Apparently, Dave Bautista has some fighting words for The Rock.
From Hulk Hogan's turn in Rocky III to John Cena's comedic cameo in Trainwreck,
it's not uncommon for WWE wrestlers to make the leap onto the big screen.
But few have ever made that transition as successfully as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
or Dave Bautista. Johnson, who broke into fame playing the villainous Scorpion King in 2001's
The Mummy Returns and its spin-off films, has since become Hollywood's highest-paid
actor in both 2020 and 2019, per USA Today. With starring roles in humungous blockbusters
like the Fast & Furious franchise and the recent Jumanji films, it's no surprise.
Meanwhile, Dave Bautista isn't far behind,
career-wise. The wrestler-turned-star rocketed onto the scene in 2014's Guardians Of The Galaxy
as the loveable Drax, reprising his role for the sequel in 2017.
Plus, with a major part in Denis Villeneuve's upcoming, star-studded film adaptation of Dune,
things are looking good for him as well. But apparently, Bautista doesn't exactly think The
Rock is a knockout, acting-wise. In a February 2019 interview, he offered some pretty harsh
words for his peer that we're still grappling with, and it wouldn't be the last time either.
What's Dave Bautista's beef with fellow former WWE star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson? Apparently,
Bautista sees Johnson as a blockbuster movie star, but not as a serious actor,
as opposed to himself. Bautista told The Tampa Bay Times in February 2019,
"Do not compare me to The Rock or John Cena. Everyone does it.
Those guys are wrestlers who became movie stars... I was a wrestler. Now, I'm an actor."
The Guardians of The Galaxy actor added that, at the very least,
Johnson does have undeniable star quality.
"There is something about him that's really special. I'd never take that away from him.
But as far as the acting goes? "Would I consider him a great actor? F--- no."
"Your honor, I'd like to plead my own case.
"Watch this."
Clearly, Bautista, who went on to say he wants to, quote, "work with Academy Award winners like
Sam Mendes and Jodie Foster," wasn't just having an off day. According to USA Today,
Bautista stayed firm on his stance later in 2019, doubling down when a Twitter
user suggested that he star in a future Fast & Furious flick alongside Johnson.
"....thank you for your consideration...," he responded between two different vomiting
emojis before adding "#idratherdogoodfilms." Huh.
Welp, now that Dave Bautista is set to appear in Dune, he's clearly going the acclaimed
route. But to diss Dwayne Johnson? As they say, "Leave it in the ring!"
Despite making it very clear what he really thinks about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's acting skills,
Dave Bautista later pointed out that he was not "bashing anyone" or being disrespectful
in his 2019 interview with The Tampa Bay Times. He even admitted he could come
across as harsh sometimes. The former wrestler retweeted a link to the story before adding,
"Retweeting this because although the headline is a bit misleading,
I really appreciate them pointing out that I was not bashing anyone. I'm not a disrespectful
person. I speak from the heart and sometimes it comes across harsh. I stand by the interview."
Considering there's a photo of Bautista and Johnson greeting each other warmly
at the 2019 MTV Movie and TV Awards, we think there are no hard feelings between the two,
even after Bautista's scathing comments. In fact, Bautista has said The Rock would be a
better president of the United States than Donald Trump. It's not a completely out of
left field statement to make, since there was talk in 2017 of Johnson running for president.
Even though that never happened, Bautista felt like Johnson was more than qualified,
according to The Washington Examiner. He said,
"I think he'd be a better president
than our current president... I think I said he was much more qualified and I believe he is."
"I was hoping you'd say that."
Bautista may be quick to talk smack about The Rock,
but there's a reason Johnson was called "The People's Champion" in the WWE ring.
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