A general rule of wrestling appears to be that most adult male fans dislike pretty boys, or guys who rub that in their face any chance they get. For years, Batista portrayed a babyface in WWE, the top good guy on Smackdown, running directly opposite the very similar idea for John Cena on Monday Night Raw. Ironically, it was during a feud with Cena in late-2009/early-2010 that a new character began to surface for big Dave. If any fans have read his book, 'Batista Unleashed', it becomes clear that the man covets living a lavish lifestyle, and clearly loves the attention his look, money and status afford him. That rang true with the new persona, which was designed solely to amplify the real life guy, and did so fantastically. Indeed, many fans point to this as the best run of Batista's career, certainly when looking at it from a verbal standpoint. The cheap heat exhibited here was aloofness, playing on the base instinct of hating those who look down on others. It's pretty clear from watching any Batista clip from this time period that the man himself was getting a kick from the negative reaction, although the same can't be said for his return in 2014, during which he garnered a similar response, even though he was supposed to be a good guy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJQjrkkWwV4
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
