Batista On Why He Didn't Work With Daniel Bryan At Extreme Rules PPV, Bluetista, WWE Creative
As noted, Dave Bautista, also known as WWE's Batista, shared some insight on MLW Radio's Writers Room into his most recent WWE run. Batista talked about some of the problems he faced during the stint and admitted that he wished he was in better shape for his return to WWE. The six-time world champion also addressed some of the online criticism he faced in relation to Daniel Bryan and The Shield.
During the podcast, Batista admitted that he wishes that he would have been in better shape for his 2014 WWE run.
"I wish I could've been in better shape," Batista said. "I should've been in wrestling shape and I really wasn't for a few different reasons. One, I was injured coming back. I had a really bad Achilles' tendon injury, but also, I had really stayed away from the weights and the really strenuous working out for years because I was trying to conform and I wanted to be an actor. I wanted to look like an actor and I wanted to blend in and fit in, so I was really against it. I wanted to get away from that muscle bound look. The fans always kind of respected me for that look. That was something I carried with me and set me apart and I didn't give them that. And I really wish I had. Now when I look back at pictures I really am embarrassed about the shape that I was in. I should have been in better shape for that."
In the view of the former heavy of the villainous Reverend D'Von, the IWC's belief that Batista is 'anti-Daniel Bryan' is puzzling and untrue.
"I did the thing with Daniel Bryan. Let me tell you the reason I was pissed about the whole thing, the reason why, because I didn't want to work with him at the next pay-per-view. I wanted to work with [The] Shield. I wanted to do the Evolution thing, so it wasn't anything against Daniel Bryan and it wasn't because I loved Evolution so much. I wanted to do the Evolution thing and that's what kills me. So the first thing, the whole Daniel Bryan thing, I love Daniel. Everybody gave me a lot of grief over that and I was one of the first guys way back when saying 'Daniel's great! You've got to do something with him!' They wanted me to job him out. The only time we ever worked together and I was like, 'he's way too good for that!' And people, they gave me all this s–t about being so anti-Daniel Bryan and I just didn't know where it came from."
While the actor behind RZA's Brass Body was in favor of putting over Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30, he thought that Bryan should have been selling his injuries more after the main event and the next night on WWE Monday Night RAW.
"Here's what I hated about the whole Daniel Bryan thing. So we did the thing at 'Mania, which was great, man. I wanted to put him over. I agreed to tap out to him. It was no big deal. I never made a big deal out of it. The thing I made a big deal out of was that we did that deal that night. The next night, after he had gotten off of a stretcher, gone through hell the whole night, and it wasn't his call, but they wanted him to come back not selling anything, like not selling that he was sore, or beat up, or injured. Nothing! And so, even at the end of the night, again, we give him all of our finishes, we beat him all up, and then right after that, he's up chanting 'yes!' and after he had taken three finishes, like, just buried the s–t out of us. So I was like, I'm all for him getting him over and putting him over, but don't bury us while we're doing it. It doesn't have to be that way. We're not only burying us, but we're burying the whole business and that's what pissed me off."
As for The Shield, Batista was happy to work with the faction, he did not agree with breaking up the team. Moreover, Batista was upset that the great WWE Payback (2014) match between Evolution and The Shield would be overshadowed by his blue ring gear.
"And then, the whole thing with The Shield, like, I love that whole run, man. I loved working with those guys. The thing is, we put them over like a million bucks then they split them right up." Batista added, "they could have continued that run for at least year together. Those guys are great. The Shield was such a strong unit. Man, they could have milked that for everything that it's worth. They should have had them running with the Wyatts till everybody was sick of seeing it, but they split them right up. And not only that, but we did this match where we literally, we all beat the s–t out of each other. And, of course, I don't mind being the fall guy, take the fall, whatever, they can go over me. I'll put them over like a million bucks, but the thing that pissed me off was that we busted our ass to get those f–king guys over and everybody walked away saying, 'Batista wore blue. What an asshole.' f–king really? That's what you got out of that f–king match, that I wore blue? That s–t pissed me off, man. It just pissed me off."
Click here to check out the interview. If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit MLW Radio's Writers Room with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Source: MLW Radio?s Writers Room