker 7: Then my stepmom left because her and my dad got divorced.

>> Speaker 3: That's still his soulmate, whether they ever get back together,

who knows?

But there's gonna be a part of them that's always gonna be married,

no matter what he does.

>> Speaker 4: It's hard to connect when someone's home a few days

out of the whole month, not even the week.

But I knew, no matter what, that he needed this to happen.

He needed to succeed, cuz this was all Dave had, it was all he had.

>> Speaker 7: I took it really tough.

After she left, I couldn't talk to her for a period of time cuz if I talked to her,

I just would break down and cry.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 4: What I wanted was a family, and family, the dad has to be there.

>> Speaker 7: I don't really get to see him that often, so

that part sort of sucks cuz he's always working.

It's really tough being without my dad.

>> Speaker 3: He would have loved to have been him, but

he was trying to do what he could to provide a life for his family.

Family that I couldn't provide for him, and I respect him for that.

>> Speaker 2: My oldest daughter came out and started going to school again.

And she met another boy that she liked, but she was still very young,

was way too young to be a mother.

And so her boyfriend, the father of her son, he packed up and moved.

They just left, and, So

they packed up and left, and I think,

[COUGH] I think about a week or two weeks after he left,

I was actually doing an appearance for the WWE at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic.

And I was walking to the airport and I got a call, Said,

Ricky's dead, says, he was killed in a car accident.

And he was still a young kid, and so it's just heartbreaking.

>> Speaker 4: Now, ladies and gentlemen, everybody get ready to show your love for

the final draft lottery pick and World Champion, Bautista.

>> Speaker 4: [APPLAUSE] >> SmackDown has hit the jackpot.

>> Speaker 4: Holy cow.

>> Speaker 4: The World Heavyweight Champion has come to SmackDown, my God.

>> Speaker 2: Getting drafted back over to SmackDown, especially as champion,

it was a little rough, it was a little rough.

I had a lot of heat with a lot of SmackDown guys.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 5: I don't know that Bautista knew exactly why he

was in the position he was, and that was because of all the help he got.

And I know he was very unhappy to have to leave his buddies of Evolution and

who he traveled with, grew up with as far as this industry.

>> Speaker 2: So suddenly there I was, still really a rookie,

didn't have my friends with me anymore, Triple H and Rick, and

went over there [LAUGH] as the new champion.

So, I mean, it felt like not only on screen but

behind the scenes as well I had a lot of people coming for me.

>> Speaker 5: And even though they're all WWE, they're different groups,

they're different teams, and Dave was not welcomed.

>> Speaker 6: It's the same thing, when you get to that level,

even though he was in those matches, now all of a sudden he was the guy,

and he's at that level and he's put there.

And it looks like the company's all behind him and

putting a lot of push behind him and he's getting everything.

And even if you're a guy at that level, you're looking at him, you're going,

why is he getting that?

There's a lot of questioning to that, and you have to prove yourself.

>> Speaker 2: I don't think there would have been many frowns if I had

[LAUGH] lost that title the first week there.

>> Speaker 5: He didn't make himself very welcomed by his actions, and

it was probably one of the roughest starts in his career.

When he went to SmackDown, by far, it was quickly becoming a huge failure.

>> Speaker 2: We are here to name a new number one contender for

my World Heavyweight Championship.

>> Speaker 4: Eddie Guerrero is the number one contender for

the World Heavyweight Championship.

>> Speaker 2: Working with Eddie, I think right off the bat,

Eddie treated me like a champ.

He really helped me make the transition over to SmackDown,

cuz a lot of the guys were really down on me, he stood up for me a lot.

>> Speaker 4: You're not only the World Heavyweight Champion and

you not only wear that belt right righteously around your waist,

you are what this business is today, you are greatness.

>> Speaker 2: He treated me like I was king of the world.

[LAUGH] And he'd always say, you're the leader of the chariot, you're the horse,

you're the thoroughbred.

