Batista Claims He “Lost Everything & Went Broke” After Leaving WWE In 2010 (Video)
Although he is swimming in cash these days, former WWE Superstar and actor Dave Bautista (Batista) revealed during his appearance at the Denver Pop Culture Con event this weekend that he went broke after leaving WWE several years ago.
According to the Hollywood big-shot, he “went broke and lost everything” after parting ways with the pro wrestling juggernaut to pursue his acting aspirations in 2010.
“I was with WWE at the time and I went and did a film,” Batista recalled during his ‘Spotlight Panel’ at the event in Colorado. “I had zero interest in acting, all I wanted to do was wrestle. I loved wrestling, I was obsessed with wrestling, and I went and did a film as a favor for a friend and I realized I was horrible.”
Batista continued, “I was a horrendous actor. I was so mortified that I wanted to prove I could be better, and the company [WWE], they wouldn’t let me do anything outside of the company.”
It was at this point that Batista parted ways with WWE and began pursuing his acting dreams full-time.
He claimed he “starved for three years” until eventually landing the role that would change his career when he played “Drax the Destroyer” in Marvel’s blockbuster phenomenon, Guardians of the Galaxy.
“I starved for three years,” Batista claimed. “I went broke. I lost everything. I couldn’t get a job and I said that I will never go back to wrestling until I prove what I set out to prove, and that was that I can make it as an actor. Then I got the role on Guardians [of the Galaxy].”
That is when everything changed for “The Animal.”
It was at this point, when he was financially back on his feet and feeling content with his achievements in the acting world, that he decided to reach out to the WWE Chairman about making a potential return to the pro wrestling world.
“When I got the role, I finished the film and the first call I made after I wrapped was to Vince McMahon,” said Batista. “I said, ‘Hey man, I’d really like to come back and wrestle for a little bit.'”
His next stint in WWE wouldn’t last too long, however, as he went on to secure a spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, reprising his role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. He also landed roles in such films as The Man with the Iron Fists, Riddick, the James Bond film, Spectre, Blade Runner 2049, Avengers: Infinity War, Hotel Artemis and Avengers: Endgame, just to name a few.
Things are definitely going well for Dave Bautista these days.
