The Incredible Rise of Batista | Wrestling Bios

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The Evolution faction within WWE produced 2 new superstars within the world of wrestling, Randy Orton and Dave Batista. While Orton would leave the group first and claim the World Heavyweight Title in the summer of 2004, the rise of Batista took a lot more time and a lot more care. Known as "The Animal" due to his incredible size and strength, Batista became suspicious of his Evolution team mates Triple H and Ric Flair after a series of mishaps, some of which were very subtle while others were obvious.
After winning the 2005 Royal Rumble, Batista had a decision to make. He could go to Smackdown to face JBL for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21, or he could stay on Monday Night Raw and take on his Evolution mentor Triple H. While Hunter would say he wanted to face Batista and have the greatest WrestleMania match of all time, he was actually working hard (behind Batista's back) to ensure The Animal went to Smackdown. This video takes a look at the whole Batista vs Triple H buildup, the end of the Evolution stable, and the incredible rise of Batista in World Wrestling Entertainment.
00:00 - Batista vs Triple H is teased in 2004
05:55 - New Year's Revolution 2005
10:54 - Batista wins the 2005 Royal Rumble
14:53 - Batista chooses between Raw and Smackdown
23:12 - WrestleMania 21
#WWE #Batista #Wrestling

[@encyclopediaespx1128]

Batista really got the “Create-a-Wrestler” storyline treatment where it seems like the entire WWE universe revolves around him. Loved this feud and it’s what sold you on The Animal.

[@lexkanyima2195]

Thanks to Triple H

[@danielcharnock8975]

@Energetic Coach just like sheamus then

[@charlieanton6785]

Omg that’s so true 😂

[@ChiseledAdonis]

Batista's rise was so organic & perfect. The story wrote itself

[@PBK1977]

@Jabroni Destroyer *BATISTA'S*

[@CallumDickson666]

is this a crossover episode?

[@brandonlawson2460]

Chiseled Adonis is here I see…somebody cal the EMTs!!!

[@Venemofthe888]

That Batista Bomb through the table was absolutely nuts. Its like the table exploded because of the impact and its one of the best table breaks ever

[@Chuck_EL]

His Batista bomb on hbk at survivor series 03 was brutal

[@theenlightenedone1283]

Batista had the best power bomb 💪🏼 and spine buster

[@thecoolestjedi]

Incredible run as a wrestler. One of the reasons he became one of my all time favorites. The look alone and ability to make a crowd hang on his every move

[@danlc95]

YES! He was a badass for sure.

[@Thebigbad1013]

One of the biggest things missing in wrestling today is long-term booking and storytelling. This is a damn near perfect example of long-term storytelling. If this was done today, the whole thing would probably play out over a couple of weeks.

[@bbrodriguez420]

This fued is what sold me on Dave. Trips was the final boss of that era, if you survived a fued with him you were in a good spot.

[@johnepants]

You missed the one key point. On the raw before Survivor series, HHH is complaining how each of their opponents will take over raw and challenge for his belt and was super worried and pissed. When he left, Batista was sitting on the couch and took a glance at the belt and got a small pop. That was the initial moment that I knew he was gonna turn at some point.

[@zemox2534]

That was a great tease.

[@ratmachine87]

Damn right

[@lexkanyima2195]

But he got over

[@BrentWoodSean38]

“I Walk For Miles Inside This Pit of Danger”

[@camwatson1030]

A place where no one follows me i walk aloooonnneeee 🎵

[@ThePat-yu6st]

This television has a poison on its breath. Alright whos next?

[@cosmictaint6072]

@@ThePat-yu6st I guess I’ll have to chew them up and and spit out

[@ThePat-yu6st]

It makes my eyes bleed every time I turn around.

[@thegame7134]

I’ve swallowed down a thousand years of anger.

[@ZeroSA]

Wrestling Bios takes no days off it seems theres always a new upload. Love your content, you keep a high standard.

[@WrestlingBios]

I appreciate that!

[@robertgermainii7813]

Agreed

[@Kevin2099Plays]

One of my favorite channels.

[@zemox2534]

I love the build up towards Dave leaving Evolution and becoming a solo star. His hell in a cell match against HHH was the best match of their trilogy.