We gotta all get behind you, you're pulling the chariot.

And really, when he'd tell me that, I'd believe it.

[LAUGH] He'd make me stick my chest out and I just ran, he had me all pumped up.

I think right off the bat, I think Eddie, I don't know if he felt sorry for

me [LAUGH] or just took a liking to me.

But we clicked right off the bat, man, just like that.

And, man, I enjoyed every second of working with him.

>> Speaker 1: When David started working with Eddie, he was so happy.

He was the most centered I've ever seen David in his life since I've known him.

Eddie was so many things for Dave, and for the first time, I felt that Dave

was getting back on track with family, with life, with priority, with work.

>> Speaker 7: The relationship that Dave Bautista and my Uncle Eddie had was

a special one because they were just starting to work a program together.

And the night before Eddie passed, he called Bautista on the phone and

told Dave how much he loved working with him.

And Eddie always wore his heart on his sleeve.

When I talked to Dave the next day,

he was hit almost as hard as anybody, they were close.

>> Speaker 2: So I remember we were up in the morning

[MUSIC]

Just remember my wife screaming, she said, my God, my God.

>> Speaker 3: I said, what, what's going on?

She said, I just got a message from Dr.

Rios, she said, Eddie's dead.

And I said, what, no, no way.

She said, I just got a message, and she broke down, said, Eddie's dead.

I just fell on the bed, and I just felt numb.

>> Speaker 1: I've never seen David cry so hard in my whole entire life, ever.

Out of all the things that we've been through,

I have never, ever seen him cry that hard.

And I think he knew that he lost that guidance.

>> Speaker 3: I don't know, it felt like someone just sucked the life out of me.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 2: Call me a selfish son of a bitch,

call me anything you want cuz I'd give anything to have Eddie back right here.

I miss the hell out of him.

Eddie Guerrero, I miss you, and I love you.

And I will make sure that these people everywhere around the world remember you.

>> Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie.

>> Speaker 4: You hear the Eddie Guerrero chants for the late,

great Eddie Guerrero, our WWE fans showing utmost respect.

>> And two of Eddie's closest friends in the entire world teaming up in this

matchup, Rey Mysterio and Dave Bautista.

>> Working with Rey Mysterio, first of all,

Rey is one of my favorite people in the world.

He's one of the coolest guys I know.

I just love him to death.

I've gotten to know Dave better as days go by and we've got to kick it many times.

Very lovable guy, down to earth, without a doubt.

He's one of the nicest persons I've ever met.

>> Speaker 1: Tell you, what a team Batista and Mysterio make.

>> Speaker 1: Wait a minute.

>> What a team, power and speed.

>> Speaker 1: We definitely have a lot of chemistry in the ring.

Batista and Mysterio looking stoppable.

Batista, Rey Mysterio looking sharp.

>> Speaker 1: We would rock the house every night.

>> Speaker 1: Batista, wow, the Batista Bomb.

>> Speaker 1: Are they gonna do it?

Are they gonna do it?

>> Speaker 1: Two. >> Speaker 1: They did it.

>> Speaker 1: Holy smokes.

>> Speaker 1: Two Tag Team Champions, Batista and Mysterio.

>> Speaker 1: What a celebration for Batista and Rey Mysterio.

>> Batista, Eddie, and myself, we were really,

really united, we were really tight.

And just becoming champions together and dedicating that to our brother,

to our good friend, Eddie just meant the world to us.

>> Speaker 1: I had so much fun working with him.

[LAUGH] That's all it was.

I mean, that part of my career,

I couldn't describe it as anything other than just pure fun.

I mean, Rey, he's just fun to work with.

It's so funny because we clash so much, I mean, our styles of wrestling and

our physical stature and everything were just total opposites.

At the same time, we get in there and just goof around and have so much fun.

>> Speaker 1: I know he's a celebrity, but he's just still Dave and

he's always been Dave.

