Triple H Recently Had Sit-Down With Former Big Name WWE Star

Though he's been adamant about his retirement from the squared circle, Dave Bautista, known as Batista in the ring, still enjoys visiting his wrestling home whenever he has a chance. On December 30, "The Animal" returned to WWE for the final "WWE SmackDown" of 2022. There, he caught up with old friend and current Chief Content Officer, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, backstage.

"I haven't watched [WWE] much, and that's just because I'm not watching TV much these days, [but] I did have a sit-down conversation with Hunter because he was in Tampa for 'SmackDown,'" Bautista told ComicBook. Though the particulars of their conversation weren't mentioned, the multi-time world champion noted that the two "talked for about two hours, just about old times and new times." Bautista and Levesque reigned supreme during their years in one of WWE's most dominant factions — Evolution. The two joined forces with Randy Orton and Ric Flair in 2003, with each member holding some form of championship gold during their run. Cracks within the group would begin to form in the summer of 2004, as Orton was ejected, with the remaining three staying intact until spring 2005. At WrestleMania 21, Bautista defeated Levesque to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

Bautista officially retired from in-ring action in 2019, losing to "The Game" at WrestleMania 35 in a No Holds Barred match. Following his exit from pro wrestling, he continued his endeavors in the acting world, with his latest high-profile movie projects including "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" and "Knock at the Cabin."