Surprising Batista reference on AEW Dynamite: Maximum Carnage

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Batista was referenced during a major match on AEW Dynamite: Maximum Carnage. A former TBS Champion paid homage to The Animal during her bout on the show.

Batista is a name that certainly needs no introduction in the realm of professional wrestling. The six-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion is considered a legend in the business. He has achieved great success in his acting career after retiring from in-ring competition. The Animal wrestled his last match in 2019.

Top AEW star Willow Nightingale paid tribute to The Animal on Wednesday. She was one of the participants in the first-ever women's Casino Gauntlet match on Dynamite: Maximum Carnage. In the middle of the contest, Nightingale did the iconic machine gun taunt that Batista performed during his entrances.

The clip can be watched below.

Speaking of the first-ever women's Casino Gauntlet match on Dynamite, Toni Storm overcame her fellow participants to secure the win. She will now challenge the AEW Women's World Champion at Grand Slam: Australia next month.

---

Triple H admits he rooted for Batista over a WWE legend

WWE CCO Triple H recently disclosed that he rooted for Batista over the legendary Randy Orton during their time in Evolution. During his recent appearance on the Roommates Show, The Game disclosed how hard The Animal worked to cement his place in the industry.

"A lot of people had kind of written Dave off as 'He’s never going to make it.' And Ric [Flair] and I were adamant about putting him in the group. As we started to do the group, everybody kept saying, 'Randy is the breakout.' I kept saying, 'You guys are wrong. It’s going to be Dave.' He was a sponge. He got it. You might not have known it at that time, but the level he put into it and how hard he worked and all that stuff. For me, he was the MVP."

Only time will tell when fans will get to see The Animal on WWE TV again.