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Batista tells TMZ he has a deal with Strikeforce; Former WWE star Batista is hot on MMA and not-so-hot on professional wrestling

By Zach Arnold | June 21, 2010

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Update (6/21): He’s telling TMZ he reached a deal with Strikeforce and is lining up a first fight.

June 17th

From this morning’s Observer radio show on the Strikeforce show last night in Los Angeles. I’m writing this passage first because it’s the one that will garner most of the headline attention. (There’s another passage to come that’s far more important and interesting to me.)

DAVE MELTZER: “At the show tonight, I talked to Dave Batista and I… you know… he said that, you know, the reason he left (WWE) was because he was sick and tired of the direction of WWE. He said it was not the wrestling that he grew up liking. He was not enjoying wrestling and he just felt he needed to get out. He didn’t, um… he said that the wrestling of Steve Austin and The Rock and all that stuff that he really liked doesn’t exist there any more and he just felt that he needed to leave. I was surprised. I thought that you know he was going to say that ‘I wanted to be an actor’ and it wasn’t that. He said he wanted to go out. I asked him if he was interested in coming back like (Chris) Jericho did and his reaction was, ‘just don’t compare me to Jericho.’ And he didn’t give like he didn’t rule out coming back, but he sure didn’t act like he wanted to and I asked him like what he’s doing and he said ‘I’m unemployed and I’m working for work, that’s why I’m here in Los Angeles.’ So, he’s an unemployed wrestler looking for, him and Scott Hall. Looking for work, obviously looking for acting work and looking for, I mean, he talked to Scott Coker, you know, you can make of that what you will. You know I mean he was talking to Scott Coker and Scott came up to me and just goes, he goes, ‘you know we haven’t signed a deal yet, so don’t start saying that we have.’ So, um, I mean, I can’t imagine him doing MMA. The idea of it is… is ridiculous. Nevertheless, he was talking to people you know like he was intrigued and interested in doing it. I mean it was funny, he’s like, he said that he’s been a fan of MMA for 25 years, which is… amazing. You know, think about it. Since it didn’t exist in this country 25 years ago… …you know people were asking him MMA questions. He clearly is a big fan, you know a lot more than some people in wrestling who you know their fans, he’s at a different level, I mean when he was talking about his favorite fighters I mean he mentioned you know Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, and Nick Diaz, which is not exactly you know that means he’s more of a fan than many. And you know people were asking him about you know, it was funny, they’re going you know like you know comparing and coming from and it’s so you know he was just like you know what I did in pro-wrestling has nothing to do with MMA. It was entertainment, this was sport, and he’s just putting over the MMA guys and you know not… I don’t know, I mean he was… he was more negative on pro-wrestling than I expected him to be, put it that way. A lot more, almost stunningly you know as far as I just wanted to get out there type of thing. Man, you know, I mean, my advice to him is he’s… he’s 41 years old or older and he was making you know $2 million a year or more in WWE and I would not give up these later prime years if that’s what they are you know because he ain’t going to be an MMA fighter and… you know, if he’s going to be an actor, he’s not going to be, you know what I mean? 15 years from now he may want those $4 million dollars from the next two years if he gives up these two years and then tries to go back in his mid-40s, but anyway that’s his thing. He’s also a lot smaller than he was as a pro-wrestler and he is training at the Affliction gym and you know he’s lost a lot of weight. I don’t know… I mean, you know obviously he’s a still good-sized guy but nothing, nothing close to the size that he used to be.”

BRYAN ALVAREZ: “Meaning 220 pounds?”

DAVE MELTZER: “I would think he’s bigger than 220, but I don’t think he’s 260. You know, he’s, you know, if I’m going to guess a weight, 255? I mean he was… you know, I would say every bit of 280, 285 when he was in wrestling and obviously he’d been you know way over you know way over 300 you know years back when he was a lot bigger.”

Topics: Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, WWE, Zach Arnold | 34 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

34 Responses to “Batista tells TMZ he has a deal with Strikeforce; Former WWE star Batista is hot on MMA and not-so-hot on professional wrestling”

  1. edub says:

    “I mean when he was talking about his favorite fighters I mean he mentioned you know Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, and Nick Diaz, which is not exactly you know that means he’s more of a fan than many. And you know people were asking him about you know, it was funny, they’re going you know like you know comparing and coming from and it’s so you know he was just like you know what I did in pro-wrestling has nothing to do with MMA.”

    That is 8 “you knows” in 2 or 3 sentences. Makes it really hard to read through.

    Thanks for posting Zach.

    • smoogy says:

      Seriously, I don’t think Dave Meltzer is going to be angry if you clean up his horrid sentence structure a bit.

    • SixT-4 says:

      Meltzer is really awful with the “you knows”. When you listen to the radio you just start looking out for them and it becomes “PLEASE STOP SAYING ‘YOU KNOW’!!!”

