Dave Bautista

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Dave Batista
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Batista Deacon Bautista Leviathan Kahn
Billed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Billed weight	290 lb (132 kg)
Born	January 18, 1969 (age 39) Arlington County, Virginia
Resides	Tampa, Florida
Billed from	Washington, D.C.
Trained by	Afa Anoa'i
Debut	1997

David Michael Bautista (born January 18 1969),^[1] better known as Dave Batista or by the ring name Batista, is an American professional wrestler. Batista is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling on its SmackDown! brand. He is a three time World Heavyweight Champion.

Batista has held the World Heavyweight Championship three times, the World Tag Team Championship twice (with Ric Flair) and the WWE Tag Team Championship once (with Rey Mysterio). He also won the Royal Rumble in 2005.

He married his wife Angie on October 13, 1998 and has two daughters and one step daughter from a prior marriage,^[2] In 2006, Batista said that he and his wife are separated ^[3].

Contents 1 Career 1.1 Ohio Valley Wrestling (2000-2002) 1.2 World Wrestling Entertainment 1.2.1 2003-2004 1.2.2 2005 1.2.3 2006 1.2.4 2007 2 Championships and accomplishments 2.1 Steroid allegations 3 In popular culture 4 References 5 Other websites

[change] Career

Batista tried out at the WCW Power Plant but was told he would never make it in the wrestling business by Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker.^[4] He then went to the WWF. They sent him to work with Afa Anoa'i. He wrestled in Anoa'i's WXW promotion under the Kahn.^[4]

[change] Ohio Valley Wrestling (2000-2002)

Batista made his Ohio Valley Wrestling debut in 2000. During his time in OVW he was called Leviathan. He went on to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship from 'The Machine' Doug Basham. After losing the belt to The Prototype, Batista left OVW for the WWF.

[change] World Wrestling Entertainment

He began his WWE career on May 9 2002 as Deacon Bautista,^[4][5] Batista had his first WWE match in a tag match teaming with D-Von against Randy Orton and Faarooq. Batista pinned Orton to win that match.^[6] Batista later moved to RAW, and was re-named as Dave Batista (or simply Batista). He joined with Ric Flair^[7] and fought many times with Kane, whom he beat in his first pay-per-view at Armageddon 2002.^[8]

[change] 2003-2004

In January 2003, Batista joined with Triple H, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton to form the group Evolution.^[9] Batista did not wrestle for much of 2003 after he tore his right triceps.^[10] Batista re-tore his triceps while training. He had more problems when after his second surgery to repair his triceps he got an infection. He needed a third surgery to clean out the infection. He made his return on October 20 interfering in a match between Goldberg and Shawn Michaels.

At Armageddon 2003, Batista took part in two matches. He lost to Shawn Michaels in a singles match but won a Tag team along with Ric Flair to become the World Tag Team Champions. By the end of the PPV, all four members of Evolution held every male championship on RAW.^[11]

Batista and Flair held the titles until February 16 2004 when they were defeated by Booker T and Rob Van Dam.^[12] They later won the titles back for a short period.^[13]

[change] 2005

As 2005 began, Triple H believed that Batista was becoming a threat to his World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H told Batista not enter the Royal Rumble. He said it would be selfish of him to do so, and that he should be helping Triple H keep the title. Dave entered anyway and went on to win the Royal Rumble. This earned him the right to wrestle in the main event of WrestleMania 21 against the World Champion of his choice.^[14]

In an attempt to get Batista to challenge WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield rather than him, Triple H created a plan to have Batista run over in a limousine similar the one used by Layfield. At first, Batista did not want help from Evolution in dealing with JBL. Triple H said that Evolution needed to stick together and went with him anyway. Triple H saved him from the vehicle before he got hit.^[15] Batista found out about the plan while listening Evolution members when they did not know he was there. He signed a contract for a match with World Champion Triple H at WrestleMania 21.^[16] Batista went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship on April 3 2005 at WrestleMania 21.^[17]

On June 30 2005 Batista was moved back to SmackDown!^[18] JBL and Batista wrestled for the championship at the Great American Bash on July 24 2005. JBL defeated Batista by disqualification after the referee saw Batista use a steel chair.^[19] They wrestled at SummerSlam on August 21 2005 in a No-Holds-Barred match. Batista pinned JBL to win the championship title.^[20]

WWE.com reported that Batista suffered a muscle tear in his back at the taping for the November 11 2005 edition of SmackDown!.^[21] Plans had been made for Batista to defend the title in a match with Eddie Guerrero and Randy Orton on November 18 2005. The match did not take place because of the death of Eddie Guerrero on November 13 2005.

[change] 2006

On January 9 2006, WWE.com announced that Batista tore his right triceps following a match with Mark Henry at a live event on January 8, 2006. The following day, WWE.com announced that, due to his injury, Batista was forced to give up the World Heavyweight Championship at the SmackDown! taping on January 10 2006 (aired on January 13 2006). Batista had surgery on his arm on January 12, 2006.

Batista made his return on July 7, 2006. Batista won his first televised match since his return, a six man tag match with Rey Mysterio and Lashley taking on King Booker, Finlay and Mark Henry. Oddly, Mark Henry was injured, and could not wrestle in the match between the two at The Great American Bash. Batista made several tries to win back the championship title before finally winning it back from Booker T on November 26, 2006.

[change] 2007

Two months later at WrestleMania 23, Batista lost the championship to the winner of the Royal Rumble match, The Undertaker.^[22] They continued to fight over the title to a tie in a match at Backlash 2007^[23]. After a Steel Cage Match between the two men on May 11, Edge won the title from the Undertaker by using his Money in the Bank title opportunity.^[24] Afterwards, Batista challenged Edge three times but never won the championship. The third match included the statement that if Batista lost, he could no longer get another chance at the World Heavyweight Championship while Edge remains champion.^[25]

Edge later was injured and gave up the belt just before he was to wrestle Kane at the 2007 Great American Bash pay-per-veiw. The Great Khali became the new World Heavyweight Champion, winning a Battle Royal and eliminating Batista. Batista and Kane faced Khali at The Great American Bash where Khali retained the title. Batista finally defeated Khali, and Rey Mysterio, at Unforgiven to claim his third World Heavyweight Championship after eight consecutive tries.^[26] Batista is the second man to pin The Great Khali, the first being John Cena.

[change] Championships and accomplishments

• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ^[27]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him # 1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2005.
  • PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year award in 2005 ^[28]
  • PWI Wrestler of the Year award in 2005 ^[29]
• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[30]
  • WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rey Mysterio^[31]
  • World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Ric Flair^{[32] [33]}
  • Royal Rumble (2005)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Feud of the Year award in 2005 - vs Triple H

[change] Steroid allegations

In August 2007, Batista was said to have used anabolic steroid after an ESPN article released the names of wrestlers that bought medication from Signature Pharmacy of Orlando. ^[34] Batista denied this and was said to be very mad because of the report. He denied ever being a customer of Signature, and stated that he has been "tested regularly by the WWE, and I am in full compliance with the WWE Wellness Program."^[35] The WWE punished ten wrestlers named in the issue, though Batista was not one of them. ^[36]

[change] In popular culture

• Batista guest starred in an episode of the American drama action/adventure, CW Network television series Smallville. He played a villain named Aldar who could suck the bones out of people. ^[37][38]

[change] References

[change] Other websites

• Official Website
• Official Myspace Site
• WWE.com Profile
• Batista/Leviathan Interview on Genickbruch.com