The celebrity thing, it's never changed him.

He's never changed one little bit.

He's still the person he is.

Dave on a regular basis is pretty quiet.

He's kind of a mild mannered, quiet, kinda go-with-the-flow kind of a guy.

>> Speaker 1: He's one of those quality guys.

There's not a lot of them around, not just in the business, but in life.

>> Speaker 1: Always courteous, takes time for everybody.

>> Speaker 1: He's just a fantastic guy, friend.

He's amazing.

He'll come back here, he'll talk to anyone.

He is down to earth.

>> Speaker 1: He'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.

>> Speaker 1: He doesn't look at himself as being anything special.

>> Just his fan base, just the people that just come up to him and admire him.

It's crazy at times.

I mean, everywhere he goes, there's 200 and 300 people,

all wanted to shake his hand.

That in itself, I mean, it's just jaw dropping to see that.

>> Speaker 1: I think people sometimes they see us once a week on our show and

they don't realize that we do on televised events, and they don't realize

that even when we're not doing shows, still we're out promoting.

We travel the world, we have international shows.

So in between our weekly show, we may go to Australia in a few days and come back.

>> Wrestling fanatics of all ages, the day that we've been waiting for

has finally come.

>> Speaker 1: Batista, welcome to the Philippines.

How are you doing?

>> Speaker 1: Philippines in general, it's a special place for me.

For one, I'm half Filipino.

>> Speaker 1: Yeah, apparently some point in time along the way,

Dave decided he was Filipino.

I never knew he was Filipino.

I don't think anybody knew he was Filipino.

Somehow, Dave researched his ancestry and found a little Filipino.

>> Speaker 1: The Filipinos don't treat me like I'm half Filipino.

They treat me like I was born there, I was raised there, I'm 100% Filipino.

They really, really embrace me, which to me is just, I mean, it's incredible.

>> Speaker 1: He's actually a world-class champion, a good representative for

the Filipino people.

>> Speaker 1: I'm very proud of my roots, obviously.

I have my heritage face tattooed on my shoulder.

>> Speaker 1: Those are his roots.

>> Speaker 1: He is Filipino and Greek, and I am proud of him for

embracing those roots.

>> Speaker 1: Batista, being an international superstar,

he shows up a side of the Filipino that we can be proud of.

>> Speaker 1: Being half Filipino, he's gotta be the biggest superstar there is.

He represents his country.

>> Speaker 1: The way it was explained to me, I can say I could never figure

out why I was so, so popular here other than being half Filipino.

And someone said to me that Filipino people, they're searching for heroes.

They need heroes.

They need one of their own as a hero, and there's not that many.

So they really embraced me as one of their own, and they looked at me as a hero.

>> Speaker 1: It's much like Manny Pacquiao being from the Philippines.

When anyone can see one of their own make it,

it gives them the greatest gift of all, and that is hope.

And Dave Batista gives a whole country of people hope that they

can become great such as he.

>> Speaker 1: So you go to the Philippines and

the president is really Manny Pacquiao, and the vice president is Dave Batista.

That's how popular he is over there.

>> Speaker 1: Do the Filipino people proud, man.

>> Speaker 1: You're always number one in our hearts.

>> Speaker 1: First time I went to the Philippines, I mean, I got mobbed.

It was to the point where it really was.

It was scary because I had never had that many people, I mean, just rushing me.

[MUSIC]

Just to see the people that turn out just to see me, not to see me wrestle, but

just to see me, I mean, to me, it just doesn't seem real.

>> Speaker 1: I'm so happy that I got to see him and hug him.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: I couldn't even describe what it feels like to have a country

embrace you.

I mean, just to love you, and they do.

It's such an incredible feeling.

I love going there.

>> Speaker 1: Batista is definitely a warrior in the ring.

We all know that, right?

But he's about to meet up with a different breed of warriors, cancer warriors.

