WWE: Batista on WWE's broken promises, "very controlling", house show only schedule

M.C.G. 31

Damn, he brave!
Oct 6, 2008
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In one of his most revealing interviews since leaving WWE more than a year ago, Dave Bautista opened up about butting heads with WWE management, a “state of confusion†creatively, and WWE being “very controlling.â€

Despite all that, Batista says he would still return to WWE in-between movie gigs. But, just to do house shows, like Chris Jericho, to avoid “skipping all of the red tape†and “bulls—.â€

...

“But if the opportunity comes up and they were a little more flexible with me as far as creative, I’d love to. But also, I would do it in a heartbeat – without big money, I don’t want a limited schedule. If they would allow me to go back and just do house shows I’d be all over it. Because then you just skip all of the red tape and you don’t have to deal with the writers and all that bulls—. Just go back and do your thing, and my thing is wrestling. Wresters. Audience. Ring. That’s all I want.â€

...

“I was just constantly butting heads with them creatively, which is something we talked about well beforehand and I was promised things that weren’t delivered to me. For one, I didn’t want to go back as a babyface. I said it’s not going to work, they don’t want to see me as a babyface. Nobody wants to see Batista as a babyface. I’m the worst babyface ever. But I’m a good heel, I know how to be a heel, I’m comfortable being a heel and the fans want me to be a heel. But they tried to shove me down everybody’s throats, and they rebelled,†Bautista said, stopping short of referencing the simultaneous rise of Daniel Bryan, the leader of a fan uprising.

...

“I always found it amazing that he was actually able to go from film to wrestling and back to film to wrestling, and he described it as quicksand especially with the company, WWE because they are very controlling. They’re not the easiest company to deal with,†Bautista said.

“And he said don’t get caught in the quicksand, you’re not trapped here, you have to be strong and have to stand your ground. If this is what you want to do, you have to make it known and you’re not going to deviate from that plan. And that’s what I did when I went back for my short stint with WWE. He helped me make it work.â€

Full interview recap: http://www.pwtorch.com/index.php/20...headbutting-creative-b-s-but-would-he-return/

Batista used to have the rep of being a dick, but he seems like a good guy. I'm happy he's not confined to the WWE and is having success in acting.
 

BonMorrison

Registered User
Jun 17, 2011
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I already knew about the Batista return jargon but it pleased me to know that he also wanted to come back as a heel. He knew it was a bad idea but WWE be like, "NAH."
 

ColePens

RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
Mar 27, 2008
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It tells his side of things and I like that. I like that comment about house shows. Makes me respect him more.
 

Blitzkrug

Registered User
Sep 17, 2013
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Sounds like Big Dave got played for fool just like countless others before him.

His problem obviously wasn't with Bryan or the fans, more because the WWE threw him under the bus when their moronic plan failed. Guessing by the house show comment, he loves to perform for them too so that's kinda cool.

Glad to see he's doing well in Hollywood and yet another potential big star WWE pissed off to the point they want nothing to do with them hardly.
 

TNT87

Registered User
Jun 23, 2010
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I used to subscribe to PWTorch newsletter in the 90s. I always like their stuff.

Good article. Everyone knew what a horrible idea it was what they did with Batista but as usual common sense didn't prevail.
 

Habsfan18

The Hockey Library
May 13, 2003
30,614
8,625
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I used to subscribe to PWTorch newsletter in the 90s. I always like their stuff.

Good article. Everyone knew what a horrible idea it was what they did with Batista but as usual common sense didn't prevail.

The Torch is still around. I'm a VIP member for $10 monthly and it's great bang for your buck. Weekly newsletter + fantastic daily and weekly audio shows.
 

M.C.G. 31

Damn, he brave!
Oct 6, 2008
96,268
18,936
Ottawa
On the other hand, you have Randy Orton talking about a potential acting career...

That’s a hard question only because I enjoy what I do in the ring so much. I’ve got a family in St. Louis and do like a Batista and put all of your eggs in one basket you never know how that’s going to go. I know I’m good right now at what I do with the WWE. Doing a film every couple of years is fun but I don’t know about moving to L.A. and doing it full-time, going to auditions 10 times a week and getting turned down and getting one shot.