[@s4xtt]

No arguments here, I actually save up to both buy the PPV and his jakks pacific figure as I was such a mark for him

[@jackjackson6355]

And the WWE title was also defended, what a PPV!

[@Chuck_EL]

@@s4xtt I agree his build was probably top 5 builds for a upcoming star in pro wrestling history All the current WWE and AEW has to is study and pay attention to these builds Batista's build of 2003-05, Bret Hart's build of 1990-1993 , and Undertaker's build of 1990-1992 There's more great builds these are just ones I that I felt Vince McMahon was "reading the room" to what the fans wanted without forcing it and slowly letting it simmer for a great pay off Notice all of them had a 2 or 3 year program, that's usually how you build a new star

[@louisvelez40]

I give HHH credit for what he did for Batista. By the way their rivalry in 2005 is very underrated including their Hell in a Cell Match. I thought Batista was having fun that 2005 run. Love his "I Walk Alone" theme but I can see other people liking his previous theme better. His face turn on the Feb 21st edition of Raw was one of the best moments in history.

[@slowburnraloh1807]

His first theme was more intimidating

[@s4xtt]

that 2005 run was near perfect storytelling, a student surpassing his master, Batista got it all, the look, the intensity and the power.I don't think it was underrated but until 2007 WWE was still making good stuffs so it kinda lost in the shuffle

[@Chuck_EL]

@@slowburnraloh1807 yes it fit him as a heel and a face

[@rex6830]

@@s4xtt 2007 had the great undertaker Batista feud then 2008 had hbk Chris Jericho and undertaker edge

[@khathide22nd]

I agree with the praise you've given to the storyline but I don't know if it's 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳rated🤔. People still talk about it to this day just like the Batista/Undertaker rivalry, unlike say the Orton/Taker rivalry. That being said, it's not like the rivalry has been put in any games as a Showcase. So maybe it is underrated.🤷🏾‍♂️

[@WarhawkBeyond2040]

I thought the story with the whole buildup and the slow teasing of Evolution breaking up which led to Batista turning on Triple H and becoming a face was done very well. It was classic old school storytelling at its finest and Triple H did a fantastic job in helping to create Batista as the next big star for the company.

[@Kas58223]

Yea you never get a build up that good anymore

[@il_goose2371]

After burying everyone Triple H was like meh I’ll let you live peasant.

[@Kas58223]

@@il_goose2371 well Batista was his gym buddy course he was going put him over

[@ShadowCloutJutsu]

Still wish he woulda went and won the WWE belt so evolution could control both brands

[@ironman2326]

I'm sure Flair had some part in the build up.

[@Aragon23-p2k]

In 2005 after he won the Royal Rumble was a good moment to turn him face, one of the best face turns in the Ruthless Agression Era

[@kenflagler493]

And Vince tearing his quad at the royal rumble that year lol .I'm sorry I just wanted to say that everytime I think about that rumble I think about Vince tearing his quad on the show

[@lexkanyima2195]

It's a launching of being the face of the company

[@TheAutistWhisperer]

I preferred Batista over John Cena.

[@johnepants]

I think WWE made a mistake is moving Batista to Smackdown and Cena to Raw. I feel like Cena needed a year of credibility on Smackdown to get over more with the fans before making the switch. I know Eddie’s death was unforeseen and unavoidable, but imagine if him and Cena feuded over the title around Summerslam and No Mercy before he died. Two guys who’s gimmicks were they would cheat and one up each other. Then Cena could have faced Mark Henry and The Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 22 as an established and well respected face. It would have been better than having him have a no heat feud with Bischoff that castrated his connection with the fans

[@rabronin]

@@johnepants I think it was only good for Batista because it allowed him to come into his own without HHH's or Flair's help. But yeah I agree, Cena's draft to Raw wasn't that great for him in the long run.

