Who Tried To Talk Batista Out Of Leaving WWE In 2010?
It's not who you'd think...
Back in 2010, Batista decided it was time to give Hollywood a stab and see if he could make a name for himself without the backing of the WWE machine. One wrestling legend sat him down backstage and said he thought big Dave should reconsider leaving the company.
That legend was Arn Anderson.
The iconic Four Horsemen member and current AEW star said on his podcast that he was only looking out for Batista. Arn's logic was sound. He reasoned that Dave had worked tirelessly to become a main event stalwart, and thought he could make serious money as a heel for years to come.
Batista thanked Anderson for having his back, but said he had to go and try something new even though he respected the hell out of Arn. His mind was made up, and no amount of pitches from anyone in the office was going to change that.
Arn did also say he spoke to Batista as a friend, not a WWE employee, but it was all for naught. Dave wanted to see what else was out there for him beyond pro wrestling.