“I knew Vince was p*ssed,” Dave Bautista felt that he would be fired by Vince McMahon following infamous Royal Rumble botch
Dave Bautista reflects on the controversial finish to the 2005 Royal Rumble match and why he felt it almost cost his career.
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Dave Bautista and Vince McMahon at Royal Rumble 2005 (via WWE)
Almost two decades ago, Dave Bautista achieved his first major victory in WWE when he won the Royal Rumble match. However, the victory wasn’t as straightforward as one would’ve imagined. The controversial finish saw Vince McMahon restart the match after Batista and John Cena botched the ending. Recently, The Animal recounted the events of that weekend in January 2005.
In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Dave revealed that he felt McMahon would fire him following the match. The WWE legend explained that he had no-showed a live event a day before the Royal Rumble to spend time with his mother. Moreover, he had arrived late on the day of the pay per view which led to the chairman reprimanding him.
Detailing the botched finish, Bautista said he initially felt relieved that he and Cena landed at the same time. However, when he saw McMahon angrily walking down to the ring, Big Dave thought it was curtains for his career. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed as the former Evolution member’s push went ahead as planned.
I ended up being really late to the show, and I knew Vince was p*ssed. I was supposed to go over that night, and I was going to WrestleMania, but Vince thought I was being disrespectful by showing up late. He reamed me out as soon as I got there, and I honestly thought he was going to change the whole storyline.Dave Bautista via Insight with Chris Van Vliet [H/T: Ringside News]
Although Vince McMahon decided against punishing Bautista, the former ended up tearing both of his quads at the event. The then-CEO infamously injured himself while trying to slide inside the ring. In arguably one of the most unintentionally hilarious moments in WWE history, an irate McMahon barked orders at the referees to restart the match.
As for the Hollywood star, he wound up facing his former mentor, Triple H, in the main event of WrestleMania 21. Further, he defeated HHH to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, kickstarting his run as a main eventer.
Will Dave Bautista wrestle again in WWE?
Fourteen years after his first world title win, Dave Bautista competed in the last match of his illustrious wrestling career. Batista faced Triple H at WrestleMania 35, suffering a loss against The Game. At the time, the Hollywood star confirmed that it was his retirement match. However, as wrestling and other sports have seen several times, the ‘retirement’ word has lost its significance.
The likes of Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels have returned despite having two of the most perfect sendoffs in wrestling history. As such, fans have been curious as to whether Big Dave would go back on his word. And, as revealed by The Animal himself, he is content with the way he bid adieu to his career.
Bautista admitted that he has been tempted by a potential comeback to the ring. Despite that, the WWE legend maintains that he doesn’t want to tarnish his sendoff. Therefore, it is very unlikely that fans will see the 55-year-old returning to have another match.
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Vansh Shah
(1087 Articles Published)