[@NitroNEXT]

@@johnepants I didn't like Batista moving to Smackdown but it did make more sense. They had already teased a JBL fued and he already beat everyone on RAW so there was nothing else for him to do aside from a rivalry with Orton or Michaels, but they already fed Orton to him and beat him clean the night after WM21 so that was spoiled. Maybe they could have brought JBL to RAW in the draft along with a few other Smackdown opponents but I don't think that dynamic would have been as entertaining plus, it was only a matter of time before Triple H came back and I don't think anyone wanted that rivalry to continue. Cena coming to RAW was interesting but giving him Jericho and Christian as first opponents killed his momentum, aside from their early promo there was little chemistry there.

[@spren9410]

Wwe wanted to mainstream Cena hard not because Cena was better than him but because Bastista was a little bit too old for the long run....

[@TheAutistWhisperer]

@@spren9410 Yeah I can understand that, giving Batista's age and prone to injuries he wouldn't have been a long investment.

[@constablekennedy7705]

Batista was Awesome for WWE during the Ruthless Aggression Era and one can only imagine how much better he would have been had he entered the Business at a younger age ...

[@lexkanyima2195]

Maybe in The Attitude Era could have fit

[@wwef6lr]

@@lexkanyima2195 idk, I think they would've seen him as another big guy and not use him for serious storylines (like another Perry Saturn). I think the Ruthless Agression era was the perfect time for him to flourish.

[@lexkanyima2195]

@@wwef6lr only a plan B spot for Brock

[@Chuck_EL]

@@wwef6lr to me Batista was the face of the ruthless aggression era because his reign not only got the biggest pops but the ratings were higher especially his face run He could of fit in the attitude era, and the new generation era as a heel

[@Bale4Bond]

Batista's thumbs down in the buildup to WrestleMania 21 has to be etched into the mind of every, back then young, wrestling-fan. What an awesome moment!

[@Felipe2000-r6k]

Crazy to think how different it would've been if Brock Lesnar remained in WWE, or if Edge and Randy Orton didn't flop as babyfaces.

[@blackmantis3130]

Everything happens for a reason

[@metamofia]

One of the best slow-burn storyline in the business. We all know it's coming but we didn't know when and how. Props to HHH too for making this happen. If it was against anyone else going against Batista, it wouldn't be this satisfyingly good. Everyone played their part so well in this.

[@guillermosierracuellar9812]

And to think that Mark Jindrak was this close to have Batista role in evolution

[@petertr2000]

until he got told to shove it

[@Bale4Bond]

@@petertr2000 ..or Triple H would have smacked him one!

[@TheKna978]

Who?

[@afd19850]

Dude couldn’t wrestle and was boring Orton and Big Dave were best choices

[@syahminorizan8064]

Mark Jindrak got told to shut up or Trips will smack him one like Markyd123

[@timbartschwolfman]

From being apart of Evolution to his run as The Animal to becoming a Member of the Guardians of the Galaxy Batista has done it all

[@il_goose2371]

I loved him in blade runner 2049

[@DJDoubleCee]

At 12:31, It still amazes me how Vince McMahon was able to keep a straight face after tearing both of his quad muscles. I heard that can be an extremely painful injury.

[@ArizonaHeat602]

I tore just my left quad about 10 years ago when squatting too much. The pain was immense. I can not even begin to imagine tearing both AT THE SAME TIME. Luckily for Vince, his adrenaline was probably at full blast so that helped him keep going.

[@karlitosway7474]

@@ArizonaHeat602 here’s the difference. Your a normal guy. Vince is a GENETIC JACKHAMMER

[@guyverjay1289]

It's because Vince has the GRAPEFRUITS!!

[@Mo-fu9sm]

Man, that Old school World Heavyweight title looks so cool. I hope WWE brings it back.

[@wendelllabandilo2155]

I agree man, The World Heavyweight Championship is one of the prestigious championship belts ever.

[@RayNormanBateman]

Those power bombs look deadly... I missed the Batista and Evolution era so thank you for these videos. You are the reason I started watching wrestling again after nearly 20 years of not doing so.

[@boogernights1]

This was my favorite storyline of all time. Everything was so artfully constructed, you'd think it had been written years in advance.

[@2KXMKR]

This, imo, was one of, if not the best written and acted story lines in WWE history and if I'm correct it was Triple H himself who wrote the entire thing.

