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News just broke out today that David Michael Bautista Jr, best known to us wrestling fanatics as WWE Superstar Batista, is all set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2020).
Having made his debut for the company on the SmackDown episode of May 9th, 2002, The Animal soon became one of the biggest Superstars of WWE and joined the legendary Evolution stable in 2003, aligning himself with Ric Flair, Triple H, and Randy Orton.
Winning his first World Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 21, Batista is a 6-time World Champion, 4-time Tag Team Champion, and one of the few Superstars to have won the Royal Rumble twice (2005 and 2014).
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Speaking to PEOPLE, this is what he had to say about his Hall of Fame induction:
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“Vince called me personally to ask me, I was just … I wasn’t surprised, but I was pretty happy. It’s a good feeling, it’s a really great feeling. As soon as I hung up the phone, I was … and excuse my language, I was like, ‘S***, I gotta give a speech.’ And that is what I’ve been stressing about since.”
Now that The Animal has officially cemented his place in WWE history, let's take a look at the five potential reasons why the company decided to induct him into the Hall of Fame this year.
#5 He officially retired after WrestleMania 35
After "quitting" the company in 2010, Batista made his not-so-successful return in 2014, which saw him win the Royal Rumble and main event WrestleMania 30 amidst the boos of the WWE Universe.
Earlier this year, the Animal came back for his final run with the company and took on Triple H at WrestleMania 35. In what he termed as a storybook ending to his career, he was defeated and officially retired from in-ring competition by the Cerebral Assassin.
With Batista hanging up his wrestling boots immediately thereafter, it was only fitting for WWE to honor him with the Hall of Fame induction, and so they did.
“For me, it was a storybook ending. It was as good as it gets. I got to close out my career the way I wanted to.”
#4 He turned down a nomination earlier but is finally ready now
Batista's Hall of Fame induction has been a topic of discussion for quite some time now, with fans wondering why WWE hasn't inducted him yet. Turns out, it was the Animal himself who had humbly turned down the nomination previously, as he wasn't ready for it. Batista said the following during his interview with the Daily Express:
"This is why I haven’t accepted a nomination into the WWE Hall of Fame because I just don’t feel like my career is over."
While we've seen many Hall of Famers step inside the ring for a match after their induction, Batista believed that since he hadn't wrapped up his career, it was not the right time. With him officially retiring earlier this year, The Animal was finally ready to accept this honor.
"I said that at WrestleMania last year: It’s the end of my in-ring journey, but it’s not the end of my journey with the WWE. I will always be connected with them, I’ll always be affiliated with them, I hope that I will always have a good relationship with them. So it doesn’t really feel like an ending for me, it feels like, kind of, I’m right in the mix. … All I can say is it feels good, it’s just satisfying. I feel like I accomplished something. I feel like it was all worth it.”
#3 He has been in the news recently
While Batista is yet to appear on WWE TV since his match at WrestleMania 35, his recent interactions with WWE Superstar Dana Brooke have been a huge hit on social media. So much so that the company has also turned it into some sort of a storyline with Drake Maverick trying to hit on Dana and her warning him to be careful about getting a beating from the Animal.
Due to the same, Batista has been quite in the news recently, and wrestling fans over the world have been talking about him. Other than that, the former WWE Champion has also been in news for his other projects including Hollywood movies, his special episode with the Man vs Wild host Bear Grylls, among other things.
With all this in mind, it is a great opportunity for the company to take some advantage of his popularity and get some mainstream exposure for their product. With the emergence of rival promotions, it would be a great way to cater to those not-so-hardcore fans who might become wrestling fans through Batista.
Who knows, we might see the soon-to-be Hall of Famer back for a segment with Brooke to promote the WrestleMania weekend, and also have a hilarious segment with Maverick and Elias.
#2 The ceremony takes place in his hometown next year
The WrestleMania festivities will take place in Tampa, Florida next year. In addition to that, as the trend has been every year, the Hall of Fame ceremony will also take place during the weekend as Superstars and legends would gather to honor their colleagues into the prestigious WWE Hall of Fame.
Interestingly, Tampa also turns out to be the hometown of Batista, who has been living there for quite some time now. Hence, it makes all sense to induct the hometown boy into the Hall of Fame there as it would allow his family and friends to see his inducting ceremony live in person.
We've often seen WWE Superstars getting huge cheers from the crowd whenever a WWE show takes place in their hometown, be it RAW, SmackDown, a PPV, or a simple Live event. One can just imagine the kind of reaction Batista would get from the fans in attendance when he walks out to the stage for his Hall of Fame speech.
All the stars seem to be aligning this year for The Animal! I'm looking forward to his speech.
#1 A deserving candidate
Ultimately, it comes down to this. Batista is one of the biggest stars the company has produced, and he has done more than enough to secure his place in the Hall of Fame. Having been loyal to the company over the years, he deserves this honor as much as anyone else.
Throughout his career, the Animal has produced some memorable moments in the ring which will forever be etched in the minds of us wrestling fans. Be it him and the Evolution turning on a young Randy Orton or his feuds with the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, and the others, or even his final feud with Triple H and the attack on Ric Flair, Batista has left a big mark on the business and the company.
Having had one of the most glorified and accomplished careers, it is great to see Batista finally enter the Hall of Fame alongside fellow legends. At the same time, we do hope that it is not the end of the journey for him and WWE and we get to see him on some reunion shows in the future. Batista feels the same:
"I don't think it's sunk in. And I was thinking about it because I mean, it seems like a long journey, but it also feels like yesterday when I started my career. And it also feels... because I'm still working so much, it doesn't feel like an end of a journey."
