Batista Says WWE Swerved Him on Potential Ronda Rousey Match

We’re still awaiting a possible Batista comeback with the WWE, and if you listen to the way the former WWE champion himself tells it, it nearly happened earlier this year. That is, until WWE stopped returning his calls.

During an interview with Chad Dukes of 106.7 The FAN, Batista spoke of how he was very nearly Ronda Rousey‘s partner for her match with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania this year.

“This is all insider stuff, and I usually don’t share. I’m really an old-school kayfabe guy,” Batista said. “But they reached out to me earlier this year to possibly come back and do that thing with Ronda [Rousey]. And I said that I would be willing to do it only if we teased something for me and Hunter to go to Mania next year. And they said, ‘Yeah, that would be great. I love that idea.’ And I said, ‘Well, that’s great. I’ll come back a few times during the year, and we’ll tease it, and we’ll work it and we’ll milk it. And we’ll go to Mania, me and Hunter, next year.’ Oh, I love that idea. Let’s do it!”

Batista was rumored at the time to be Rousey’s partner until it was revealed to be Kurt Angle. The fact that Angle had already worked his return match with WWE, a bout on short notice last fall at TLC, his return didn’t have the same kind of hype as Batista’s may have had. Since his days as a WWE superstar, Batista has gone on to become a top tier action star in Hollywood, yet he has always voiced that he wants to return to wrestling for one last run.

That return nearly happened this year, and then WWE pulled the carpet out from under him.

“So, we literally talked for about like three weeks and then they just stopped calling me,” Batista continued. “I sent a text to Hunter. I was like, ‘Hey man, I don’t know if you put any more thought into what’s going on. I’m really excited about the possibilities.’ And I literally never heard back from them. They just stopped talking to me about it. Man, I don’t know what else I can do to try to … I want to end my career the right way. I’m faithful and loyal to the WWE. I’m proud of being from there and I want to do good business with them, but they just don’t make it easy. You know, they just don’t.”

It’s pretty mind-boggling to think WWE wouldn’t want the former star to return given his success in Hollywood. Guardians of the Galaxy has catapulted him to the forefront of action film success. As he said, Batista has stayed loyal to WWE despite them failing to come up with a plan for him to return and time is running out for his return to wrestling.

“I told them next year would be my last year. I’m turning 50 next year,” Batista responded. “I’d be willing to … I feel great. Physically, I’m in great shape. I’ve never let up on that. But I just don’t want to be the old guy in the ring and I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I just want to end my career the right way and next year will be the last opportunity, so if we can’t make something happen by next year, then I’m just gonna officially hang it up.”

Batista has even agreed to work a house show schedule in the past, as he noted during his last run that he enjoyed the untelevised live events even more than the television tapings due to the more loose nature of a house show and the ability to connect with the audience more personally.

“I’m doing okay for myself, so I don’t need to be there,” Batista said. “I just, I love it there. Even thought the fans totally crapped on me the last time I was there, I would still go back in a heartbeat and love to entertain them, and I would have fun doing it, man. I’d be happy to be there. But, I just don’t get it, man. I don’t get that company. I just don’t understand.”

[H/T Wrestling Inc.]