I took the family to see The Last Witch Hunter and Vin Diesel is in it. There’s this one spot with Kurt Angle. He has no lines and he’s in it for maybe six seconds and I looked over to my fiancé, Kim, and I was like ‘Yeah, he auditioned for that role and probably maybe enough to buy a Fiji water at the airport.’ It’s either be Batista and become Drax and sign a three-movie deal with Guardians of the Galaxy and work with [Robert] DeNiro and be a heel in the next James Bond movie or have a six second spot as a bodyguard with no lines where you don’t even get put in the credits. It’s tough, man.

I’d rather be a main event superstar for the WWE for the next 10 years rather than try and make it out in Hollywood where all these people study this craft their whole life. The craft I studied was wrestling. I’m good at it and I enjoy it but the whole movie thing, doing a film from time-to-time for WWE is probably going to be the extent of my film career.
 

Jussi

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
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Sounds like Big Dave got played for fool just like countless others before him.

His problem obviously wasn't with Bryan or the fans, more because the WWE threw him under the bus when their moronic plan failed. Guessing by the house show comment, he loves to perform for them too so that's kinda cool.

Glad to see he's doing well in Hollywood and yet another potential big star WWE pissed off to the point they want nothing to do with them hardly.

They plugged his appearance on a magazine just today on Raw. :laugh:
 

Cor

I am a bot
Jun 24, 2012
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AEF
Some people didn't realized that Batista completely disagreed with how he was booked last time, and almost wanted exactly what we all wanted.
 

Morozov

The Devil Killer
Sep 18, 2007
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Glad to see he's doing well in Hollywood and yet another potential big star WWE pissed off to the point they want nothing to do with them hardly.

“At the end of the day I love WWE and I’ve proven that I wouldn’t wrestle anywhere else. I feel like wrestling anywhere else is a step down. I love the company and I will always be appreciative for what they’ve done for me. I would love to go back, it’s just they’re just really hard to deal with and right now my passion is acting – I love it – and I’m pursuing it,” Bautista told entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet during an interview promoting his role in the new Bond movie “Spectre.”

“But if the opportunity comes up and they were a little more flexible with me as far as creative, I’d love to. But also, I would do it in a heartbeat – without big money, I don’t want a limited schedule. If they would allow me to go back and just do house shows I’d be all over it. Because then you just skip all of the red tape and you don’t have to deal with the writers and all that bulls—. Just go back and do your thing, and my thing is wrestling. Wresters. Audience. Ring. That’s all I want.

Not sure how "I love WWE" "I love the company" "I would love to go back" etc equates to "pissed off to the point they want nothing to do with them hardly."
 

Fa Ci La

Registered User
Mar 2, 2012
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it's so interesting when Wrestlers complain about the writers. It's a synonym for Vince right? Cause it's his show. He approves everything. If a Wrestler doesn't like a storyline, well Vince has given the story a tick, so you've got an issue with him. But it's always 'creative'.
 

DD03

3D
Mar 15, 2010
21,734
9
it's so interesting when Wrestlers complain about the writers. It's a synonym for Vince right? Cause it's his show. He approves everything. If a Wrestler doesn't like a storyline, well Vince has given the story a tick, so you've got an issue with him. But it's always 'creative'.

How much of it is actually Kevin Dunn though?

Seems to me, he's always the one guy people don't like because he's not a wrestling guy at all.
 

Allie Kitsune

...and the Brawla Brawla Sewitt
Jan 7, 2006
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How much of it is actually Kevin Dunn though?

Seems to me, he's always the one guy people don't like because he's not a wrestling guy at all.

I'm really not sure how much of it is him.

He's an easy target, and his tastes are completely at odds with most of the fans, but I wonder if most of the renewed focus he gets from internet fans is because it has been said that HHH wants to replace Dunn as soon as he gets the opportunity.
 

DD03

3D
Mar 15, 2010
21,734
9
I'm really not sure how much of it is him.

He's an easy target, and his tastes are completely at odds with most of the fans, but I wonder if most of the renewed focus he gets from internet fans is because it has been said that HHH wants to replace Dunn as soon as he gets the opportunity.

Or because everyone who talks about him talks about how he's not in the wrestling business? He's in the entertainment business? And he always does questionable things?

A lot of it is him.
 

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