>> Speaker 1: Meeting sick kids for

me, it's another one of those things that WWE has afforded me the luxury of doing.

To go out and put a smile on a sick kid's face, you can't put a price on that.

That's invaluable.

That's a blessing.

[MUSIC]

Meeting with kids with cancer, it's heartbreaking.

But at the same time, I always try to look at it as a blessing

because I get to put a smile on these kids' faces.

>> His presence alone, without him saying a word, transcends language,

transcends everything.

[MUSIC]

If I hadn't been with the WWE,

I never would have gotten a chance to experience anything like that.

That's one of the things that I treasure the most,

cuz 99.9% of people in the world will never get a chance to experience that.

It really is living a dream.

I don't know how else to put it, just living the dream.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: I'm just proud of him cuz I know where we came from,

to see where he is now and to know that all that hard work paid off.

>> Speaker 1: He is sports entertainment.

They want him to be Batista.

They want him to be the champion.

They think he's this big, strong guy who never gets hurt, and is all powerful, and

can take everybody.

It's just a matter of just being able to sustain that.

And I think that's a heavy load in itself, and it's pretty demanding.

>> Speaker 1: In a match against Mark Henry, I was injured.

This is a severe injury.

It'll require a surgery that will leave me sidelined indefinitely.

I always wanted to be the kinda champion to come out here and

defend my title against whoever, but I am physically unable to do that.

I have no choice but to surrender the World Heavyweight Championship.

[MUSIC]

>> It's a shame.

I mean, Batista on top of his game, I don't know what to say.

Unfortunately, he had to surrender this title.

It's just heartbreaking.

I just feel for the man, big time.

The way it happened was just.

I mean, it was a live event, untelevised live event, a match against Mark Henry.

He gave me this move.

I think he called it chocolate mousse, something like that, at the time.

He landed with all of his body weight on my back.

And I didn't even notice that my tricep was torn at first because I

just couldn't breathe.

I mean, Mark had literally jumped on my back and crushed me.

I thought my sternum was crushed, was actually.

It was bruised really bad, so

I didn't even notice but my arm was actually under me.

Just the force of his weight lying on my back, it just.

I mean, I thought my chest exploded.

I just couldn't breathe.

I was in the ring.

Next thing you know, I looked up and I was on the ground, and

I didn't even know how I got there.

And then I stood up, trying to catch my breath,

and I realized that my arm was just kind of flopping around.

I knew my tricep was torn.

At that point, I was really more worried about, why I couldn't breathe.

I mean, my chest hurt so bad.

>> Speaker 2: Injuries happen in this business, and you can dwell on it,

or you can just get over it and move on, it happens.

It's gonna happen at the worst possible times, but they happen.

And you know what?

You suck it up, you move on.

You don't get depressed about it.

You don't think about it.

You just, you know what?

You'd be depressed about it tonight, but tomorrow, when you wake up,

go get your surgery, whatever you got to have done, and

it starts day one of your return, and that's how you have to look at it.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 3: We felt that the best thing to do was to augment the triceps tendon,

to add some more tendon to the tendon he already has by taking that tendon out of

his leg, which is something that he will neither miss nor regret having.

It just adds some more tendon and some more strength to the repair.

>> Speaker 1: I'll start as soon as I can.

I will be in the gym, guaranteed, the day I get home, probably before that.

That's the biggest thing for me, is the downtime.

I'm a person that can't stand to be out of the gym.

It's my life, it's my stress relief.

So I will do what I need to do and come back better, stronger than ever, and

reclaim what's mine.

>> Speaker 4: For Dave, It's never a question of whether he'll come back.

It just seems with a job like this, there's more of a wear and tear,

not just with physical, but what you're able to deal with emotional and mentally.

And those all have to be there hand in hand for this to work.

>> Speaker 2: While that was a very bitter pill to swallow, I think Dave was on that

page of, this is one of the hardest things I'm ever gonna have to do.

