WWE Nearly Cut Batista Before Breaking Out

Dave Bautista’s rise to WWE superstardom almost didn’t happen — and according to D-Von Dudley, it came down to one crucial moment behind the scenes.

During Episode 56 of Devon & The Duke, D-Von opened up about the period shortly after Bautista debuted on SmackDown as Deacon Batista in 2002. At the time, Bautista was still finding his voice, still reserved, and still adjusting to the pressure of national television. That hesitation nearly cost him everything.

D-Von explained that management had serious concerns about Bautista’s development and told him directly that something needed to change. He then revealed that an agent pulled him aside with a blunt warning about Batista’s future.

“They were thinking about letting Dave go at one point because they felt Dave wasn't where he needed to be.”

“He says, ‘D-Von, you got to get Dave to really really come out of his shell,’ ‘cause Dave was very subdued… He was like, ‘They’re looking to let him go if he doesn’t come out of this and do something.’”

That’s when D-Von decided to intervene personally. Instead of letting Bautista continue to hold back in the ring, he pulled him aside before a match and gave him permission to go all-in — even if it meant real pain.

“I pulled Dave aside. I said, ‘Look… when you get in that ring, you got to knock the hell out of me.’”

Bautista hesitated, worried about hurting his mentor, but D-Von wasn’t backing down. D-Von told him to make everything look real, even if it actually was real.

“He was like, ‘Rev, I don’t want to hurt you.’ I was like, ‘You won’t hurt me. There’s nothing you can do to me that hasn’t already been done in ECW. Trust me, you’re not going to hurt me.’”

“I said, ‘Just do it. Hit me for real. The clotheslines, if you hit me with a punch for real, just do it. If I’m bleeding, let me bleed. Just hit me. You cannot get fired. You’re too good of a man and you look too damn good to get fired.’”

The plan worked — but not without consequences, “Boy did he beat the hell out of me. I wish I didn’t say that.”

That moment marked a turning point. Bautista began breaking out of his shell, gaining confidence, and eventually evolving into the powerhouse who would go on to headline WrestleMania, win multiple world titles, and later reinvent himself as one of Hollywood’s most respected actors.

It’s wild to think how close WWE came to cutting ties with Batista before he ever became The Animal. Without that conversation, without that trust, and without D-Von stepping in the way he did, the entire trajectory of Batista’s career could have looked completely different. D-Von didn’t just help a young talent survive — he helped shape a future legend.

What do you think — would Batista still have become a megastar without that turning point, or did this moment change everything? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know how you see it.

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