“I’d never be a pro wrestler,” Dave Bautista opens up about first ‘DISASTROUS’ professional wrestling tryout before signing with WWE

Dave Bautista reveals that he initially approached WCW to train to become a pro wrestler.

“I’d never be a pro wrestler,” Dave Bautista opens up about first ‘DISASTROUS’ professional wrestling tryout before signing with WWE

Dave Bautista (via @davebautista/Instagram and WWE)

A future Hall of Famer in his own right, Dave Bautista, aka Batista, was one of the marquee names in professional wrestling for years. Before successfully transitioning into the world of Hollywood, he was breaking bones and winning titles in WWE. However, The Animal didn’t have the easiest of beginnings to his career, as one might think. Recently, the wrestling legend opened up about his first tryout in the industry.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Bautista revealed that he initially approached WCW’s training center, Power Plant. Moreover, he was told that he would never become a professional wrestler. After this disastrous tryout, Big Dave went to WWE, where the promotion subsequently signed him to the developmental brand, OVW.

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Unsurprisingly, WCW also let other talent similarly jump ship during the 1990s. As for Bautista, it didn’t take long for him to impress the higher-ups in WWE. Due to his physique and charisma, he instantly caught the attention of fans after he joined the main roster. Needless to say, the former world champion ended up proving his critics wrong.

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I actually failed at professional wrestling at first. My first tryout was miserable. They told me to leave, and I’d never be a pro wrestler. That was in Atlanta, Georgia, at a place called the Power Plant, which was the WCW training facility at the time.

Dave Bautista via The Jimmy Fallon show (H/T: Ringside News)

Dave Bautista retired from professional wrestling in 2019, losing his final match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35. The wrestler-turned-actor was set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the next ceremony. However, the pandemic forced WWE to cancel the event. In the years that have followed, Batista’s outside commitments have continuously postponed plans for his deserved induction.

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Dave Bautista

Dave Bautista continues to show his support for WWE stars despite retirement

Since his final match at WrestleMania 35, Dave Bautista has not appeared on WWE television. However, despite his busy Hollywood schedule, the legend still finds time to shower praise on the talent in WWE. In fact, Batista has remained close with the likes of Titus O’Neil and supported several stars.

Dave Bautista
Dave Bautista (via WWE)

Recently, Drew McIntyre disclosed that The Animal helped him gain his first major break in Hollywood. For those unfamiliar, The Scottish Warrior will star alongside Big Dave in the upcoming thriller, “The Killer’s Game.” According to Drew, Bautista suggested his name for a specific assassin role in the movie.

In addition to that, the future Hall of Famer expresses his thoughts on the current product and weekly developments in WWE. Nonetheless, only time will tell whether the 55-year-old appears on WWE programming in the near future.

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