5 WWE Superstars who became bigger than the business

#4. Batista

Dubbed as "Deacon Batista" upon his debut, The Animal came in as a sidekick to D-Von Dudley. He soon became a member of the notorious faction, Evolution, that consisted of the likes of Triple H, Ric Flair, and another rookie, Randy Orton.

Also read: 5 exciting rivalries WrestleMania 35 could give us

By 2005, Batista had become a World Champion and the biggest Superstar on Monday nights. His intimidating look and incredible physique landed him a role in the James Bond movie, Spectre. He didn't look back and is now an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of the biggest franchises in the world today.

Although Batista has become a legit Hollywood actor, his passion for professional wrestling makes him come back time after time. Days before his movie "Avengers: Endgame" will release, Batista, is all set to battle Triple H at WrestleMania 35 on April 7th. Batista's mainstream recognition is bound to boost buy rates for the annual extravaganza.

Also read: 5 matches that could possibly steal the spotlight at Mania

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Lennard Surrao