In pursuit of opportunities in Hollywood, Dave Bautista left WWE in 2010. He is considered one of the greatest wrestlers-turned-actors in history, having made the full-time switch from the squared circle to the big screen over 15 years ago. Film Inside recently conducted an interview with the 56-year-old. He attributes the development of his strong work ethic to his time in WWE.
According to Bautista, the hardest grind he has ever experienced is working in the professional wrestling industry, particularly in WWE. Working on a movie set may involve putting in more hours, but The Animal finds it hard to relate to people who constantly argue on set, even after working in the film industry for so long.
Bautista had his last WWE match at WrestleMania 35 in 2019. At the namesake event, he lost to his longtime mentor and friend, Triple H. It was a match that he had wanted for years. The stars finally aligned six years ago, and the two former Evolution stablemates finally got it done at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
“I have a strong work ethic and my work ethic really came from the WWE. They’re not only durable people, but it’s just the hardest grind that I could ever imagine. Being in Hollywood, being on a film set, it’s long hours, but compared to the grind of being a professional wrestler, it’s a cakewalk.”
Dave Bautista via FilmInside1
Chris Van Vliet asked The Animal last year if he ever feels the need to return to WWE. The Guardians of the Galaxy actor acknowledged that he misses the exhilaration of a crowded arena going crazy when he used to perform in front of them. However, the Hollywood star denied that he would ever return to the ring, as he didn’t want to ruin the fairy-tale ending of his wrestling career.
Dave Bautista once lost a real-life fight to a WWE Hall of Famer in 2006
In the wrestling environment, a disagreement between two wrestlers is normal. However, a small disagreement can quickly turn into a full-fledged brawl. The same happened with Bautista. The former world champion talked about how he and a WWE Hall of Famer got involved in an ugly brawl.
The name in question is Booker T, who engaged in a vicious brawl with The Animal. WWE recorded the fight in an official capacity on WWE.com, where they explained what happened between the two men. Reports stated that both Booker T and Bautista got into a fistfight during a SummerSlam commercial shoot.
“Booker and I had had a falling-out the spring before my comeback. We were in L.A. to do a photo shoot for SummerSlam.We got into a disagreement that escalated into a fistfight. A real fist fight. It wasn’t part of a promo or anything like that.”
Dave Bautista in his autobiography “Batista Unleashed”
Although the report claimed that King Booker got the better of the exchange, the former World Champion revealed more details about the fight in his autobiography. The duo reportedly became better friends after the brawl. In Batista Unleashed, he revealed that they got into a legitimate fistfight due to a disagreement.