Batista Speaks On His Dream WM Opponent, TNA ; & More



Credit: PWInsider.Com

WWE World champion Batista recently did a chat with The London Sun discussing a number of topics. Highlights include:

The Reaction to Batista criticizing the Smackdown roster last year: ” Oh yes – tons of heat! I got lectured by Vince McMahon, The Undertaker and all the way down. I had good friends who just turned on me. Well, I thought they were good friends. Some of them are not with the company now. But I spoke from my heart then and I still feel that today. Maybe I chose the wrong forum to voice that opinion but I was speaking from the heart. When we were having that discussion we were talking about the competition between Raw and Smackdown. I didn’t mention anybody on Raw, but there were guys on Raw I had the same sentiment about – who were absolutely lazy, had no passion and I thought should not be there. The same goes now. I’m putting my foot in my mouth again but I still think there are guys on both shows who are lazy, couldn’t care less and show no dedication. But we’re slowly weeding those guys out. I want everybody in this company to work as hard as me, Triple H and The Undertaker do. I want them to sack the guys who lack the passion for this business and this company – I don’t want them to be part of my show. Some of the guys who I think should be on their way out the door are still being given opportunities to shine, and it’s up to them to take the bull by the horns and show that they really want to be out there.”

Whether the move to Smackdown was a demotion: “Looking at the two shows compared to last season I wouldn’t say Raw have a stronger talent base. On Smackdown we have Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and The Undertaker. That’s a very strong line-up. I get a sense that we’re starting over and building the brand – telling new stories and starting new feuds. Right now we’re in the transition phase and once we get our feet under us – especially now we’re on Friday nights – it’s going to be a whole new Smackdown.”

His Feud with JBL: “It was very difficult and I was a little disappointed with our matches. JBL and I have absolutely zero chemistry. Enough said about that.”

The Muhammad Hassan character: “Muhammed Hassan, a different person would have made that character work. He was helped a lot with his promos and in the ring I don’t think he held his own at all. Daivari, on the other hand, was perfect – if only we could have taken Daivari’s mind and stuck it in Muhammed Hassan’s body. I liked Mark Copani as a person, but he’s one of the people whose heart just wasn’t in it. He said he could live “with or without” wrestling and that is hard to listen to for guys like me who live and breathe for this business.”

OVW preparing WWE talents: “I really wasn’t prepared well for the WWE in OVW and when I came up there were a few times where my job was in jeopardy – and I think that’s not fair. There are still people brought up without the right preparation. Look at Bobby Lashley – I don’t even think he’s close to ready. Bobby Lashley, if held back for a while, could have been another Brock Lesnar. He’s got the amateur accolades and he’s an incredible athlete.”

TNA as a competitor to WWE: “I’ve actually not ever watched any of their shows. I saw a press conference that they did, which I wasn’t very impressed with. I’ve also seen clips of their car wreck matches with AJ Styles doing his stunts. That’s not wrestling. Wrestling is storytelling. But at the same time, I have friends in TNA and I wish them the best. Those type of matches definitely have their place, it’s just not my thing. I also welcome the competition, which I think can only be good for the wrestling business.”

Being World Champion: “I remember having a drink with Undertaker before I won the title. I told him I was enjoying myself and he said: “Enjoy it while it lasts, because when you win that title you’ll be working your ass off.” Being world champion is physically so demanding, ask anybody who has held the belt. You’re constantly travelling and working and there is also the mental pressure, as you’re stressing over business aspects that you’ve never had to worry about before.”

His Dream Wrestlemania opponent: “Brock Lesnar, without a doubt. It’s a dream match for a lot of people, including myself. We could have the bout that Goldberg v Lesnar should have been. People expected so much from that, but neither one of them had their hearts in it. I think if Brock did return my heart would be in it, as would his – we’ve always had a healthy competition between us. I have sent the message out to Brock as much as I can, I really hope he comes back. He said he’s done a lot of growing up and mentally I believe he’s ready to return. So much weight was put on his shoulders at the time so fast, and he was just a kid then, that he couldn’t cope with it.”

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