In an interview with Chad Dukes of 106.7 The Fan to promote the release of the Avengers: Infinity War movie, former WWE Champion Dave Bautista (Batista) discussed original plans for WrestleMania 34, when he plans to retire from the wrestling business and more.
Highlights of the interview are below:
On the original plans for him at WrestleMania 34: “This is all insider stuff and I usually don’t share, I’m really an old-school kayfabe guy, but they reached out to me earlier this year to possibly come back and do that thing with Ronda and I said that I would be willing to do it, only if we teased something for me and Hunter to go to WrestleMania next year and they said, yeah, that would be great, I love that idea, and I said, well, that’s great, I’ll come back a few times during the year and we’ll tease it and we’ll work it and we’ll milk it and we’ll go to WrestleMania, me and Hunter next year, oh I love that idea, let’s do it. So, we literally talked for about like three weeks and then they just stopped calling me. I sent a text to Hunter, I was like, hey man, I don’t know if you put any more thought into what’s going on, I’m really excited about the possibilities and I literally never heard back from them, they just stopped talking to me about it. Man, I don’t know what else I can do to try to…I want to end my career the right way, I’m faithful and loyal to the WWE, I’m proud of being from there and I want to do good business with them, but they just don’t make it easy, you know, they just don’t.”
On when he plans to retire from the business: “I told them that next year would be my last year, I’m turning 50 next year. I’d be willing to, I feel great, physically, I’m in great shape, I’ve never let up on that, but I just don’t want to be the old guy in the ring and I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I just want to end my career the right way and next year will be the last opportunity, so if we can’t make something happen by next year, then I’m just going to officially hang it up.”
On why he still wants to return despite his success as an actor: “I’m doing okay for myself, so I don’t need to be there, I just, I love it there. Even though the fans totally crapped on me the last time I was there, I would still go back in a heartbeat and love to entertain them and I would have fun doing it man, I’d be happy to be there, but I just don’t get it man, I don’t get that company, I just don’t understand.”
The interview is available in full at this link.