Interview With WWE Superstar Batista
[ Joe Villa ] After trying out in the WCW power plant, you were told you would never make it as a professional wrestler, yet here you are as one of the best. How did you respond to this initial feedback?
[ Batista ]
- Initially, I was crushed because I was closing on 30-years old and had spent my life bouncing and bodybuilding. Finally, I decided to give up bodybuilding. I didn't have the build for it; I was competing against guys that were the same weight as me but ten inches shorter. Basically I was crushed, I had two kids and I figured that this was my last chance to get into pro wrestling.
Click To Enlarge. I Was Furious That Someone Told Me I Couldn't
Do Something; That I Didn't Have The Heart.
- It took a couple of days to take that pain of being rejected and turn it into pure anger. I was furious that someone told me I could not do something; that I didn't have the heart. A sawed-off midget tells me that ... no way.
At the time I didn't have the conditioning because I was 350 lbs; but I definitely had the heart. So I basically went back to the drawing board, dropped some weight and went to a private wrestling school. The rest as they say is history.
[ JV ] Have you always been a physical guy?
[ B ]
- I have always been physical but never a super aggressive guy. I have always been passive and laid back. I have a really high tolerance for jerks. Yes I am physical but never go looking for
fights
- . I have been in my share of them but never looked for them.
[ JV ] Tell me a little more about your sporting background.
[ B ]
- I pretty much did a little bit of everything. I was an amateur wrestler; which I loved. It was my passion but I started really late, I was a junior in
high school
- when I began.
[ JV ] Is there anyone or anything that inspired you to become a wrestling champion?
[ B ]
- There are a lot of guys that inspire me in this business; the obvious ones are
- ,
- ,
- , as well as
- and
- .
- I mean if these guys don't inspire anyone in this business you must have a screw loose and you have chosen the wrong profession. Look at what these guys have accomplished; look at what they did every single night. It's amazing; they are superhuman.
[ JV ] What lessons have you learned as you have progressed through the wrestling ranks?
[ B ]
- My favorite person to work with has to be Ric Flair. He was so good and I was honestly awed by him. For me Ric Flair sits on a pedestal; I always new I was in the ring with a legend. Also he was so hysterically funny; it never seemed like work being out there with Ric because you never knew what he was going to do. It was always interesting and definitely fun.
[ JV ] What are your main strengths as a wrestler?
[ B ]
- My main strength is my body; that's how I got my job and I don't kid myself in that regard. I owe the way I look to bodybuilding because I pursued it for so many years. That's why even today my physique is easy to maintain. When I was bodybuilding I weighed 350 pounds. Now I am at 275 as a wrestler, and can easily maintain my
strength
- and physique.
[ JV ] You are one of the most physically impressive wrestlers ever. How did you develop your physique to its present state? Can you describe your weight training style and program?
[ B ]
- My
weight training program
- nowadays is just really high reps. Very fast and intense; I don't use heavy weight anymore and I don't overdo my workout. I also never go to complete failure; because with
- I am on the road wrestling so much that my body does not have time to
recover
- , So basically I do more of a maintenance workout, a lot of machines because I work out on my own. High intensity; fast and furious.
Click To Enlarge. I Do More Of A Maintenance Work Out.
High Intensity; Fast And Furious.
[ JV ] Could you describe for me your nutrition program? Do you take any supplements? Which ones and how do they assist you?
[ B ]
- My diet consists of very high amounts of
protein
- ; and I supplement my diet with a product called
- which is from
Nutrabolics
- , the company I
endorse
- . I can take it any time of the day or night so there's no need to have a daytime and a night time protein, it's all in one. My diet is simple: high protein,
low carbs
- and sugar. Nutrabolics always supplies me with some great products.
I take Anabolic Trigger before my workout because I know I'm getting the right amount of carbohydrates and protein for energy and muscle growth.
After training it's important to repair the muscle and you only have about an hour to do this. I take Anabolic Window about 45 minutes after training. I need the right amount of protein, carbs and BCAA's to help me grow, recover and get me the right nutrients that I need after a tough training session.
- I also like to use
- . They make a fat burner called
Inferno
- which I swear by. It's great stuff. I literally feel Inferno working within minutes and I get a tremendous energy boost from it. I saw results quickly and I'm leaner now than I've ever been with Inferno.
I make sure I give myself a cheat day where I can eat what I want but I even then I don't overdo it.
[ JV ] What is the toughest aspect about being a professional wrestler?
[ B ]
- The toughest part of the job is
travel
- ; being on the road close to 300 days a year is tough. Most people couldn't do what WWE superstars do.
[ JV ] Have you ever been seriously hurt when competing as a professional wrestler?
[ B ]
- The worst
injury
- I have ever suffered in the ring was a torn triceps; they had to take a piece of my hamstring to repair the tear. It was brutal; I was out for 6 months.
[ JV ] What do you like most about pro wrestling?
[ B ]
- I love this business so much but the single best part of it is at the end of a match. The fans are on their feet cheering and screaming their heads off. There is no other feeling in the world like it. It is a natural high and we get to do it around the world.
[ JV ] What are your current aims as a wrestler and in life generally?
[ B ]
- I always connect myself to guys I think the fans will remember like Ric Flair, Triple H and Rey Mysterio. I have achieved so much more than I ever thought possible in the WWE so my goal is to help this company as much as possible.
Click To Enlarge. I Have Acheived So Much More Than
I Ever Thought Possible In The WWE.
- I love the WWE and I stand by it wholeheartedly. I try to pack the house every night. Hopefully, in the end, my legacy will be what Ric and Triple H passed on to me; help the younger talent. As far as what I achieve in my personal life, I want to make sure my kids' futures are set and they don't have to struggle like I did when I was young.
[ JV ] What would you ultimately like to achieve as a wrestler?
[ B ]
- The best phrase I ever heard as far as a wrestler stepping away from the ring came from Arn Anderson. He said "If you ever bought a ticket to see Arn Anderson I want you to know I gave it everything I had that night." I never held back, never played it safe;
- gave everything to entertain the fans.