Former WWE Champion and Hollywood actor Batista is rightfully considered one of the greatest World Heavyweight Champions in history. His feuds with Edge, Undertaker and The Great Khali were legendary and he proved his ability as both a face and a heel in his rivalry with John Cena in 2008 & 2010.
He left WWE in 2010 but returned four years later, winning the Royal Rumble and main eventing Wrestlemania XXX. After consecutive losses to the Shield, the six-time World Champion left the company once again, only returning for one final match against Triple H at Wrestlemania 35 before hanging up his boots.
It has been nearly four years since he retired from wrestling to focus full time on acting. As one of the great world champions of the modern era, he deserves to be honoured by his friends and peers at the biggest event WWE can – at the WWE Hall of Fame. But why isn’t Batista yet in the WWE Hall of Fame?
Is Batista In The WWE Hall Of Fame?
Batista has not been inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame yet. He was selected by WWE to be the headline act during the 2020 ceremony, but rejected the honour just weeks before the event was set to take place.
This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing him to miss out on the event. The 2020 show was postponed until the following year where the 2020 and 2021 inductees would both accept their awards during the same show (however, the speeches were much shorter and some were done via video call, like Jushin Liger and The Great Khali). It also featured limited crowds and restrictions were still in place for the event due to the pandemic.
Batista rejected his WWE Hall of Fame induction due to the ceremony being rescheduled for the following year. Being a busy actor in Hollywood, regularly appearing in a litany of movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he is very short on time and simply could not make the ceremony. Not wanting to have his huge moment be done by video call or pre-recorded message, he instead opted to postpone his induction until a more suitable time becomes available.
He took to social media last year to explain why he’d been pulled from the ceremony, stating, “To the @WWEUniverse Unfortunately due to previous obligations I am unable to be a part of the
@WWE #HOF this year. By my request they have agreed to induct me at a future ceremony where I’ll be able to properly thank the fans and people who made my career possible 🙏 #DreamChaser”
2022 came and went and Batista was still absent from the Hall of Fame. Wit the legendary The Undertaker being given his ring that year, The Animal may have felt it best to skip that year and not be overshadowed by the man who is considered the greatest wrestler of all time by many.
The 2023 Hall of Fame could also be the year for him, but with rumours of Vince McMahon being inducted after retiring following 40 years in charge of the WWE, 2024 may be the next time that we see Batista in the WWE Hall of Fame.
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