Batista confirms his WWE Hall of Fame induction was supposed to happen this year

Batista (real name Dave Bautista) was announced as a member of the WWE Hall of Fame’s 2020 class.

We all know what happened in March of that year, and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic WrestleMania happened in an empty Performance Center and there was no 2020 Hall of Fame Ceremony. When the rest of the names announced for that class were honored in 2021, The Animal wasn’t included. Ditto 2022’s ceremony.

2023 seemed like a logical place to finally honor the six-time WWE World champ, seeing as he’s a successful movie actor now and the show was taking place in the Hollywood area. One of his best friends in the wrestling business, Rey Mysterio, was also included in this year’s class. Dave said he was “trying” to be a part of that group, but again... it didn’t happen.

In an interview with Cool Kicks, the Guardians of the Galaxy and Knock at the Cabin star confirmed he was supposed to be inducted prior to WrestleMania 39... but a movie commitment kept it from happening:

“I was in South Africa. I was supposed to go into the Hall of Fame, but I was on this film I was committed to. I couldn’t get out of it.”

Maybe next year in Philadelphia.