Dave Bautista (also known as Batista in WWE) looks back on how far he has come.
In a post on Instagram, Bautista noted that his birthday was the perfect time to reflect on the past. He emphasized his gratitude for how far he’s come, and he stated that his win at WrestleMania 21 is a moment he will never forget. I stated that he is forever grateful for the love and support, and he wouldn’t be who he is without this moment.
The post also featured a video in which Bautista watched the end of his match against Triple H. He noted that it all happened so fast, and he wasn’t prepared for his first title run, as he was thrown into the deep end. Bautista emphasized that the moment meant a lot to him because he didn’t set out to be a world champion; instead, he just wanted to make a living for his family.
“I can’t believe this is happening at this point. This happened so fast, where I went from being a guy on the background that they never had any big plans to being the top guy in the company, to now I’m the flagship. I’m out here holding the belt now, a lot of responsibility comes with that, and I just was so unprepared,” Bautista said. “I was not prepared for what was coming my way. Triple H, he was my mentor, he groomed me as best as he could until then, and there just came a point where I was on top now, so I had to come into my own. There was still a lot of learning lessons after this, but I was thrown into the deep end. I didn’t plan on this, so watching it makes me emotional because I just never planned for this.
“When I was wrestling, I was just happy to have a job and always thinking, ‘I’m gonna lose my job every day.’ So becoming a world champion was something I just never imagined. It’s weird. They always say, ‘Why do you wanna be there if you don’t wanna be champion?’ It’s just because I was content having a job, and I just really wanted to make a living, to be able to support my family. Being champion was something that was beyond my dreams. I find things by accident, almost, and then I chase them. Once I find out that I really love something, I just put everything I have into it. I put blinders on, and sometimes that’s been a fault, and I’ve sacrificed some things because of that. But also my life is what it is because of what. This is still surreal watching that [match].
Bautista hasn’t wrestled since he lost to Triple H at WrestleMania 35 in 2019. He continues to build a successful career as an actor; he recently appeared in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and he will star in Knock at the Cabin, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Dune: Part Two throughout 2023.
