Dave Bautista has achieved a lot of things in his life and career. He's held numerous
WWE championships, and he can list some huge movie franchises on his resume, including
"Guardians of the Galaxy" and "James Bond." But much of his story has been finding the
silver lining in tragedy.
Saying that Dave Bautista watched violence from his front door isn't a metaphor. He grew
up in Washington, D.C., during the height of the 1980s crime wave. His entire neighborhood
was dangerous, but that danger often found its way so close that he didn't even need
to leave his home.
Through his window, a young Bautista saw a mob of people beat a man and almost throw
him off an overpass. He also saw his own mother get attacked.
The final straw was when his mom found a man shot to death outside their home. She called
the cops and, while waiting for them to arrive, noticed her children playing outside, completely
unfazed by the crime that just happened. She realized that if her children could see a
man die without getting upset, it was time to move. The family relocated to San Francisco
shortly afterwards.
The Bautista family was not a particularly stable environment for young Dave. His father,
a hairdresser, was a non-presence. His mother Donna Ray's conservative Greek-American family
shunned her — a little bit because she openly dated women, but mostly because she was politically
liberal. She raised her children during the day and worked at a shop developing photographs
at night. The family was so poor they'd reinforce their shoes with cardboard to avoid getting
their feet wet.
Bautista regularly talks about how much he loves his mom, who always cared for him and
was courageous enough to be open about her sexuality in an era when that wasn't common.
He told Australia’s News.com,
"I never had an issue with my mother's sexuality. She loved us, she cared for us and that's
all that mattered. She was with my dad for a small part of my life. After that, I don't
remember her having anything but girlfriends. And I never thought of her as 'my mom the
lesbian.' She was Mom, an incredibly strong woman who always did her best to keep me out
of trouble and keep me alive."
In an interview with SPORTbible, Bautista listed some of his regrets. One point has
stuck out all these years: he never got a full, formal education. He was living on his
own by the time he was 17, and wasn't able to finish his senior year of high school.
It's a decision that continues to haunt him. He said:
"If I could go back and do it again, I know this sounds cliche, but I would go back and
focus on education. I always preach that. I preach that to my kids and I believe that
because that's something that you can take with you no matter where you are in your life
or where you are in the world."
Like many people in their 20s, Bautista found himself directionless for a period of time.
"I was closing in on 30 and I realized that I had accomplished nothing, and I had no future
and I had nothing to fall back on."
He spent a lot of that time working out, building upon an already naturally intimidating frame.
He told Men's Health in 2017,
"I'm just so addicted to working out. Not only do I need it physically, but I need it
mentally as well. It's a therapy for me."
After spending time as a bouncer, doing the odd petty crime, and having two daughters
with his first wife, Bautista had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He developed
what he called "reverse anorexia" — he'd spend all night working, and then go to the
gym for hours, never feeling he was big enough. He told the Tampa Bay Times,
"The next thing you know, 10 years goes by, and there I am trying to borrow money to buy
my kids Christmas presents."
What ultimately got him out of his funk was enrolling at the Wild Samoan Training Center
around his 30th birthday, with the tuition and living expenses paid for by a friend.
Five years later, he was a world champion in WWE.
In 2006, Batista was at the peak of his popularity in WWE. He was one of the company's top stars,
was in the main event at the previous year's "Wrestlemania," and was always in the title
picture. He was also, by all accounts, kind of a jerk. This led to a legit fight with
veteran wrestler Booker T at a photoshoot for "SummerSlam" 2006.
WWE itself broke the news of the fight, which would normally be cause to think it was a
wrestling storyline. But enough people who were involved have confirmed that it actually
happened. No two accounts agree on who won the fight, but most agree that Booker started
it after he felt Batista disrespected him.
Booker told WrestlingINC,
"[Bautista] took a good beating, but he's a man."
In Bautista's autobiography, "Batista Unleashed," he admitted his own fault:
"[Booker's] earned respect in this business. I didn't show it, and I was wrong."
Bodybuilder physiques were necessary for main event pushes during Bautista's time in WWE.
Ripped men like Triple H and Bautista were always in the title picture, while smaller
guys were mid-card at best. Maintaining that physique often takes a little more than a
relentless attitude in the gym, which has led to several accusations of Bautista using
steroids.
After Bautista suffered a biceps injury in 2009, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer
Newsletter noted that the wrestler's "new look raised a lot of eyebrows" and that the
biceps, quote, "will tear more frequently on steroids." When asked whether the injury
was indeed due to steroids, Meltzer responded,
"Obviously, it was steroid related, but in fairness, guys not on steroids also tear biceps
and not triceps."
Two years earlier, ESPN reported that Bautista was a client of a pharmacy that was under
investigation for supplying steroids. He denied taking any and was never suspended by WWE
for any violation.
So while there's no definitive proof that Bautista ever used steroids, he's been able
to stay ripped for decades, spent time in a profession with known predilection towards
steroids, and couldn't shake industry whispers that he used them.
Bautista's signature look definitely involves tinted sunglasses. As a wrestler, he'd wear
them in the darkest of night, in any arena, and during any and all promos. They were more
than a fashion statement — they were a security blanket for a man terrified of public speaking.
