WWE legend Dave ‘Batista’ Bautista opened up on the positive effect his dramatic body transformation has had on him with a heartfelt statement.
Bautista, 55, has crossed over to Hollywood just like fellow pro wrestling legends Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as well as John Cena and has been a full-time actor since his in-ring retirement in 2019.
The American burst onto the scene in wrestling back in 2002 thanks to his gigantic frame and quickly rose to prominence when he joined the legendary Evolution stable.
The popular heavyweight then went on to win six world titles while beating wrestling greats like Cena, The Undertaker, Triple H, Randy Orton and many more along the way.
Throughout most of his wrestling career, the ex-WWE Champion weighed about 290lbs (21st), with his heaviest ever weight clocking up a staggering 370lbs (26st).
However, the former World Heavyweight Champion shed it all for his latest role at The Killer’s Game and dropped to a jaw-dropping 240lbs (17st).
Batista looks so utterly unrecognisable that some fans even worried about his health.
However, the Avengers star insists this has been a pleasant experience as he realised he feels so much better now.
The Guardians of the Galaxy actor insists his current frame has taken a lot of work but knows it’s worth it as he now looks much better on camera and hinted this could lead to bigger opportunities that he was previously denied because of his large size.
Bautista told Chris Van Vliet: “I started trimming down for a particular reason [to play other roles]. One, I started trimming down because I got fat. I got really big for a role [Knock at the Cabin] and it was uncomfortably big.
“I got really big, I was around 315lbs (22.5st) and I put on the weight really fast. I packed it on with french fries and pancakes. The director asked me, ‘I don’t want you to look like a powerlifter, I just want you to look like a great big guy’.
“It took me forever to shed it off. And then I noticed, the more I trimmed down the better I felt. And I also noticed the more I trimmed down the better I looked on camera. The better I looked next to other actors.
“People think, ‘God, you look skinny!’ I even saw lines of people worried about my health. And when I say it out loud to people, I’m 6’4”, 240lbs. I’m [still] a big person.
“Because people have seen me so much bigger over the years, they think I’m anorexic but I’m still a large human being.
“At 6’4”, 240lbs next to your typical actor, I look like a gorilla. And it’s distracting. So, I’ll probably lose a few more pounds. Cause I’m basically killing myself to be this trimmed.
“I’m training, my calories are pretty restricted – maybe 2,500 calories a day. For me it’s nothing, I just don’t eat much. [But] I’m not starving or anything.”
