WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley has said that Dave Batista was eager to learn the ropes after signing with the promotion.
In 2002, Batista made his TV debut as D-Von’s ‘Deacon’ as the tag-team specialist was Reverend D-Von at the time.
Speaking to Pwinsider, D-Von recalled working with the future WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He said,
“It was great working with him, it really was. I remember Dave telling me that he really didn’t have that much of knowledge in terms of working in the ring because, when he was in OVW — and again, this is coming from Dave — all they did was have him do run-ins and things like that. So he never really had full matches.
“If he did have a match, it was like what they did with the Ultimate Warrior; he was in there for maybe two to three minutes, and that was it. So he never had a full match.
“But it was great because we got to work together before the people got into the building. He would show up to the building and I would get into the ring with him and we would go over stuff and things like that. He was very eager to learn, so that was the one thing that I was very happy with Dave [about].”
D-Von was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. Batista was announced for the 2020 class before withdrawing and has yet to be inducted.
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WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley recently shared his experience working with Dave Batista, revealing that the future WWE World Heavyweight Champion was eager to learn the ropes when he first signed with the promotion.
Back in 2002, Batista made his TV debut as D-Von’s ‘Deacon’ during a time when D-Von portrayed the character of Reverend D-Von. Speaking to Pwinsider, D-Von reminisced about his time working with Batista and shed light on his initial lack of in-ring experience.
D-Von recalled Batista expressing that he didn’t have much knowledge about working in the ring. During his time in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), Batista was primarily involved in run-ins and other non-match segments. He had never really had the opportunity to have full matches, with most of his in-ring appearances being short and limited, similar to how the Ultimate Warrior was booked early in his career.
However, D-Von praised Batista’s eagerness to learn and improve. Before the audience arrived at the venue, Batista would show up and get into the ring with D-Von to go over their match and practice various moves and sequences. This dedication to learning impressed D-Von, and he was happy to work with Batista.
D-Von Dudley was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018, while Batista was announced as part of the 2020 class before ultimately withdrawing. Despite his withdrawal, Batista’s induction into the Hall of Fame is highly anticipated by fans and fellow wrestlers alike.
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In conclusion, D-Von Dudley’s recollection of working with Dave Batista sheds light on Batista’s early days in WWE and his eagerness to learn and improve as a wrestler. Despite his limited in-ring experience at the time, Batista’s dedication and determination eventually led him to become one of the most successful and beloved wrestlers in WWE history.