    • jj says:

      I finally realized that I should just copy and paste this in Microsoft Word and replace every “you know” with whatever I wanted. I used “……” this time.

    • H3R0 says:

      That’s funny, I was thinking the same thing. All his “you know” is annoying. I couldn’t even read the transcript, he is the worst writer I have ever read. Does he have any type of education? I know a 10 year old who writes better than this.

  2. frankp316 says:

    No matter what Batista says, he wants to be an actor. But he’ll probably have to move to the Philippines to be a movie star. The reason he left the WWE is he was cast to star in a WWE Films production and then his contract renewal talks broke down and he was pulled from the film and replaced by HHH. He’d still be in the film if he had re-signed. He’s way too old for MMA but that hasn’t stopped Coker in the past.

  3. Mr. Roadblock says:

    Isn’t Batista nearly 40 years old?

  4. Fluyid says:

    How are Batista’s ears so big? I was flipping by one night and he was squaring off agaisnt John Cena. They were face to face, so you could see their ears pretty good. Batista’s ear was at least 3 times the size of Cena’s if not more.

  5. […] Former WWE star Batista considers future in MMA Sonnen: “Black belt from Nogueira like toy in a happy meal” MMA legislation one step closer in New York […]

  6. Mark says:

    For those that don’t follow pro wrestling, the guy gets injured getting out of bed every morning. If he made it without getting seriously hurt in training it would be a miracle. If he actually had a fight he’d have a freak injury for the ages I’m sure.

    He’s a great heel with a great look (although painfully obviously chemically enhanced) so some org looking for “the new Brock Lesnar” who don’t care that he has no ability would jump at the chance to sign him. But the fact is he was a bodybuilder before getting into pro wrestling very late in life (I think he was 30 or close to it and most guys are into the business between the ages of 18-25.) So I can’t see him doing anything without even any high school amateur wrestling, much less NCAA level like tons of fighters have. He’d get killed unless they put him in with the can of the century.

    IMO, he’s doing this for re-signing leverage. WWE surely won’t want to hand another Lesnar to MMA. Although obviously he’s not even close to Lashley’s level. Hell, he may be worse than Nathan “Man Milk” Jones.

  7. the Gaijin says:

    Welp!…looks like they’ve finally found an opponent Bobby Lashley will be willing to fight.

  8. robthom says:

    Well, I suppose I’d have to agree with Batista on that one.

    🙂

  9. Derreck says:

    StrikeForce is a joke, just so bush league and amateurish.

    • Steve says:

      I suspect Batista is full of shit.

      If Coker wasn’t willing to sign Kimbo, he’s not going to suddenly sign Dave Batista. Kimbo is WAY more developed as a fighter and is also more proven as a ratings draw. There is no way in hell this report is true.

    • The Gaijin says:

      Remember when another fame/press-whore went around telling everyone he was signing a contract with Strikeforce?

      I think I’ll file this right next to Jose Canseco’s claims for the time being.

  10. Fluyid says:

    If this guy gets a Strikeforce fight and neither Dan Quinn nor Jose Canseco do, then I’m pissed off.

  11. 45 Huddle says:

    MMA Junkie is reporting that Batista has not signed with SF.

    If I never see Batista, Toney, Kimbo, Canseco, or Walker in a bigger MMA show again, I would be one happy MMA fan.

    This freak show thing is gettng old….

  12. […] time he’s put in the gym. Dave Meltzer, who has been covering pro wrestling longer than MMA, doesn’t think it’s good idea for obvious reasons. So, he’s an unemployed wrestler… he talked to Scott Coker, you can make of that what you […]

  13. edub says:

    They should bring Ric Flair into MMA.

    Woooooooo!!!

  14. David M says:

    I really hope this isn’t true. MMA isn’t supposed to be for washed up pro wrestlers with a bit of mma training. I can’t support this shit.

  15. Mr. Roadblock says:

    Doing interviews stoned and drunk. He’s MMA championship material.

  16. liger05 says:

    I doubt it. There isnt a problem with pro-wrestlers going into MMA. However there is a problem with a 41 year old who doesnt have the time or body to actually train to be able to compete in MMA.

  17. robthom says:

    Well, it works.
    It works with the Brock, it works with Kimbo, it works with Hershel Walker, it works.

    If SF cant outspend UFC (and they cant), then they’ve got to fudge and rig the game for an advantage where they can.

    Spectacle is the most effective and proven option.

    I dont really care for it, but the little man on the front of the dollar bill says that a lot of people do.

    • 45 Huddle says:

      The only thing that freak shows have proven is to get fans interested for a short time. Those same fans never stick around.

      It’s been the same in Japan and North America. The freakshow does nothing for long term business.

  18. Maxomillion Solaris says:

    Who cares? Let him fight if that is what he wants to do. Mark Coleman is available, isn’t he?

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