History of Dave Bautista in Timeline
Dave Bautista, born David Michael Bautista Jr., is an American actor and retired professional wrestler. He achieved significant recognition during his time with WWE from 2002 to 2019, establishing himself as one of the most successful professional wrestlers of his era. Following his wrestling career, Bautista transitioned to acting, appearing in numerous films.
January 18, 1969: David Michael Bautista Jr. Born
On January 18, 1969, David Michael Bautista Jr. was born. He later became an American actor and retired professional wrestler.
1990: Marriage to Glenda
In 1990, Bautista married his first wife, Glenda.
October 13, 1998: Marriage to Angie
On October 13, 1998, Bautista married his second wife, Angie.
October 30, 1999: Debut Match
On October 30, 1999, Batista wrestled his debut match under the ring name Khan, three months before his 31st birthday.
1999: Wrestling Career Start
In 1999, Bautista officially started his wrestling career.
May 9, 2002: WWE Televised Debut
On May 9, 2002, Batista made his televised WWE debut on SmackDown! as Deacon Batista, an enforcer for Reverend D-Von.
2002: Rise to Fame as Batista
From 2002, Bautista gained fame under the ring name Batista, beginning as a member of Evolution.
2002: WWE Debut
In 2002, Dave Bautista debuted in WWE, beginning his rise to fame as a professional wrestler.
January 2003: Evolution Formation
In January 2003, Batista joined Triple H, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton to form the heel stable Evolution.
February 16, 2004: World Tag Team Championship Loss
On February 16, 2004, Batista and Ric Flair lost the World Tag Team Championship to Booker T and Rob Van Dam on Raw.
2004: Relationship with Triple H Deteriorates
In late 2004, the relationship between Batista and Triple H began to deteriorate in kayfabe, leading to Batista behaving more like a face.
April 2005: Flex Cover Appearance
In April 2005, Batista appeared on the cover of Flex magazine.
2005: Heel Turn
In 2005, Batista turned heel for the first time since then, initiating an attack on Rey Mysterio after a tag team match and expressing frustration with being undermined.
2005: SmackDown! Draft and Feud with JBL
In 2005, Batista was drafted to SmackDown! and began a feud with John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), culminating in a Texas Bull Rope match on September 9 where Batista retained his championship. Also in November, he suffered a muscle tear in his back.
2005: Royal Rumble Win and Evolution Split
In 2005, Batista won the Royal Rumble, leading to a split from Evolution after he chose to face Triple H at WrestleMania 21. On February 14th, a plot was made by Triple H to have Batista run over in a limousine.
2006: Championship Pursuits and Feuds
In 2006, Batista pursued the ECW World Championship and later the World Heavyweight Championship, eventually defeating King Booker at Survivor Series on November 26 to regain the title. He also had a real fistfight with Booker T during a commercial shoot for SummerSlam.
2006: Torn Bicep Injury
In 2006, Batista suffered a legitimate torn left bicep, similar to a previous injury. Legacy was given on-screen credit for the injury.
2006: Divorce from Angie
In 2006, Bautista divorced his second wife, Angie.
October 16, 2007: Batista Unleashed Autobiography Release
On October 16, 2007, Batista's autobiography, Batista Unleashed, was released, detailing his career and life, with some controversy over mentions of Chris Benoit.
November 5, 2007: Appeared on Family Feud
On November 5, 2007, Bautista appeared on Family Feud with several other WWE wrestlers.
2007: MTV Cribs Appearance
In 2007, Batista appeared on MTV Cribs and remarked on his inability to keep up with collecting his action figures due to the large number being released.
2007: Feud with The Undertaker
In 2007, Batista feuded with Mr. Kennedy and then The Undertaker, losing the World Heavyweight Championship to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 23 on April 1. He was unsuccessful in regaining the title afterward.
September 7, 2008: Judge on Iron Chef America
On September 7, 2008, Bautista was a judge on an episode of Iron Chef America.
September 2008: Muscle & Fitness Cover Appearance
In September 2008, Batista appeared on the cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine.
2008: Draft to Raw and World Heavyweight Championship Win
In 2008, Batista was drafted to Raw, feuded with John Cena, won the World Tag Team Championship with Cena, and defeated Chris Jericho at Cyber Sunday on October 26 for his fourth World Heavyweight Championship, only to lose it back to Jericho shortly after.
June 2009: Neighbours Cameo
In June 2009, Batista made a cameo appearance as himself on the Australian soap opera Neighbours.
October 20, 2009: First biographical DVD release
On October 20, 2009, Bautista's first biographical DVD, Batista: I Walk Alone, was released through WWE Productions.
2009: Tattoos
In 2009, Bautista had both upper arms covered in large, tribal style tattoos and the phrase "DC soldier" added to his right biceps.
January 2010: Royal Rumble Elimination
In January 2010, at the Royal Rumble, Batista entered at number 30 but was eliminated by John Cena, failing to win the match.
June 16, 2010: Attended Strikeforce Event
On June 16, 2010, Batista attended Strikeforce: Los Angeles, indicating his interest in competing in MMA.
2010: Diet Change
Beginning in 2010, Bautista began eating a mostly plant-based, pescetarian diet.
2010: End of WWE Tenure
By 2010, Batista had achieved considerable fame in WWE, winning multiple championships.
2010: Television and Film Appearances
In 2010, Batista appeared in an episode of Chuck, made a cameo in Relative Strangers, and starred in the action film Wrong Side of Town.
2010: Fundraising for Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
In 2010, Bautista held a campaign to raise money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance due to his ex-wife Angie's battle with ovarian cancer.
