The master-wrestler is also passionate about his customised Lamborghini and a tattoo made in the memory of his ex-wife.
The 6 ft 6 inches tall ‘Batista—the animal’, who weighs 290 pounds reveals his real name. “My real name is David Michael Bautista.” Incidentally, the American professional wrestler is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), wrestling on its Raw brand. Batista (his ring name) is a three-time World Heavyweight Champion and the winner of the 2005 Royal Rumble match.
However, the master wrestler is a child at heart. “I love collecting lunchboxes. But the one that’s eluded me is a 1954 Superman lunchbox. It’s valuable and hard to find. My favourite is the 1967 Green Hornet lunch box, as it has Bruce Lee on it. I started collecting lunch boxes when I bought my ex-wife an ET lunchbox.”
The other thing that Batista is very passionate about is his modified car Lamborghini and his huge bike. “My car should fit me; I’m a big guy. So I had to have a Lamborghini customised as well as a motorbike. Chuck Palumbo built it from the ground up.”
He’s also crazy about his tattoos. “I’ve got a large Chinese dragon on my back, red Kanji lettering on my upper left biceps, which says ‘Angel’ in tribute to my former wife Angie, a signature design on my upper right biceps, and a small sun on my stomach, which encircles my belly button. I recently also got one on my arm, which has the flags of Philippines and Greece merged into one. It is a sort of self-expression.”
Batista has had a tough childhhod. He recalls, “My parents came from a poor family. I had a hard life but I am proud of my parents. They are honest and hardworking people and they taught me that.” Ask him what made him plan a trip to India and he replies, “The visit was scheduled by WWE and Ten Sports together. I’ve heard so many great things about this country from The Great Khali.”
d_riddhi@dnaindia.net