I'm on the ride of my life.

I'm in the position I've always dreamt of being in, and

I've got to hand this back over, and I've got to start that rehab.

And I think it was devastating to him.

But the next day, he went and had what he had to have done, and

he started on his comeback.

You know what I mean?

Not everybody can do that.

But that Dave has that focus, that drive to be able to do that.

>> It's something that goes along with our business.

But, having to walk away and surrender the title, it was heartbreaking for me.

So it is what it is.

Just it made for a good comeback.

>> Speaker 5: Ladies and gentlemen, Batista.

[NOISE]

>> Speaker 5: I've never heard in an arena erupt like that.

>> Speaker 2: These people love this family.

[NOISE] >> Speaker 1: When I

did finally come back, I was worked right into a program with King Booker, Booker T.

At the time, which was a little odd in itself because we had some

problems personally, behind the scenes.

Booker and I had a lot of heat with one another, which by the time

I'd actually gotten back on the show, we kind of put, behind us.

But at the same time, it was still just that underlying tension between us and

the rest of the locker room as well.

I really sided with him on that.

Look, Booker, no disrespect, not personal.

I wanna thank you for holding my title for me.

I'm gonna be needing it back.

>> Speaker 1: Said, okay, well, if I have to prove myself again,

that's what I'll do.

Here I am, this is what I have to do.

So I bit my tongue a lot.

I sucked it up a lot.

And eventually, Booker wasn't there anymore, and I was there.

>> Speaker 5: He is the number one contender.

The Animal, Batista.

This is his last chance tonight.

If Batista loses, he will have no more

opportunities at the world heavyweight title.

Batista ducked underneath, and it was just a title upstall.

Turn around round.

The referee never stars.

>> Speaker 5: I like this. >> Speaker 5: Here's the cover, Batista.

Batista did it,

is the new champion.

>> Speaker 1: In the city in the same arena where Batista surrendered the world

Championship back in January.

Batista has won the world title back.

It is poetic justice tonight.

>> Speaker 1: Few months earlier, I didn't know I'd even be wrestling again.

So to be back, on top again was.

How can you say anything bad about that?

That was sweet.

Going into WrestleMania 23 with Undertaker, I mean,

that's another one of my dream matches.

>> Speaker 5: One of the most anticipated matches in WrestleMania history.

It's either the end of the WrestleMania undefeated streak or

the end of Batista's reign as champion.

>> Speaker 6: Without a doubt, WrestleMania 23 Batista, Undertaker,

Streak on the line, title at stake.

Without question, the biggest match of Batista's life.

>> Speaker 5: You talk about a date with destiny.

If anyone can end this streak, as crazy as it may sound,

Batista is the one who could defeat the Undertaker and the streak tonight.

>> Speaker 1: There was just so

much going into that match that I was looking forward to.

I mean, it's my first, right?

Really, that was a huge WrestleMania.

That many people.

>> Speaker 5: 80,000 on their feet in Ford Field.

>> Speaker 6: You have over 80,000 fans.

More people than attended the super bowl earlier that year.

>> Speaker 1: I will not be intimidated.

>> Speaker 6: For Batista, it presented perhaps his biggest challenge to date,

going against arguably the most beloved and respected superstar in WWE history.

>> Speaker 1: People were wondering, is Undertaker possibly.

Will his streak be broken?

>> Speaker 2: Fans can't call it.

It's the unstoppable force and the immovable object.

You know what I mean?

What's gonna break?

And I think fans are fascinated with that.

>> Speaker 5: Look at this tombstone pile driver.

>> Speaker 6: Wow.

We have a new World Champion.

>> Speaker 2: Unbelievable, that was something to be wholesome to watch,

something that everybody in this business should be proud of.

It was two guys giving their all.

It was just tremendous to watch.

>> Speaker 1: What about the performance of Batista?

You can't take anything away from the performance of the former Champion.

