Batista ranked ahead of John Cena! New list includes WWE legends

Batista has been ranked ahead of John Cena in a new list that includes many WWE legends. Cena is one of WWE's biggest superstars, but his stardom has transcended the squared circle. He has climbed up the ranks in Hollywood and forged a successful acting career.

However, a new list ranking the top wrestler-turned-actors has placed the Peacemaker star just below The Animal, Batista. Not only this, but the Guardians of the Galaxy actor is also ahead of other big names.

The Hollywood Reporter recently ranked 10 wrestlers turned actors, placing Batista at the very top. He was followed by The Rock at number two, while Cena was placed third.

"It felt like Bautista (Batista in WWE) would be just fine as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy — he had the build, and the makeup department could take care of the rest — but as it turns out, he’s actually a fine and fairly versatile actor. Bautista is as busy in Hollywood these days as Batista was in WWE in 2006, which is to say, he’s heavily booked," the report read. [H/T The Hollywood Reporter]

Batista and John Cena had a memorable feud in 2010 and even competed against each other in a match at WrestleMania 26, which The Franchise Player won.

Batista has only strengthened his acting chops after starring as Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His roles in movies such as Knock at the Cabin, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and Dune (1&2) have helped him show his versatility as an actor.

While the THR labels The Rock as the most successful actor on the list and John Cena is said to be acting "fearlessly," for now, Batista is still placed at the top. Other names on the list include Roddy Piper (4th), Adam Copeland aka Edge (5th), Kevin Nash (6th), Hulk Hogan (7th), Paul Wight fka Big Show (8th), Jesse Ventura (9th), and Andre the Giant (10th).

John Cena set to return as Peacemaker

Following the DCEU's soft reboot to DCU, there were speculations about the future of John Cena's Peacemaker character, first introduced in The Suicide Squad.

Even after starring in the titular series, questions remained about Cena's return to the franchise. But it was eventually made clear that he would be back for the second season of Peacemaker and even had a cameo appearance in the new Superman movie, which was released last month.

Season two of Peacemaker is set to debut on HBO Max on August 21.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Arsh Das