Former WWE star Batista was interviwed this week by f4wonline.com’s Wrestling Observer Radio Show. Here are some highlights of what Big Dave said about:
Why He Left WWE:: Batista said he left WWE because he felt like he didn’t fit in anymore. He feels like wrestling is in a bad spot right now and has gone down hill since the whole PG direction. Batista said it leaves a bad taste in his mouth and became too unbelievable & hokey. He added that the things he learned from guys like Triple H and Ric Flair, you couldn’t do anymore. He said you couldn’t use your tools anymore. Batista said he felt like he became disconnected from the business and became unhappy with it. He still believes in WWE as a company but there wasn’t a place for him anymore.
Batista said he gave WWE about 7 months notice that he wanted to finish outright. He wanted to go out the right way and give WWE plenty of notice. That 7 months ended up turning into 9 months because they needed him longer. Batista made it clear that Vince left the door wide open for him to come back. He said he enjoys having that opportunity there to go back, if he wants.
His MMA Career That Never Got Off The Ground: He had reached out to Strikeforce while with WWE and the MMA promotion expressed interest but he didn’t actually sit down with them until he left WWE. His plan was to become a profesional MMA fighter and actually had a 3-fight deal on the table with Strikeforce that would have seen him fight on CBS, Showtime and pay-per-view – all leading to a fight against Bobby Lashley. Batista cited scheduling, his movie work and financial differences, among other things, as to why the deals never worked out. They had another deal almost ready to be signed that would have sent him directly to pay-per-view to fight but his manager Cesar Gracie didn’t think everything was fair. When UFC bought out Strikeforce earlier this year, the deal fell apart.
Underutilized Talent In WWE & Who Has Potential: Batista thinks WWE blew a huge opportunity by releasing Ken Anderson and was “shocked” when he got released. Batista also named Ted DiBiase Jr., Kofi Kingston and Sheamus as superstars he sees with huge potential.
Mason Ryan: He doesn’t think Nexus star Mason Ryan is an attempt by WWE to copy him. He thinks Ryan is a great guy after meeting him in London and is curious to see where his career goes.
Whether He Would Return To WWE: Batista has no desire to ever work the full time schedule again, but says the door is open for him to return at some point for a final run so he can get closure on his career and officially retire. He is interested in working with WWE behind the scenes in some capacity as well.
Acting & MMA: He doesn’t want to be a full-time actor and doesn’t think he will ever be qualified to be one. He is also looking to continue his MMA training and eventually get a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
* VIDEO of BATISTA’s MMA Training [>]
(Credit to Marc Middleton for transcribing this interview)
