When Did Batista Make His WWE Debut?

Dave Bautista a.k.a. Batista made his debut in the WWE as Deacon Batista, a villainous enforcer for Reverend D-Von, on the May 9, 2002, episode of SmackDown!

He debuted in the WWE ring with D-Von in a tag team match against Faarooq and Randy Orton, pinning Orton. Orton tried to beat D-Von and Batista with different partners over the course of several weeks, but each time he lost.

He has won The Heavyweight Championship four times and the WWE Championship twice, making him a six-time world champion. He is the longest-reigning World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history.

He's also won three World Tag Team Championships (two with Ric Flair and once with John Cena) and one WWE Tag Team Championship (with Rey Mysterio).

Batista has had a successful run in WWE and has a lot of unforgettable moments. One such moment was when he had the choice to either stay on RAW and challenge his mentor Triple H for his World Heavyweight Championship or face WWE Champion JBL and John Cena in a Triple Threat for the title.

Dave's Evolution teammates worked behind his back to get Batista to join SmackDown. Their plan fell apart immediately before the contract signing, when Batista teased moving to SmackDown with a thumbs up, but then smacked Evolution in the face with a thumbs down.

While an illustrious WWE career, it was barred with unhappiness with the promotion. Batista resigned from WWE owing to creative disputes. He came back in 2018 to finish his career on his own terms. Batista retired from professional wrestling on April 8, 2019.

Dave Bautista has had one of the best acting careers of anyone who has created a name for themselves as a professional wrestler since stepping away from WWE. He has appeared in films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Blade Runner 2049, and Stuber, among others.

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