Credit: Brian Stull & PWInsider.com
Batista stayed an extra day in St. Louis to do an autograph appearance at Pro Shirt Shop and was kind enough to spend a few minutes to tape an interview for The Stranglehold radio show.
Below are the highlights of the interview.
Last night, John Cena was the number one draft selection coming over from Smackdown. So, currently there’s two champions on RAW. If I’m Teddy Long, I’m thinking ‘you took my champion, so I’ll take yours’. Any thoughts on that?
Ummm, you know, I don’t know if really have an opinion either way on that. It doesn’t really matter to me where I wrestle, I just want to be wrestling. And you know, Smackdown is a good show and it’d be a lot of new challenges for me if I did go there. But at the same time, RAW is my home and right now I rule RAW, so…I don’t know. You know, John Cena says he’s going to come over and add his little two-cents to the game, but right now it’s really all about Batista.
I guess back in January, I saw an interview you did–you were definitely clear how you prefer the live aspect of RAW versus Smackdown being taped.
I definitely prefer the live show–there’s nothing like the thrill, the exhilaration. There’s no room for error when you’re doing things live. I appreciate that. I’m a game player–I want to be on the spot. I want the spotlight, I want to be the go-to guy when times are tough and we’re going live and need things to be right–I want to be that guy to pull it off.
At what point–if it was in bodybuilding, or training with the Samoans or at OVW, or even as Batista, you got into bodybuilding because you were kind of shy and that was something you can do on your own and excel. But you’ve got to combine showmanship to win the shows in bodybuilding and obviously as the World Champion there’s a lot more than just getting out there and being physical. Where were you able to adjust, to go from being shy to flipping that switch to turn on the electricity?
I think I always desired to be an entertainer in some way shape or form because I was so shy. I’m still making that adjustment. As people know, I haven’t had a whole lot of microphone time. So I’m still working on that–a skill I definitely have not perfected (laughs) but I’m working on it. And you know, it’s coming slowly. I don’t think I’m a natural performer by any means, but it’s coming slowly and I think I’ve learned from the best–been lucky enough to learn from the best. So, I think by the time it’s all said and done I’ll be the total package.
It certainly doesn’t hurt–when you were thanking Ric Flair the other night, those were some pretty heartfelt words.
It’s always heartfelt. And still to this day, no matter what happens on the show, I’m always going to have respect for Ric Flair and HHH as well. There’s still that respect factor–that they’ve taught me things I never could have learned elsewhere. And I’ll never forget that.
Coming up June 26th, Vengeance PPV, you guys had the contract signing last night here in St. Louis–Hell in a Cell. What are you looking forward to, what are you not looking forward to about that match?
Like you said, the deal is sealed. I’ve really got mixed feelings about this match. I’ve never participated in a Hell in a Cell match. I’ve seen them and I know they’re brutal–I know I’ll come out hurt. And I know I’ll come out bloody. The thing about Hell in a Cell matches is everybody goes into those matches willing to put their life on the line. They’re dangerous–legitimately dangerous. So, I don’t know what to expect. I’ll just go in and do my thing.
