David Michael Bautista, Jr. was born on January 18, 1969, in Washington, D.C., to Donna Raye (Mullins) and David Michael Bautista, a hairdresser, having Filipino and Greek ancestry.
WCW officials doubted his potential, but Bautista persevered, eventually debuting on SmackDown in May 2002 as Batista. He gained prominence after a move to Raw and victories over Kane, impressing Ric Flair and Triple H, who sought to align with rising stars.
Batista earned his first championship alongside Ric Flair in December 2003, as part of the Evolution group. He emerged from the shadows of Triple H and Ric Flair, eventually winning the 2005 Royal Rumble Match, making Triple H view him as a serious title threat.
After a triceps injury, Batista regained the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series in 2006. He faced the Undertaker at WrestleMania 23, taking him to the limit but ultimately unable to stop the streak.
Batista's career was marked by intense rivalries, including a feud with John Cena over the WWE Championship. He departed WWE in May 2010, appearing in films such as Riddick, The Man with the Iron Fists, and The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption.
In 2012, he won his first professional MMA fight and returned to WWE in January 2014 before quitting again in June to promote Guardians of the Galaxy.
Batista will star in Kickboxer: Vengeance, directed by John Stockwell, and co-starring martial artist Alain Moussi and UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre.
He has appeared in films such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Blade Runner 2049, Avengers: Infinity War, Hotel Artemis, Escape Plan 2: Hades, and Final Score.
On October 16, 2018, he made a special guest appearance on WWE Smackdown! for its 1000th episode, reuniting with Evolution members Triple H, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair.
On February 25, 2019, he made his return to WWE Raw, attacking Ric Flair on his 70th birthday, leading to a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 35.
Batista officially retired from wrestling in the WWE after losing the match, but will continue his career as an actor in Hollywood.
His upcoming films include Stuber, Avengers: Endgame, Escape Plan: The Extractors, and My Spy.
