12 Wrestlers Who Benefited From Their WWE Release

2. Batista

Drax Batista 2
Disney

Despite his ill-fated 2014 return, Dave Bautista is a perfect example of a guy who no longer needs professional wrestling to live well.

Wrestling took him from troubled upbringings in Washington, D.C. and made him a millionaire. Though never the most dynamic wrestler in the world, Batista found great success in the squared circle, and left WWE as a four-time World Heavyweight Champion in 2010.

Since retiring, Batista has gone on to play prominent roles in Hollywood blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy and the 2015 James Bond film Spectre. He’s currently lined-up to star alongside former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre in a remake of 1989’s Kickboxer, and has joined the cast of Dennis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner sequel, which is due to start filming later this month.

He’ll never crack Hollywood like The Rock, but Batista has found a niche for himself in the movie industry: it’d take a lot of money for Vince McMahon to coax him out of retirement at this point.

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.