>> Speaker 4: The thing about the match itself that was really most

important to me was I really wanted to steal the show.

I think Undertaker did as well.

We thought we were gonna be the Main Event of WrestleMania 23.

We had a lot of milestones with this match.

I just felt like we deserved better.

>> Speaker 5: That's just youth, I mean, Dave's a young guy.

Young in terms of the business.

They probably should have higher up the car, but it doesn't matter,

at the end of the night, people remember the match.

It was one of the flagship matches on the show.

>> Speaker 1: There was a roller coaster ride for the 80,000 plus here tonight.

>> Speaker 4: After the match, I knew that we were the Main Event and I came back and

I got a little grief for this, but I came back [LAUGH] and

said at the top of my lungs, follow that.

Because I knew we tore the house down.

>> Speaker 5: That really took Dave to another level.

Dave really turned it on that night.

He really became a major player.

>> Speaker 1: It was an absolutely spectacular World Championship

matchup between The Undertaker and Batista.

>> Speaker 4: I think I open my eyes and

I finally just proved myself to a lot of people [INAUDIBLE] I just love.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: Batista barely able to stand.

Undertaker with Batista on his shoulder.

What the hell is he gonna do here?

And Batista, a spear.

>> My God.

>> A spear.

[NOISE] >> Speaker 6: They

had a classic series of matches that played out over a long period of time.

And a lot of those matches didn't have decisive finishes.

>> Speaker 1: A spear off the stage through the electrical wiring.

There was some sort of explosion.

>> Speaker 2: This count doesn't even matter.

>> Speaker 6: To be able to do that and to keep their interest and

to keep them coming back, you have to have [INAUDIBLE] matches.

And that's what they did.

>> Speaker 1: Who's gonna be Champion?

Both men.

[SOUND] >> Speaker 1: The referees

have concluded that both men's feet touch the floor at the same time.

>> Speaker 6: They were great matches to credit to both of them.

>> Speaker 7: Once Batista got through with The Undertaker rivalry,

his confidence in what he could do.

Reaching out, taking risks.

You can't gain success without taking risks.

And he would do new things with Edge,

who was coming into his own as a single competitor.

>> Speaker 1: Edge is the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Edge steals the title.

>> And they just hit it off right away.

>> Speaker 2: Welcome to SmackDown, Edge.

And since you're new, I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told The Undertaker.

That title belongs to me.

>> Speaker 8: As strange as it sounds,

I've always enjoyed stepping into the ring with Dave.

I know it's always gonna be a hard night.

I know it's gonna be a physical night.

I know I'm gonna feel it the next day.

But I love wrestling Batista.

>> Speaker 4: I love working with Edge.

We really meshed well together.

>> Speaker 6: Edge worked with Batista.

I think for the opposite reason that Undertaker did.

Edge worked with Batista because he was the little slime ball that shouldn't be

able to put a dent in this big monster, but somehow always comes out on top.

>> Speaker 1: And Edge rolling Batista.

And Edge steals one.

Edge took advantage of the injured leg.

>> Speaker 6: This is kind of one's gonna run and hide and

the other's gonna chase him around.

And hopefully he can last long enough to beat the lil guy.

And I think it's just more of a desire to see somebody get killed.

>> Speaker 8: He can tell a great story, and for such a big guy,

he just really sucks the audience in to having sympathy for him.

And that's difficult to do when you're 64, 65, 280 pounds of muscle.

>> Speaker 1: Batista's gotta get through the door.

>> But Edge is coming down.

>> Speaker 1: Batista crawl through the door.

He's out.

>> But he's [INAUDIBLE] Edge won it, Edge won it.

>> Speaker 1: Edge drop to the floor first.

And the Ultimate Opportunist survives again.

>> Speaker 7: Even though you're this big some bitch that should be walking all over

everybody.

If you have no obstacle, if you have no mountain to climb, then there is no story.