[@Chuck_EL]

Yes , i think Stephanie mentioned she felt Batista should powerbomb Triple H on a table after the thumbs down, Triple H wanted Batista to just walk out afterwards.. but kudos to Triple H for understanding overall he had to put Batista over at WrestleMania

[@yousafihsan167]

Man batista was the real definition of what a real world heavyweight champion looked like

[@danlc95]

Absolutely. Especially with Ric Flair's "Big Gold" belt. He was a great heavyweight champion.

[@anthonyselby6436]

He had that aura about him .....

[@brickcitybikeman3108]

I was right in the middle of a heated argument with my mother-in-law, THANK GOD this notification came when it did 👊👊

[@spicy_xinger]

Love how HHH’s storyline obsession with being the title holder is just an extension of what he felt irl

[@SteRDLK]

Fun fact: the episode of Raw mentioned at 8:05 was the first ever episode of Raw aired live on Sky Sports in the UK.

[@tx_outlaw7951]

Dam how Batista has changed since the beginning!!!!!! Almost looks like a totally different person

[@CoolHandJames]

I don't know why people give HHH a hard time, he was great during this time, I legit hated him watching the program, which once I turned it off made me like him, because you know, that's his job and he was good at it.

[@christopherballero866]

This was a really, really well done story with both having done a great job especially after Orton got screwed. This was Batista's best feud, not best matches, with his second best feud having been against Taker which I feel Taker and Batista had better matches

[@williamcoslosky]

My dude @WrestlingBios is by far the best wrestling channel on KZbin and it’s not even close.

[@goat351]

Never understood the hate Triple H gets for this era of Raw, look at that roster who else could possibly be a respected champion. He made the world title mean something

[@jeffwilson7086]

The undertaker?

[@goat351]

@@jeffwilson7086 almost none of undertakers world title reigns meant anything. The Undertaker gimmick is so insanely popular he never needed the belt plus everybody knows Undertaker is a smackdown guy lol

[@jeffwilson7086]

Shawn Michaels

[@goat351]

@@jeffwilson7086 they did put the belt on him after survivor series and people cared for about 2 weeks lol it was a nice feel good story for Shawn but feel good stories tend to last a very short amount of time, like Rey Mysterios time with the belt.

[@joni1405]

@@goat351 Booker T should have beat him at Wrestlemania and had at least one title run during that period

[@voltron983]

While Batista was never one of my favourites, his rise to the top is certainly interesting to look back on.

[@justafanofnerdculture7602]

Quite possibly my favorite build up to a face turn. Batista organically connected with the crowd and the WWE actually capitalized on that. Also, another small story after the turn was done, was Triple H's inability to execute the pedigree on Batista. Another awesome video, Mr. Wrestling Bios! 👍

[@VERDICTInsanity]

When u saw Batista for the first time u thought to yourself “this guy has IT!”

[@mobilegamingtamil8195]

But WCW guys told him "you would never make it..just go and don't come back "

[@1878Originals]

@@mobilegamingtamil8195and that’s why they aren’t in business anymore

[@ultimobw]

can we just one more time appreciate Ric Flair working with and still putting over younger talent at his old age. You can see his love for wrestling on his face the whole time

[@dz7172]

Melina saw the rise of Batista first hand.

[@brianmcdonald7017]

How big is batistas....well you know

[@2126beatz]

😂😂😂😂

[@devilmaycry09dante]

Never click faster

[@izxy1081]

Same 🤣

[@Willpudjiit]

As soon as I see the notification I click play

[@ImInevitable1987]

Facts plus Tax. So did I

[@DTownNash]

Same. This was my childhood.

[@mikem10481]

Just finished watching Army of the Dead and then this pops up. Great timing Wrestling Bios.

[@michaelwhite5641]

I'd forgotten how good this was. Excellent video as always.

[@RadicalVelocity]

I’m diggin these ruthless aggression era related videos! 👍

[@EBerg225]

When Batista power bombed HHH, I was like OMG what force

[@kitfo18]

See this was back when they didn't have so many hollywood writers and actually wrestling people booking more of it then today. They understood the slow build that wrestling needs and gave it to the people.

[@Richterdgf]

This was a well done, slow build with a lot of good storytelling and character work. This is how you make a new star.

