Batista, funny fact.

[TheRealDC]

Wikipedia can be a gold mine for some random and obscure finds... like this little diddy I found as I was looking up Batista's background, (don't ask why)

In 2005, Batista gave two controversial interviews to the British tabloid newspaper The Sun. In the first interview, Batista, then wrestling on the RAW brand of WWE, criticized SmackDown!, stating, "I've watched their tapings live and it seems like a lot of the guys couldn't care less. There's a lack of passion and pride."[5] In the second interview, Batista acknowledged that his statements had attracted considerable backstage heat from members of the SmackDown! brand. He then went on to claim, "there are guys on both shows who are lazy, couldn't care less and show no dedication." He then criticized rival wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, claiming, "I've also seen clips of their car wreck matches with A.J. Styles doing his stunts. That's not wrestling. Wrestling is storytelling."[6] In April 2006, Styles responded to Batista's comments, quipping, "I think it's funny that a guy who takes a bump and tears his back tells me that I don't know how to wrestle."[7]

 

[Y 2 Jake]

He actually appologised for the Styles remark. He said after that he'd never actually seen one of his match's. I think Samoa Joe suggested he got in the ring with Styles to have a match. I think Batista knew he'd come off looking like a dick.

 

[Prax]

DC are you planning on Stalking Batista? lol.

Those interviews are gold. I'm using one of the quotes in my sig

I kind of agree with him on the Styles comment though, I don't know if he's actually watched one of his matches or not, but he's right that wrestling is supposed to be storytelling (and he's learned that from the best - Triple H and Ric Flair).

You can take a major bump in wrestling, but it's the events that lead up to it that make it mean something and worthwhile (and all the bumps he and triple H took in that Cell match were well worth it I think).

I'm not saying Styles isn't a good wrestler but there's a limit to how many bumps you can take in a match before I consider you a circus act rather than a professional wrestler.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Yeah but Batista doesnt take bump's. When he does he injures himself. I dont think he's left his feet since he injured himself last January.

 

[Jewlz]

Batista did go off the top rope during Mania & even powerslam Taker off one table into another, actually a good match. glad Taker won!

Now to the injury i think Mark Henry could accidentally injure anyone if not done perfectly if that's the injury being talked about.

 

[thatdamgood]

lol Batista can be a funny man sometimes lol But for once I actually agree with him espically about the Aj styles comment,wrestling is about storytelling not about Spot fests

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I think there's a place for both. Styles does tell a story. He break's out all the high flying moves towards the end of his match's. Somebody like Jack Evans could do with telling more of a story.

 

[jasu]

i agree with batista about tna ... cant seem to stay interested because it has way too much happening at once. Either too many stunts or too many gimmick matches. I believe Vince was right when he said you cant give out too much because eventually people will get sick of it.

 

[stu519]

Let me get this straight. Batista thinks that AJ Styles doesn't know how to wrestle? That's ridiculous, especially coming from someone like Batista. He might want to learn how to wrestle before making comments like that.

 

[figure4]

Batista can wrestle. So can Styles. They obviously have different styles. I want big muscular guys like Batista to be brawlers, power wrestlers. Let the little guys be the technicians.

 

[scorpionz_venom]

Man, there's an AJ Styles versus Low-Ki (top five wrestler right now) match on youtube (the infamous). It was in Japan, but I dont remember the promotion, maybe Zero1. Check out the story...and the spots.

My 5

Low-Ki
Homicide
Benoit
Samoa Joe
Triple H

 

[Shadowmancer]

Figure4, dude, Batista is struggling to protect his guys when he does the power moves. When he said this he is sprouting ver batim what the WWE line is on Wrestling and everything involved in it. Don't get me wrong about the storytelling element of it if the match doesn't build then it isn't telling a story, TNAs matches tell stories. It is hypocritical of Batista to saying that when the majority of his matches don't really tell a story.

 

[Kasey]

Dave Batista is so full of $hit it's nearly dripping from his eyelids. He talks a lot of smack for someone who had to have Undertaker lead him through his own damn title defense at the biggest show of the year (only to be eschewed out of the ring in one of the greatest Undertaker "stroke" moments in history). And to all those who enjoyed his match this year...ONE GOOD MATCH IN 5 YEARS DOES NOT A GOOD WRESTLER MAKE. Especially when it takes one of the oldest and most over vets on the roster to help to get the job done, when Batista is the guy who is supposed to be the real attention getter. And him taking a shot at Styles is hilarious. Styles has been the center of more high-quality, faster-paced, better sold, better-received, better built, and longer matches in the last five years than ANYTHING The Davester has ever competed in. There is a reason Batista was booted from the WCW Power Plant: He couldn't wrestle. Look, if someone's physique was the determinate of their wrestling ability, then Batista would already be a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame along with Warrior's crazy ass.

 

[TheRealDC]

When I put this up, my main intention was to bring focus on the difference between what Batista had said in the past, as opposed to what he does now. I admit that when Evolution had the falling out, I was behind Batista, that was good story telling. The main focus is that when someone that big and that "dominate" is spoon fed the push he is getting, there really isn't much to tell afterward. AJ Styles has a long way to go. AJ has been consistent in his matches and hardly ever fails to please. Where as Batista, since becoming champion, really hasn't been all that impressive. I agree that its not all about the big spots in matches, but it is a big part. Batista was impressive during the Mania match, and I do believe that he is trying to get back to the way he used to be, and trying to improve on his skills, but like Kasey said, Taker basically held his hand throughout the match. The reason why the match was good was partially the storytelling. But Takers undefeated streak sells itself. The fact that Taker was willing to take the few bumps that Batista dished out added to it, and thats where the storytelling has its shining moments. But none the less, it was very rewarding to see Taker come out on top. After that though... whats next... it took Batista how long since the Evolution fall out to get a good story... and true, he did learn from the best in Triple H and Flair, but exactly how much did he learn, because HHH and Flair can still work a mic. And Batista on the mic is something to be desired. Its really hard to sell a story when your opponent uses small words in even smaller sentences.

 

[emceelokey]

I remember when that comment first leaked. I think I lost some respect for him when I first read that too. I also remember when he was talking about the SD locker room he said something about asking someone what they were going to do that night and that person started taking about where they were going to eat after the show but Batista was talking about what they were going to do in their match that night.

I think it was that fact that Batista was saying this though. He was only on the big shows for like 3 years at that time and I just didn't think his words had any weight to them. On the other hand though, is Taker said that then I would totally believe him.

 

[X]

Yeah I remember when he said these comments, it honestly just made me laugh my ass off for a good twenty or thirty minutes. Even back then Batista couldn't work for shit, so to hear him ever criticizing anybody for "lack of passion" in the ring would be like OJ Simpson criticizing people for murdering their wives. I especially found his AJ Styles comment hilarious, considering AJ had already put on some of the greatest god damn matches in wrestling history in my eyes. Ahhh, wouldn't it be great to see Batista vs. AJ in a shoot fight? Though Batista is bigger I think AJ would make him dizzy before pounding his face in.