Former WWE Champion Dave Bautista Comments on In-Ring Return

While there are plenty of talented wrestlers currently on WWE’s main roster, fans still want to see their favorites come back after a long hiatus.

Ric Flair’s “Final Match” drew a ton of attention even though the Nature Boy is 75 years old. And Dory Funk Jr. recently wrestled a Double Hell Current Explosion Death at 83, breaking the record for the oldest individual wrestler in a match.

Still, others recognize that their time has come and gone and are willing to call it quits. Such is the case for Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) star Dave Bautista.

Wrestling under the ring name Batista, Bautista was an important figure in the Ruthless Aggression and PG Eras of WWE.

Bautista has won numerous titles during his time with the company, including the WWE Championship twice, the World Heavyweight Championship four times, and the Royal Rumble twice in 2005 and 2014.

Since his last match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35, fans have been clamoring for Bautista’s return. However, it looks like we’ll never see it.

In an interview with Chris Van Vliet to promote his new film, The Killer’s Game (2024), alongside co-star Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista opened up about his potential return to in-ring action at WWE.

“The way I wanted to go out was like a dream for me; it was perfect and romantic,” Bautista said. “Wrestlers don’t usually get to choose their exit, but I did. I went out on my own terms, with the opponent I wanted, and I will never tarnish that.”

Still, Bautista admitted that there was still an allure to potentially returning.

“It’s not that I don’t miss it—I do. I miss the crowd, the energy, and I dream about walking out and hearing my entrance music. But I know that if I were to do that, I would just tarnish my storybook ending, and I’m just not willing to do that.”

“There’s always temptation because I miss it, and every time I hear my music, I want that feeling again. It’s like a drug, pure adrenaline that I will never get anywhere else. I just have to come to terms with the fact that my time has passed.”

While it’s said to hear that The Animal will likely never make his return to the squared circle, that doesn’t mean that he’s gone from WWE entirely.

There is still a chance that he can come back as some kind of character or authority figure and his guaranteed return for a likely WWE Hall of Fame induction.

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