10 Toughest WWE Superstars Of The 21st Century
8. Batista
While it's well-documented that Batista was on the wrong side of a right beating when he crossed Booker T in 2006, Batista has gone on to prove himself as a tough guy in his own right in the years since.
As CM Punk proved, it's no small feat to leave the performance-based world of WWE for the skill-based competition of MMA. Much like Punk, 'The Animal' had long dreamt of stepping into the Octagon, having practised Kali from a young age, and his WWE departure in 2010 allowed that dream to became a reality.
Scheduled to debut against Rashid Evans in October 2012, Batista's bout was changed last minute due to Evans violating probation. Instead, Batista took on Vince Lucero, a journeyman fighter with over 40 fights on his record, including Roy Nelson and Tim Sylvia. Lucero was coming off two straight wins, making him decent opposition for the inexperienced WWE superstar.
Batista performed far better than Punk did in his MMA debut and walked away with a TKO win. While his performance didn't set the MMA world alight, at 43 years old, it was a decent achievement for the ageing superstar. Under the tutelage of Cesar Gracie, Batista also went on to achieve a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as shown on WWE's Animal Unleashed DVD.