[@deandredukes95]

Dude definitely has one of the best theme songs!

[@devilmaycry09dante]

SALIVA IS THE S!

[@DTownNash]

Agreed. Perfect gym music too.

[@jaysco5257]

Credit to Jim Cornette for Batista, Cena, Orton, Lesnar, and Shelton Benjamin.

[@KegOfMeat]

The contract signing with Batista choosing between Raw and SmackDown is probably the best contract signing in WWE history

[@exquisitelemonade3039]

I didn't love him as a main face, but respected him. Adored him as a heel. Very impressed with his picks as an actor too.

[@theexplainer2235]

Batista 2005 was the best Batista and he was a face

[@jordancourtney9142]

Can we all agree that eric bischoffs hair looked absolutely atrocious during this time

[@suelaaaa3599]

2004 - 2005 was when i started watching WWE so i always love to see videos like this covering that time period. great video!

[@mr_pelon_e1505]

Thank you for taking the time to make a video on this rivalry for me.. Great times and outstanding build up for this match at wrestlemania 21

[@mrassassinscreedfan1]

I was fortunate enought to watch all of this as a kid. Just as awsome seeing this again today thank you WB

[@davidmendoza5083]

My favorite wrestler back in my childhood! Looking forward to listening to your narration!!

[@isurvivedtheshakerheightss7922]

Can we get the rise of Big Poppa Pump 1998 to 2001? Lol

[@aceassn716]

+141 2/3

[@puparn93]

This video was nostalgic for me. I was at Raw to see Batista win the second tag match with him and HHH vs Jericho and Chris Benoit. It was a cool way to spend my 14th birthday!

[@flamethrowerflufsalisbury]

I love when HHH is talking about his plan & they pan over Batista smiling

[@nicholashurst780]

Ah HHH, lost 40% of his career WWE matches but 99% of those losses were against people he liked personally

[@TripleSWeb]

I loved everything about the Evolution storylines. Made for great TV!

[@vaadaenmacchi]

Never thought I’d see him in Bond movies

[@MrKAKARONALDOMESSI]

Spectre

[@MrKAKARONALDOMESSI]

Mr. Hinx

[@sirjackio_zw]

This is the best Rise of Batista I've seen so far

[@constablekennedy7705]

Last Time I was this Early, Batista was the Lackey for Brother Devon ... 👀

[@TUCell-ps5mi]

His rise to the top was so organic, the fans, the wrestlers, *_everything_* fell into place for Batista. Akin to Daniel Bryan’s meteoric rise to Wrestlemania 30, Batista had the same kind of organic rise was beautiful.

[@freakinmorons3282]

Ah this storyline was soo good culminating at wrestlemania, this was so well done..

[@feliperodriguezhernandez2674]

Batista will be one of my favourites forever, I grew up with the Ruthless Aggression era as my parents didn't let me watch wrestling before; Batista was one of the icons and the wrestler I liked the most. Great times and a great introduction for me to this amazing art form. Thanks for your work once again!

[@idk7602]

Wrestling bios you should do one video a month comparing WWF and WCW PPVs during the rest of your Monday Night Wars videos

[@grammysworld5449]

Batista definitely had better grooming.. He got to wrestle with a still viable Flair and even win the tag titles with him... Orton and Batista have a bit of Ric in them

[@CrimpJuice02]

Yeah that buildup was so much fun. Thank you for letting me relive it.

[@Trev_Swen]

This ia a prime example of how you slowly build up a superstar. Sometimes they rush potential too quickly and the fans feel like "Who's this guy?"

[@lexkanyima2195]

But it was well put together to fit at the right time

[@wensel888]

When a slow burn/angle is done to perfection!

[@CRead227]

This was very important period in wrestling for me, as I saw my favorite wrestler rise to the top. Batista deserves more credit than he´s given, also big shoutout to Wrestling Bios for such amazing video and story telling.

[@ironlift2275]

Seeing all this old footage of him, and looking at his face now, is like looking at two different humans. Classical case of plastic surgery gone wrong.

[@NitroNEXT]

I think you mean age. He was already pretty old during his Evolution days, much older than Orton at least.

