Batista Unleashed

By Dave Batista

Book Overview

People around the world know Dave Batista as World Wrestling Entertainment's "the Animal," the rope-shaking, spine-busting World Heavyweight Champion, one of the most popular Superstars in recent years.The crowd turned Batista from heel to babyface after they were electrified by his awesome physique and physical wrestling style.

Few fans, however, know that Batista didn't join the profession until he was thirty years old -- an age at which many wrestlers are thinking about hanging up their boots. Nor do most fans know the tremendous toll the climb to the top has taken on Batista's personal life. While successfully staying away from hard drugs and -- usually -- liquor, he found sex too tempting to resist.

"Women were my drug of choice," the Animal confesses. That addiction cost him his marriage, destroying a relationship that had helped him climb from poverty to the pinnacle of sports entertainment in less than two years.

Now, in Batista Unleashed, the WWE Superstar comes clean about the choices he made and the devastating effects they had on his family. He talks about the injury that stripped him of his title -- an injury he blames on Mark Henry's carelessness. While being sidelined cost Batista untold hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost income, it also set the stage for a tremendous comeback that cemented the Animal's reputation as a true champion.

Batista talks about growing up in the worst part of Washington, D.C., where three murders occurred in his front yard before he was nine. He speaks lovingly about his mother -- a lesbian -- and how hard she worked to keep the family not just together but alive. He talks candidly about his own criminal past: a conviction on a drug charge and another, since overturned, on assault. He speaks of his days as a bouncer and a lifeguard, and tells how bodybuilding may have saved his life.

Once he made it to the WWE, Batista realized he wasn't really ready for the big time. His career seemed headed for a fall until Fit Finlay took him under his wing. But his real education came when he joined Evolution and rode with Triple H and Ric Flair, two of sports entertainment's all-time greats. Batista talks about what they taught him, and details some of their wild times on the road.

But the champ also reveals a kinder, gentler side. While his soft-spoken manner in the locker room has sometimes been misinterpreted as arrogance, in truth Batista's always been somewhat shy and quiet. Emotional by nature, he reveals for the first time that the tears fans saw at WrestleMania 21, when he won the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time, were very real. And he speaks movingly about his problems with his ex-wives and teenage daughters, and how it felt to become a grandfather.

While his straight-shooting mouth has occasionally gotten him into trouble -- most notably in a backstage confrontation with Undertaker after some remarks about SmackDown -- Batista is his own harshest critic. He explains his early limitations as a wrestler and the work he has done to overcome them. Interspersing his memoir with accounts from life on the road, Batista lightens the narrative with a surprising sense of humor. An Animal in the ring, he reveals himself as an honest and even humble man in everyday life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416573445
• ISBN13: 9781416573449
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Great Read for die hard wwe fans!!!

This book is not meant for younger kids its for a much older crowd. This book brings out his true identity and lays out his life for everyone to see. If you didnt like batista before you will now after you read this book. A great read for batista fans!!

Not what I expected

I am a new WWE fan, in fact you can call me a closet fan. I bought Batista's book and could not put it down. I read it over the weekend and was really surprised how entertaining it was. Not only did it give you information about his family life but it also gave you an insight on other wrestlers and what they go through. I found myself laughing out loud when reading some parts like Ric Flair's driving habits and how they treat the Red Hat fan. Also, it was comforting to read how fondly Dave talked about other wrestlers and the respect they share for one another. I would highly recommend this easy read to anyone who is slighly interested in pro-wrestling. ~Debbie Wood Mechanicsville, VA

great book to read

its so good its hard for me to put it down at night i love bios on a wrestling superstar

Incredible

If you are looking for an honest autobiography this is the book. Batista is very open and honest about his life. From his childhood to his personal life. He leaves almost nothing out. Very easy reading. There is even some funny stories about being on the road with Triple H and Ric Flair. I highly reccomend this to anybody of any age.