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Former WWE Superstar Batista (real-life Dave Bautista) recently opened his new tattoo studio in Tampa, Florida.
The Animal, who is known for his iconic tattoos, had his last match in WWE at WrestleMania 35 against Triple H. Both men had a storied rivalry that began during their time as part of the faction, Evolution, alongside Ric Flair and Randy Orton. The former world champion is also known for his notable feud against The Undertaker in 2007.
In an interaction with The Tampa Bay Times, Batista stated that it took over a year to transition the boxing gym into a tattoo studio. The studio is co-owned by The Animal and his personal tattoo artist, John Kural.
The article states that the name of the tattoo studio is inspired by his childhood home in Washington, DC, and his mantra of being a 'Dream Chaser.' Dave Bautista is also quoted in the article saying that the studio is meant to help people not get intimidated by tattoo parlors.
“I’m just the money guy,” he said. “This is completely personal for me. I don’t need this, my career is doing great, but this is like a clubhouse for me. I wanted to create an environment for people who want to get a tattoo but they don’t want to go into one of those tattoo parlors. It’s intimidating and scary and your average person is uncomfortable in that environment,” said Batista.
The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion was also quoted as saying that co-owning the studio with Kural was something he did for his community and the people he loves.
“This is a personal investment. It’s not going to be making me big money, I know that,” Batista said. “But I have an investment in this because this is my community and this is what I love. These are my people,” The Animal said.
Batista is currently focussing on his Hollywood career
Dave Bautista is currently shooting the latest installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie series. The former WWE Superstar turned actor is known for his portrayal of Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy. Last year he was the lead in Zack Snyder's zombie heist film, Army of the Dead.
In May this year, Batista is all set to star in the film The Cabin at the End of the World, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
The former Evolution member announced his in-ring retirement post his match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35. Since then, Batista has focussed on his acting career and other ventures.
Do you think The Animal will ever return to the ring in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.