"I've always been an introverted person, socially awkward, and very shy."
Bautista revealed his fear on Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast. Physicality was not
an issue for him, but he knew that he'd have a low ceiling as a big scary man who can't
talk.
"I really wanted to move up, if I wanted to progress in my career — I had to be a well-rounded
professional wrestler. Which means you have to start speaking and acting; it was my nightmare."
So he made wardrobe choices to compensate.
"People always ask me why I wore sunglasses and hats and stuff when I was doing promos
in the ring — that was my pacifier, hiding behind those things."
His methods worked: he became a reliably solid promo guy, got a Hollywood career out of it,
and picked up an identifiable look.
Batista left WWE in 2010 after losing an "I Quit" match with John Cena at "Over the Limit."
His departure left more questions than answers.
During an interview on MLW Radio Writer's Room, Bautista claimed that WWE denying him
opportunities to do movies is what pushed him away. WWE has its own movie arm, WWE Studios,
which largely produces direct-to-video action movies, a few horror flicks and some lowbrow
comedies. It's also a way for wrestlers to take time away from the ring, hone new skills,
and collect a paycheck. Bautista got frustrated after Cena kept getting movies and commercial
roles while he was left out, despite the fact that they were essentially the two faces of
the company at the time.
Bautista asked WWE if he could audition for outside projects. He claims the powers that
be responded that he was essentially their property, and he should happily get to work
in the ring. WWE talents are technically independent contractors, but the terms of that contract
are often so suffocating that it's functionally full-time employment. In 2009, Batista gave
WWE a year's notice, and he left in 2010. What made his departure even sadder was that
few people backstage said goodbye or thanked him, he says.
Bautista returned to WWE in 2014 after a four-year absence. He was greeted as a hero before inadvertently
becoming a heel through no fault of his own. It all went down at one of the most maligned
pay-per-views in recent memory: the 2014 "Royal Rumble."
Bautista entered at number 28, but there was one problem: everyone in the building had
their heart set on fan-favorite Daniel Bryan entering. As the rumble went on, the fans
booed each new entrant, and Batista was no exception.
It wasn't long before the match reached its climax. With four men left in the ring, fans
quickly turned against Bautista. Nobody wanted to see another part-timer take a spot from
a workhorse. But Bautista threw Roman Reigns over the top rope and won the rumble, to a
shower of boos.
It was one of the most memorable Rumble endings for all the wrong reasons, and Bautista became
known as "Bootista" for the rest of his run. Bautista himself has seldom addressed it,
if ever, but many of his fellow wrestlers felt bad that he was booed for something that
wasn't his fault.
It at least led to a good ending: it was one of the key moments that led Bryan to the main
event of "Wrestlemania XXX," where he faced off against Batista and Randy Orton. Batista
even tapped out to Bryan, giving Bryan his first WWE championship.
During his wrestling days, Dave Bautista could hardly control himself around women. There
have long been persistent rumors that his relationship with fellow wrestler Melina was
part of what caused his divorce. Bautista even developed a reputation for sleeping around
with the Divas roster, with rumors connecting him to Layla El and Rosa Mendes.
While the specifics are fuzzy, he's been open about the time he spent womanizing. He told
Australia’s News.com,
"I didn't drink or do drugs. Women were my drug of choice, I would have 10, 20, 30 girls
throwing themselves at me. I wasn't equipped to handle it. So I took advantage."
He dodged the drinking and drug addictions that haunt many wrestlers, but he eventually
realized that he did indeed have his own problem. He soon cleaned up his act, wanting to be
a good role model for his daughters. He said,
"I don't have a lot of regrets in my life, and I haven't been an angel. But if I could
change anything, it'd be the chapter with all the women. It hurt the people I love."
Before becoming one of Hollywood's most bankable action stars, Dave Bautista had a series of
careers where injuries are just part of the gig: bouncer, bodybuilder, wrestler, MMA fighter.
As a pro wrestler, Bautista developed a reputation as one of the more injury-susceptible members
of the WWE roster. It's not even bad luck. It's just the natural byproduct of being the
one of the faces of the company. Wrestling that much, at that high a level, while maintaining
that physique, meant that injuries were always going to be a risk.
Batista's most notable ailment was a January 2006 triceps injury that ended his record-setting
World Heavyweight Championship reign at 282 days. He's torn his biceps and triceps several
times. Batista also claims that he was dealing with an injury when Booker T picked a fight
with him.
"I always thought it was really low of him to start a fight with me when he knew I was
injured."
During an interview on Talk is Jericho promoting "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," Bautista
spoke about an issue that plagued him for years: dyslexia. He states that it's been
especially difficult since he became an actor, since it makes table reads that much more
difficult. But he's been open about his condition on social media.
Bautista is far from the only person in his orbit with some degree of dyslexia. WWE Chairman
Vince McMahon has made overcoming dyslexia part of his own brand, and fellow Guardian
of the Galaxy Zoe Saldana has it as well. Some sources indicate that Bautista has ADD
as well, and he's also been open about his struggles with depression.
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