Dave Bautista(I)
- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
David Michael Bautista, Jr., born January 18, 1969, in Washington, D.C., to Donna Mullins and David Bautista, a hairdresser, has Filipino and Greek roots.
Defying WCW doubters, Bautista pursued his dream of becoming a superstar. debuting on SmackDown as Batista in May 2002, he gained prominence after moving to Raw and beating Kane twice. These wins drew attention from Ric Flair and Triple H, leading to the formation of Evolution with Randy Orton and Batista.
In December 2003, Batista won his first championship with "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, holding the WWE Tag Team titles. As Evolution dominated, Batista emerged from Triple H's shadow, winning the 2005 Royal Rumble. A January 2006 triceps injury forced him to give up the title, but he returned to win the world heavyweight championship at Survivor Series. He challenged the Undertaker at WrestleMania 23 but didn't end the streak. Despite setbacks, Batista remained competitive.
He briefly joined MMA, winning his first fight. Returning to WWE in 2014, he left in June to star in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), with a cast including Chris Pratt, Benicio Del Toro, Zoe Saldaña, and Djimon Hounsou.
He will appear in Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), directed by John Stockwell, with martial artist Alain Moussi and UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre. This remake of the 1989 film Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kickboxer (1989), tells of brothers David and Kurt Sloan seeking revenge after David wins the Karate World Championship.
After roles in Hotel Artemis (2018) and Final Score (2018), he guest-starred on WWE Smackdown! (1999) for its 1000th episode, reuniting with Evolution members. On February 25, 2019, he returned to WWE Raw (1993), attacking Ric Flair, leading to a No Holds Barred match where Batista would decide Triple H's retirement. Triple H won, and Batista retired from wrestling to focus on acting.
His upcoming films include Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019) and My Spy (2020). He remains one of the wrestlers who've transitioned successfully into entertainment.
Defying WCW doubters, Bautista pursued his dream of becoming a superstar. debuting on SmackDown as Batista in May 2002, he gained prominence after moving to Raw and beating Kane twice. These wins drew attention from Ric Flair and Triple H, leading to the formation of Evolution with Randy Orton and Batista.
In December 2003, Batista won his first championship with "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, holding the WWE Tag Team titles. As Evolution dominated, Batista emerged from Triple H's shadow, winning the 2005 Royal Rumble. A January 2006 triceps injury forced him to give up the title, but he returned to win the world heavyweight championship at Survivor Series. He challenged the Undertaker at WrestleMania 23 but didn't end the streak. Despite setbacks, Batista remained competitive.
He briefly joined MMA, winning his first fight. Returning to WWE in 2014, he left in June to star in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), with a cast including Chris Pratt, Benicio Del Toro, Zoe Saldaña, and Djimon Hounsou.
He will appear in Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), directed by John Stockwell, with martial artist Alain Moussi and UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre. This remake of the 1989 film Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kickboxer (1989), tells of brothers David and Kurt Sloan seeking revenge after David wins the Karate World Championship.
After roles in Hotel Artemis (2018) and Final Score (2018), he guest-starred on WWE Smackdown! (1999) for its 1000th episode, reuniting with Evolution members. On February 25, 2019, he returned to WWE Raw (1993), attacking Ric Flair, leading to a No Holds Barred match where Batista would decide Triple H's retirement. Triple H won, and Batista retired from wrestling to focus on acting.
His upcoming films include Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019) and My Spy (2020). He remains one of the wrestlers who've transitioned successfully into entertainment.