April 2011: MMA Negotiations Fall Through
In April 2011, Batista's negotiations with Strikeforce fell through after the organization was bought by Zuffa company, stalling his MMA career plans.
October 1, 2012: Opponent Change for MMA Debut
On October 1, 2012, Rashid Evans was forced out of the bout against Batista after a probation violation, and Vince Lucero replaced him for Batista's MMA debut.
October 6, 2012: MMA Debut Win
On October 6, 2012, Batista made his MMA debut against Vince Lucero at CES MMA: Real Pain and won by TKO in the first round.
2012: Ranked Wrestling Villain
In 2012, Batista was declared the 50th greatest wrestling villain of all time by a WWE article.
January 20, 2014: WWE Return and Negative Fan Reaction
On January 20, 2014, Batista returned to WWE on Raw, but despite winning the Royal Rumble as a face, he received negative reactions due to Daniel Bryan's absence in the match, leading to storyline changes and an eventual heel turn.
June 2014: Second DVD released, detailing WWE departure and return
In June 2014, WWE released a second DVD, WWE Batista: The Animal Unleashed, continuing Batista's life story, detailing his 2010 departure from WWE and his 2014 return.
2014: Guardians of the Galaxy Release
In 2014, Batista played Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Studios film Guardians of the Galaxy, a critical and commercial success.
2014: Quitting WWE
In 2014, Batista quit WWE after Bret Hart, the Raw General Manager, booked him to face an injured Randy Orton. Batista cited dissatisfaction with the company's direction as the reason for his departure.
2014: Second Royal Rumble Win
In 2014, Batista won his second Royal Rumble match and subsequently headlined WrestleMania XXX.
2014: Negative Fan Reaction to WWE Return
In 2014, upon returning to WWE, Batista was heavily booed by the crowd after winning the Royal Rumble, leading to storyline changes and a villainous character turn.
October 2015: Marriage to Sarah Jade
In October 2015, Bautista married competitive pole dancer Sarah Jade.
2015: Spectre Role
In 2015, Batista played Mr. Hinx in the James Bond film Spectre.
2017: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Blade Runner 2049" Release
In 2017, Batista starred in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Blade Runner 2049".
2017: Blade Runner 2049 Praised Role and Guardians Vol. 2
In 2017, Batista was praised for his supporting role in Blade Runner 2049 and reprised his role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
October 16, 2018: Evolution Reunion and Tease of Triple H Match
On October 16, 2018, Batista reunited with Evolution on SmackDown's 1000th episode, teasing a future match with Triple H due to Triple H never defeating Batista in singles competition.
2018: Avengers: Infinity War
In 2018, Batista reprised his role as Drax in Avengers: Infinity War.
2018: Multiple Film Releases
In 2018, Batista starred in "Avengers: Infinity War", "Final Score", and "Master Z: Ip Man Legacy".
2018: Support for James Gunn
In 2018, Batista supported James Gunn after Gunn's firing over old tweets and threatened to ask to be recast if Gunn's script wasn't used for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
February 25, 2019: Attack on Ric Flair and Demand to Triple H
On February 25, 2019, Batista attacked Ric Flair and demanded "give me what I want" to Triple H, beginning a storyline that led to a match at WrestleMania 35.
March 2019: James Gunn Reinstatement
In March 2019, James Gunn was reinstated as the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
December 9, 2019: WWE Hall of Fame Induction Announcement
On December 9, 2019, WWE officially announced Batista would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.
2019: Retirement After WrestleMania 35
In 2019, Batista officially retired from professional wrestling after competing at WrestleMania 35.
2019: Avengers: Endgame
In 2019, Batista reprised his role as Drax in Avengers: Endgame.
2019: Retirement from WWE
In 2019, Dave Bautista retired from professional wrestling after WrestleMania 35.
2019: Separation from Sarah Jade
In early 2019, Bautista separated from his third wife, Sarah Jade.
August 2020: Weight Update
As of August 2020, Bautista was 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed around 275 pounds.
2020: Stepping Back from Wrestling
In 2020, Batista largely stepped back from professional wrestling.
2020: Political Support
In 2020, Bautista supported Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party presidential primaries and endorsed Joe Biden in the United States presidential election, also appearing in an ad for his presidential campaign.
2020: Hall of Fame Postponement
In 2020, the WWE Hall of Fame event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with plans to induct the 2020 class alongside the 2021 class.
May 2021: Final Drax Appearance
In May 2021, Batista confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be his final appearance as Drax.
2021: "Army of the Dead" and "Dune" Release
In 2021, Batista starred in "Army of the Dead" and "Dune".
2021: Hall of Fame Removal
In 2021, Batista was removed from the WWE Hall of Fame list due to previous obligations preventing his attendance at the event. WWE agreed to induct him at a future ceremony.
2022: Several Film Releases
In 2022, Batista starred in "Thor: Love and Thunder", "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery", and "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special".
2023: Multiple Film Appearances
In 2023, Batista starred in "Knock at the Cabin", "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3", and "Parachute".
2023: Knock at the Cabin Role
In 2023, Batista starred in M. Night Shyamalan's horror film Knock at the Cabin.
September 2024: Weight Update
By September 2024, Bautista had slimmed down to around 240 pounds.
2024: "Dune: Part Two" Release
In 2024, Batista is set to star in "Dune: Part Two".
2024: Political Support
In 2024, Bautista, supported Kamala Harris and filmed a video demeaning Donald Trump for Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
2049: Blade Runner 2049 Release
In 2049, Batista was praised for his supporting role in Blade Runner 2049.
