Real Reason Batista Left WWE
Batista enjoyed a dominant and successful run in WWE.
At 31, he officially signed a developmental contract, debuting with Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2000 under the name Leviathan.
After debuting on SmackDown in May 2002, he enjoyed an unbeaten run before losing to Rikishi after his then-ally Reverend D-Von accidentally punched him.
He was eventually moved to Raw, where he allied with Ric Flair. The following year, he joined Triple H and Randy Orton to form Evolution, a heel faction.
Between 2003 and 2004, Batista won the World Tag Team Championship twice with Flair before his relationship with Triple H deteriorated, resulting in his exit from the group.
Batista won the 2005 Royal Rumble and chose Triple H as his choice of champion to face in the main event of WrestleMania 21. He defeated ‘The Game,’ thus kick-starting his first reign as the World Heavyweight Champion, which lasted for 282 days.
‘The Animal’ continued to perform majorly as a singles star, while occasionally teaming up with his peers in tag matches. He won five additional world titles before departing WWE in 2010.
Batista Reveals Why He Quit WWE
It’s no secret that Batista left WWE at the peak of his popularity.
At the time, reports claimed that his departure was due to the company choosing John Cena over him as the face of the company. Others noted that it was due to money issues and a legitimate falling out with the brand.
Speaking on the WOLF Gyms podcast recently, the 57-year-old set the record straight, revealing that he parted ways with WWE on good terms, and it had nothing to do with Cena or money. He said that he was displeased with the direction in which the company was headed, forcing him to arrive at the decision.
I left the company and I left on good terms. I left at the height of my career, but it was for the right reasons. But it was hard as f*** to walk away because I walked away and I went broke. It was nice having that check come in every week, man. But I walked away because the company was heading in a direction that just wasn’t right for me. And, you know, it worked out. I was lucky that it worked out. [H/T: Ringside News]
While Batista claims that his decision was correct, he endured adversities that left him broke. As a result, he was forced to sell his cars, which included a prized Lamborghini Aventador.
He found reprieve when he was signed on as Drax in the Hollywood movie Guardians of the Galaxy, directed by James Gunn.
He returned to WWE for a final run that lasted between 2018 and 2019, which culminated in a No Holds Barred match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35. After losing the match, he announced his retirement from wrestling the following day.