>> Speaker 8: I don't think he gets the credit he deserves for

being the wrestler that he is.

Now, I've always said you can't truly tell how good someone is until you're in there

with them.

And he is just really, really good.

I've always really enjoyed getting in there with him.

I'm really proud of some of the matches that him and I have had.

>> Speaker 4: I really loved working with Edge.

I mean, we had real good chemistry.

I felt it every second I was in there.

He felt it every second he was in there.

And I think the fans just felt the chemistry and the magic, and

they were loving it.

We wouldn't have a good match, and we always did.

>> Speaker 7: This is where he let down his card and

started trusting the people he was working with.

>> Speaker 7: And he knew that he didn't know, you see, prior to this,

he thought when he left Evolution, and he did so well.

He thought he had made it to the top, and he thought that now he knew, but

he was so far from knowing he was just a top star.

That's all he was.

He didn't know how he got to be a top star.

>> Speaker 7: Through The Undertaker, through Edge,

he learned imaginations of how you do that.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 4: Everybody knew the history between Ric Flair and myself and

that I loved him and he was my mentor.

And Shawn Michaels retired him.

>> Speaker 2: I'm a competitor, Dave, just like you.

And, you know, you know you'd have done the same thing.

>> Speaker 2: No, I wouldn't have done the same thing.

I wouldn't have let my ego get in the way of my friendship with Ric.

>> Speaker 7: It was so good.

I was watching like everybody else was, and I was just so enthralled with it.

>> Speaker 4: I trusted you, I trusted you to do the right thing.

>> Speaker 2: I know the right thing.

>> Speaker 2: I will never, ever make the mistake of trusting you again.

>> Speaker 2: I did the right thing.

I am so sick and tired of going back and forth with you, big man.

If you want some of me, do something about it, do something about.

>> Speaker 4: Was good, it was really good, and a lot of it was good.

Before we even got in the ring together,

people were really already emotionally invested in it.

And sometimes that's really hard to do.

>> Speaker 1: The band is tuning up.

>> Speaker 7: Sweet Chin Music, whoa.

>> [NOISE] >> Speaker 1: What a spinebuster.

>> Speaker 7: I think Batista looked at his match with Shawn Michaels as

opportunity.

Can I seize this opportunity?

Not only do I wanna win, but I must learn from this man.

>> Speaker 2: At this point, for Dave, it's picking up subtleties.

>> Speaker 3: Where did that come from?

Bautista walks right into sweet chin music.

Bautista lowered his guard for just a moment.

>> Speaker 3: Michael said that he would do any and everything to win this match,

and we just saw it.

>> Speaker 2: It's those little things that put you from being here as

a performer to being here.

[NOISE].

>> Speaker 1: And Am not sorry.

>> Speaker 3: Batista may be closing in on winning this stretcher match and

ending this months and months of personal battles with Shawn Michaels.

Mercifully, this is over.

>> Speaker 4: The stretcher match was great.

From there, the transition of that stretcher match and

Jericho's involvement eventually led you to a great rivalry Chris, Jericho.

>> Can Batista do it?

>> Speaker 3: Bad news for Jericho.

>> Speaker 3: The Batista bomb.

Here's the cover, can he do it?

Can Batista do it?

We've got a new world champion.

>> Speaker 5: Actually win it for the fourth time.

It was like, yeah, it was.

Each time I won, I can't even say that it was ever any less sweet.

Each time I won it, I always think.

I mean, I never imagined working with Rick.

I never imagined working with Hunter.

Becoming World Heavyweight Champion was just unfathomable, a second time, my God.

Third time, just fourth time is like, just kinda starts to dawn on you,

really I'm gonna be a part of history.

This is really just putting me up there with some of the best.

>> Speaker 6: Dave Batista is one of those guys that you always find yourself

rooting for just because of his power, of his presence,

just the way he acts in the ring.

He's one of those guys, it's very tough for

you to cheer against him because at any moment, he can beat anybody.

