David Batista ‘Takes Five’
David Batista 'Takes Five'
Encounter in Minnesota gym started path to rasslin' stardom
Posted: Oct. 30, 2006
More than 3,000 people waited in line for hours Saturday for a chance to shake hands and take pictures with "The Animal" at Southridge Mall. If you are a World Wrestling Entertainment fan, you know that David Batista, 37, has become one of the most recognizable stars on the roster. At 6-foot-5 and weighing more than 315 pounds with tattoos and good looks, he has attracted just as many women fans as men. After signing hundreds of autographs, mall security had to rush the former champion, like a rock star, out the back door of the Penney's Styling Salon. He stopped behind the mall to speak with Urban Affairs Editor James E. Causey about his rise to the top and the wrestling game.
Q. You gained the World Heavyweight title by defeating Triple H at WrestleMania 21. Was that your crowning achievement?
A. It was a huge achievement for me and a real dream come true because I never thought I would make it that far. To get the opportunity to work with people like Triple H and Ric Flair at that stage of my career is something a lot of wrestlers don't get a chance to do.
Q. I heard that Road Warrior Animal and the late Curt Hennig influenced your career. How did that happen?
A. I met both of them at a gym in Minnesota, and they really put a spark in me to consider professional wrestling. So I tried out during an open tryout and the rest is history. I come to events like this in the hopes that maybe I can spark someone else out there to try to make it in this industry.
Q. It wasn't all lights and glitter. What was your experience like at the WCW Power Plant training facility?
A. It was horrible. There was this little trainer . . . a guy who went by the name Sarge, who was about 5-foot-5 who tried to run me into the ground. He told me that I didn't have what it takes to make it in the industry. I was the biggest guy there, and he really took it upon himself to try and break me down, but I didn't let him.
Q. Your World Wrestling Entertainment debut (in 2002) was a total squash of Justin Credible. What was that like?
A. It was cool and one of my early mismatches. I was glad to work with Justin, he's a great guy. But I was not able to sell myself in the business. It's hard to show what you can do in squash matches. While a squash is good, you show what you can do in 30-minute matches. I didn't want to be the 30-second squash guy like Bill Goldberg. I remember that match with Justin; he was a little intimidated by my size. He didn't like to roughhouse and he had this look on his face like I would kill him.
Q. At 37 years old, you're still in your prime, but a lot of wrestlers have gotten into acting. Can we expect the same from you?
A. I do have a role coming up in (the CW network show) "Smallville" next month and that was my first acting experience outside of what we do in WWE. What I learned is that you have to branch out to market yourself. I have two more years left on my (wrestling) contract, and I would like to accomplish some more things in the ring, while at the same time other wrestlers have successfully laid the groundwork for doing a lot more. It will be interesting to see what the future brings.
JS Online (posted 10/30/2006)