[@ZAY109]

This was such a great storyline that was in the making for months. Both Batista and Triple H played their respective parts really well. I wish I could go back in time.

[@nickgangone9541]

This was pretty brilliant story telling

[@josejeovaze4802]

Amazing how WWE actually had consistent and subtle storytelling, right? Imagine Batista's story done today, it would be so goofy and on the nose. Wwe sucks so much now. Not the wrestlers, they are amazing, but the product.

[@MgaTalunanKayo]

Looking back at Smackdown 2003, and Raw 2005-07.. Many of the major moments and matches are simply forgotten or not mentioned. And it sucks when you know why.

[@nlee4566]

The thumbs up and Thumbs down is iconic moment now for Batista. I remember when it happened, we all popped big for that.

[@lukethomas6900]

This was WWE long term story telling at it's best. Back when they still cared about putting out quality television despite being the only main game in town at that point.

[@indrachaudhari7874]

What happened to Batista's head? It looks so round now compared to before.

[@slowburnraloh1807]

😂😆 it was round when he debut in 2002 with short hair, but when he has hair you can't tell

[@jaylee8240]

This was awesome. Do you think you would ever do one on the whole Piper vs Hogan feud?

[@Masterkief88]

Best build up to a match that didn't need for them to have matches every week and making us tired of it. Batista was my childhood. Like stone cold in the attitude era to me. When he came out it was always electrifying always made me pumped. He was so good at making you feel every segment he was in which is why he is a great actor

[@Th3_muppetman420]

WM21 Just After That Years Rumble Was When I Started Watching Raw And Smackdown 1st Episode Of Raw I Remember Seeing It Was Batista And Some Other Wrestler Having Trouble In A Battle Royal 1st Episode Of Smackdown,The Main Event Was Eddie Guerrero V Kurt Angle In A Lumberjack Match,Big Show Interfered,Chokeslamed Literally Everyone And Walked Off

[@25kidd]

My man big Dave. Thanks for doing this video.

[@Phoenix7786]

Hot damn when people say this era of wrestling lacked good story-telling this will be my go-to.

[@SuperMakaveli12]

This story was told brilliantly

[@thetwistedstreaks]

Think your channel is my new addiction

[@MADGUNSMONSTER]

@ 19:43 I always remember that being one of my favourite Powerbombs EVER. Batista gave that sh*t STIFF.

[@djpooh2177]

my favorite all times wrestlings Batista badass characters and amazing feuds triple h undertaker king booker

[@bigpoppajersh]

Gotta love Wrestling Bios. Goes into many details that several wrestling fans miss.

[@TheKidMemo]

So glad I was able to watch this play out. I miss this level of story telling.

[@Pitchtalk]

Flair's moment at the 2005 Rumble with Eddie Guerrero was tremendous

[@evanhanley6437]

2005 to 2007 Batista was the absolute best. Him as a heel was super fun to watch.

[@ryankeefe6222]

Its amazing that Batista’s rise was almost by accident slowly Batista was getting over while the Randy Orton babyface turn fell on its ass leading to the rise of Batista

[@salinaember9527]

grew up in the attitude era, but man the Ruthless Aggression era is hands down the best WWE era to be a fan. Amazing quality on both shows. I didn't know how to feel about the merge with WCW/ECW at first, but after seeing how it was all developing, i learned we were in for a treat. i'll always remember seeing Batista debut on smackdown alongside D-von. Since i was into the dudley boyz, i payed extra attention to the reverend gimmick and was eager to find out what would happen. never would've thought Batista would go such a long way.

[@thisisnotachannel]

I never watched the RA Era (or anything since) because I stopped watching in 2004. Batista is so far off my radar, he isn't even a blip. That said, I will still happily watch your wrestling content, Mr. Bios... whether I'm a fan of a particular wrestler or not!

[@harshckuk]

He ended reign of terror

[@dmaster5556]

That combination of HBK and Triple H's pics one after another at 7:57 had me laughing

[@ericbelljr9348]

You a 🐐 bios

[@RamblinErikk]

Never been a Batista fan but I gotta admit the build-up to his WM21 showdowns with Hunter couldn't have been better timed & executed.