Perhaps the third time is the charm for Dave Bautista going into the WWE Hall Of Fame?
Dave Bautista was scheduled to get inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2020 but the pandemic put a halt to those plans. WWE then announced it would induct the 2020 and 2021 classes together at WrestleMania 37, but a schedule conflict resulted in Bautista putting off his inclusion for another year.
Bautista was again brought up as a potential name for the 2023 induction, with Bautista himself saying he was trying to make it happen. In February, Bautista told Liam Crowley of ComicBook.com that he was trying to make it happen but couldn’t confirm he’d be there.
Bautista was ultimately not part of this year’s class, and now he’s confirmed that his omission was related to his busy filming schedule.
During a recent appearance on CoolKicks, Dave Bautista was asked about his status during this year’s WrestleMania week festivities in Los Angeles. Bautista said he missed out because he was actually in South Africa filming a new movie.
“No. I was in South Africa. I was supposed to go into the [WWE] Hall Of Fame but I was on this film that I was committed to,” Bautista said. “I couldn’t get out of it.”
Bautista’s comments confirm a report from PWInsider.com, which noted Bautista was unable to fly into Los Angeles for the ceremony because of his film commitments. Bautista was in South Africa filming My Spy: The Eternal City, a sequel to the 2020 spy comedy film My Spy.
CoolKicks also asked Dave Bautista if he enjoyed wrestling or acting more. Bautista said acting was it now, but nothing beats being in front of a WWE crowd.
“At this point in my life, acting,” Bautista said. “But nothing replaces the adrenaline of being in front of a wrestling audience.”
Bautista recently starred in Knock at the Cabin and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He is set to appear as a hitman named Joe Flood in Lionsgate’s upcoming movie titled The Killer’s Game.