And I think that's what leads to his fan appeal.

>> Speaker 3: There aren't many superstars that can electrify a crowd like Batista.

>> Speaker 2: You can count on one hand the guys over the last six to eight

years that have had the fan appeal that Batista's got now.

>> [NOISE] Batista, Batista,

Batista, Batista.

>> Speaker 2: The same things that make Dave a star in our business make him

a star outside of our business.

>> Speaker 5: I've gotten to do some pretty cool stuff because of being

a WWE Superstars and other forms of entertainment.

Smallville, it was a big deal for me because I'm a big superhero buff,

so I was, like, super excited.

>> Speaker 7: It's nice to see Dave on other shows for me,

because it sort of Shows how well-rounded he is.

I mean, he has a desire to act, and he's very good at acting.

>> Speaker 5: There's a lot of stuff that I've gotten to do because being

a WWE Superstar, a lot of people I've gotten to meet,

being on the covers of Flex and Muscle and Fitness first, I mean, they're both just.

I mean, they were a dream come true for me because that was my original dream.

That was what I wanted to do.

I wanted to be a professional bodybuilder, and I gave that up, and

it was heartbreaking for me.

But wrestling replaced that because it was just so

much better than anything I ever could have done.

>> Speaker 2: I think the thing that puts him, you know, over the top for

other stuff, the TV shows, Smallville or things like that, is his personality and

his charisma.

He's got a presence about him.

I think that it's just something that makes him popular in our business

it's the same stuff that makes it popular in Hollywood or wherever else that is.

>> Speaker 6: Batista's future is in his own hands.

I think it is what he makes of it.

I truly think this guy's the limit for Dave Batista,

and it's only a matter of what he wants to go for.

>> Speaker 3: Can anything stop Batista?

>> Speaker 5: I always get asked if I still have goals because I really

accomplished a lot, but I always tell people I would like to be undisputed

Heavyweight Champion, if I can just get my foot in the door [LAUGH].

If I can have that possibility, that undisputed match,

I fight tooth and nail and make it happen.

As long as my body holds out, as long as people still wanna see me,

I'll wrestle because I love it so much.

>> Speaker 5: He always has that hunger for more, and

I think as long as he has that, he's always gonna come back.

>> Speaker 4: I think the future is still very bright and

still full of new places to go and new achievements to conquer.

If he still has the desire and passion to go to new frontiers.

[MUSIC]

>> Speaker 1: I think his best days still lie ahead.

Even though Dave Batista didn't start wrestling until he was 30,

he has made an amazing, amazing progression, getting such a late start.

I believe the guy is learning more each and every time he gets in the ring.

So where Dave Batista will rank in the likes of the best

heavyweight champions ever in WWE still remains to be seen.

But I think we could make a very valid argument that he's at or

near the top of that list today.

When his career is over, we may put him at the top of that list.

>> Speaker 4: If he walked away today, he's had a fantastic career, probably

better than he ever dreamed it would be, and that's a hell of an achievement.

And if he's happy with himself as a person, man,

I don't know what more you can ask for out of life.

>> Speaker 7: It was a really great achievement for him,

and we were proud of him.

>> Speaker 3: He has a lot more to give to this company, to this business,

to the fans.

>> Speaker 5: He's so determined, he's a phenomenal component to this great

organization WWE, Dave Batista, they're synonymous.

Just wish him the best in life, he's a wonderful, wonderful person.

>> Speaker 2: I think if there's anything that he wants,

whether it's to continue in this business, if he wants to go outside and

do other projects, I really don't know.

I know that whatever I think Dave does,

I think he'll be successful at it cuz he has that inner ability to just take it.

>> Speaker 5: Right now, I still love it.

I'll never have a passion for anything like I do with sports entertainment.

I think whether I'm in the ring or working behind the scenes,

I'd like to work for WWE until I die, It's just what I love to do.

[MUSIC]