Dave Bautista Provides Latest Update on WWE Hall of Fame Induction

Batista has a WWE Hall of Fame induction waiting for him whenever he is ready. The multi-time world champion was initially announced as the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020’s headliner, months after his retirement match against Triple H at WWE WrestleMania 35. When the global pandemic mandated that the ceremony be held virtually, Batista put his induction on pause, noting that he wanted to wait until he could experience the moment live in-person with fans, friends, and family alike. It has been nearly five years since Batista was initially announced as joining the WWE Hall of Fame, and ceremonies have since returned to normal, but the wrestler-turned-actor has remained on the sidelines.

Batista’s Latest WWE Hall of Fame Status

The Animal’s immortal induction is still coming.

Speaking to Chris Van Vliet at The Killer’s Game press junket, Dave Bautista emphasized that he will still join the WWE Hall of Fame in due time.

“Eventually, I will. I want to,” Bautista said. “There was a good opportunity for me to go in a couple years ago, and I agreed to do it. Hunter (Triple H) asked me to do it, and I said, ‘Yeah, of course.’”

Batista was first announced for the WWE Hall of Fame in late 2019 but paused his induction due to wanting to wait until it could happen in front of a live crowd. He revealed that there was talk of making it happen during WWE WrestleMania 39 weekend but a filming obligation prevented it from happening.

“It was here in LA, and I thought it was perfect, it was storybook because I won my first title here in LA, and we couldn’t figure it out because I was working on a film,” Bautista said. “I was in South Africa, so logistically, we just couldn’t make it happen, but yeah, I’m still open to it, and one day, I would like to.”

Batista’s full-time WWE run went from 2000 until 2010. He made his first big splash in 2003 when he joined Evolution, a stable comprised of himself, Randy Orton, Triple H, and Ric Flair. Following that group’s dissension, Batista went on to become a main event singles star, capturing six world titles and headlining WWE WrestleMania 21. He left WWE in 2010 to pursue acting but returned for a short stint in 2014, which saw him win that year’s Royal Rumble Match and headline WWE WrestleMania 30. His final WWE return came in 2019, and he officially retired at WWE WrestleMania 35 after losing to longtime friend, mentor, and rival Triple H.