Batista's 5 most memorable WWE moments

In 1999, a 30-year-old Dave Bautista attended a try-out for World Championship Wrestling at their Power Plant training facility in Atlanta, GA. The head trainer, who went by the name Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker (his gimmick was that he was a State Trooper who wrote his opponents tickets and no I am not kidding) informed young Mr. Bautista that he would never make it in the business of professional wrestling.21 years later, the 6-time World Champion known as Batista will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. It's both a testament to what one can achieve with hard work, imagination and perseverance and a testament to how much of a knucklehead Buddy Lee Parker is (only teasing, Mr. Parker).

The Guardians of the Galaxy/Stuber/Kickboxer: Vengeance star was announced earlier this week as one of the headliners of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 (along with the original three members of the nWo and my close, personal friend, Sean Waltman). So, as we did with his fellow inductees, we're taking a look at the five most memorable moments in Batista's WWE career.

Before we get to those, though... I'd like to add my own personal Honorable Mention...

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Honorable Mention: Batista at the WrestleMania XXX press conference

If things had gone according to WWE's initial plan, WrestleMania XXX in 2014 would have closed out with a match between then-WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton and Superstar-turned-movie star Batista. Well... we all know how that actually played out (and if you don't, well... look it up, I've got a lot more to write about here). Essentially, Batista's triumphant return to the ring was overshadowed by Daniel Bryan's meteoric rise to mega-popularity.

So, here's the thing lost when most of us remember this whole situation - Dave (and I call him that because I'm talking about how he handled all of this personally) actually really took it in stride. He knew from the moment he returned what - and who - the audience really wanted to see, and worked to make that happen. He had already moved on to the next successful phase of his career and was essentially back to help out the company and the business that helped him get there.

His speech at the WrestleMania XXX press conference demonstrates that - he had a great sense of humor - not just about the situation at the time, but how the fans were reacting to his return and how happy he was to be back in the business he loved.

Anyway... let's get into the actual list, shall we?

#5 The Animal's Final Match

Say what you want about everything regarding Batista's WrestleMania 35 match against Triple H this past Spring. The fact of the matter is, this is exactly the match The Animal wanted to have to wrap his wrestling career up with. In fact, according to the man himself during an appearance on Chris Jericho's Talk Is Jericho podcast:

"I’ve asked for what I want. I’ll tell you and I’ve talked to Hunter about it and I’ve talked to Vince about it [one last match with Triple H]. That’s the only thing I’m interested in doing... It would be what I would go out on. I would come back and I’d do a whole program and then I’d be done"

And, that's exactly what happened in New Jersey earlier this year, as Batista battled Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a No Holds Barred encounter. HHH eventually came out on top in that match - which was good news for him, since a loss would have meant he'd have to retire.

Instead, though, Batista decided to hang up his boots following the loss and, all things considered, it wasn't a bad way to go out.

And it's not a bad way to start this list, either.

#4 Winning his first title with a legend

While The Animal had the presence and skill to go right to the main event, his first taste of WWE gold actually came as part of the tag team division. Or, at the very least, what passed for the tag team division in Vince McMahon's early 2000s company. Which, I know sounds cynical and I'm not trying to take away from Batista's achievement in 2003 but... well... yeah...

Armageddon 2003 saw every member of Evolution leave with WWE gold. Randy Orton was the Intercontinental Champion after defeating Rob Van Dam. Triple H became the World Heavyweight Champion once again after winning a Triple Threat match against Kane and then-champion Goldberg (thanks, in part, to interference from our boy Dave).

And, finally, despite coming out on the losing end of a singles match against Shawn Michaels, Batista teamed with his mentor and Evolution teammate, Ric Flair, to win the WWE Tag Team Championships. The two defeated D-Von and Bubba Ray - the Dudley Boyz - in a Tag Team Turmoil match to get the gold - and considering Batista had already been through one match, it made this victory even more impessive.

It was his very first title as a member of the WWE roster and was a sign of things to come.

#3 Ruining John Cena's night

One of the reasons that Batista has had such a memorable and Hall of Fame-worthy career is that he's worked with a lot of other amazing performers. One such performer he came up the ranks with is the 16-time World Champion... well, I guess - technically - he's worked closely with two 16-time World Champions. But, in this instance, we're talking about his fellow Ohio Valley Wrestling graduate/Hollywood superstar John Cena.

Cena had just finished winning his... I dunno... 137th WWE Championship in the Elimination Chamber match main event of... er... Elimination Chamber 2010. After Triple H (him again) elminated then-champion Sheamus, he shortly found himself in the clutches of Cena's STFU (which is just an STF with a U tacked on to the end of it because Ruthless Agression Era) and tapping out. Cena was the new WWE Champion! Wheee!

A month previously, at the Royal Rumble, Batista gave WWE Chairman Vince McMahon a helping hand by attacking his soon-to-be-fellow Hall of Fame member Bret "The Hitman" Hart, who had just recently returned to the company in a somewhat active role following the debacle that was the Montreal Screwjob. As a reward, McMahon gave Batista a match for the WWE Championship against Cena - a match which immediately took place following the Elimination Chamber bout.

Cena didn't have a lot of luck after these matches, did he?

This was the last of Batista's many World Championship wins, and directly led to him leaving WWE the first time (following losing the title to Cena at WrestleMania XXVI and his infamous wheelchair/"I quit!" promo shortly thereafter).

#2 The weirdest Royal Rumble ending ever

So, the video you just watched is a bit of revisionist history. And, it's hard to blame WWE for revising it.

In 1994, the Royal Rumble match ended with two competitors elimination each other simultaneously for the first time in the event's history - as both Lex Luger and Bret "Hitman" Hart fell over the top rope and landed on the floor at the same time.

In 2005, the final two entrants it that year's Rumble match - Batista and John Cena - also both fell over the top rope and landed on the floor at the same time. The big difference here was that in 1994, that was the planned finish. In 2005? Not so much?

As the officials in the ring tried to determine who won the match, the WWE Chairman himself, Vince McMahon, angrily stormed to the ring to sort out the situation.

Let's defer to my close, personal friend (no, really, for once, he actually is) former WWE ref Jimmy Korderas as far as what happened that night goes.

Batista would go on to win the bout and then defeat Triple H at WrestleMania 21 for his first World Championship.

#1 Thumbs down, Hunter

As crazy as that Royal Rumble match was, it was only the beginning for The Animal.

So, by winning the Rumble, Batista was guaranteed a World title match at WrestleMania 21 - he just had to decide which title. He could choose to compete for the WWE Championship - which, at that time, was on SmackDown - and turn the John Cena vs JBL bout into a Triple Threat match. Or, he could go after the World Heavyweight Championship - Raw's title that was held by his mentor, Triple H.

It's also worth noting that Hunter had been talking smack about Batista behind his back, thinking he was getting one over on his fellow Evolution faction member.

Batista took the SmackDown contract and gave Hunter a big smile and the ole thumbs up signal - until the smile turned into a scowl and his thumb turned downwards. Before you knew it, Triple H laid in the middle of a broken table - the victim of a vicious Batista Bomb - and Batista had a World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania.

Batista would go on to win that very championship at that very show, and that was a major milestone in what has, obviously, turned into a Hall of Fame career. As great a moment as that - and every World Championship victory Batista would enjoy throughout his career - was, the image of The Animal turning the tables on the man who he considered a mentor and who ended up underestimating him, well... this was his defining moment.

What are your favorite Batista moments in WWE?