WWE Rivals: John Cena vs. Batista, Season 4 Episode 3
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00:00It's Cena vs. Batista in the match the world is waiting for.
00:07That's when it was a Batista, John Cena, WWE.
00:13John Cena! John Cena!
00:15How's everything going, alright?
00:17We started together.
00:19We had the same trajectory.
00:21The time is indeed now.
00:23That rivalry was just inevitable.
00:25John Cena can't beat me.
00:27This is a dream matchup.
00:30And that's where the magic started to happen.
00:37Cena vs. Batista in the 2000s was
00:40kind of a battle to see who the face of the company would be.
00:43You want to be the face of the company?
00:45Step up and let's do this tonight!
00:48Their rivalry was actually not the stuff in the ring.
00:51It was behind the scenes.
00:53We were counterparts and very competitive at the same time.
00:56There was a pulse to it.
00:58There was a part where he asked me some bull**** questions.
01:00It's like, you should be happy for your success.
01:02You're a main eventer. Be happy with where you are.
01:04And I think he saw that as a slap in the face.
01:06I should be the name and face for the WWE!
01:09Both guys are highly competitive.
01:11It becomes really personal in a hurry.
01:13You push forward, you move on, you overcome.
01:16That is what I believe!
01:18It was crazy from there on out.
01:21You're out of line!
01:23So much animosity in this awesome rivalry.
01:28When two legends collide,
01:30the rivalry stays pinned in our minds forever.
01:35This is where we break down the legendary stories
01:37behind the greatest rivalries of all time.
01:41I'm Gabriel Iglesias.
01:43And this is WWE Rivals.
01:51The champ is here!
01:59John Cena and Batista,
02:02two of the most incredible superstars in the WWE,
02:05have both been on this amazing journey
02:08where it's like they're almost mirroring each other.
02:11Similar trajectories and ultimately having this rivalry.
02:16He's just like all of you.
02:18He's a common loser.
02:22They really brought the best out of each other.
02:24Yeah.
02:25If you are at the top of any industry,
02:28you want to be the best at anything.
02:29You need somebody to push you.
02:30Between you and me, who's better?
02:33For Cena and Batista to be able to hold that rivalry
02:36and hold the interest of the audience the way that they did,
02:40they're remarkable.
02:42And these guys had these expectations on them.
02:45They exceeded it.
02:46They had the expectations on the matches,
02:48and they exceeded it.
02:53This is a hell of a run.
02:57Hello, Kentucky, and a welcome to
02:59Howl Mountain Wrestling right here on WBKI!
03:03In OVW, it was crazy.
03:06All these stud athletes, man,
03:08they just kept coming and coming.
03:10That's where we see John Cena and Batista
03:13in the same class.
03:16John Cena was the prototype.
03:18The prototype, tell you what,
03:19he's got a brilliant future in this profession.
03:21And Batista was Leviathan.
03:23Leviathan is the new OVW heavyweight champion!
03:28What is my first impression of Dave Batista?
03:31Larger than life.
03:34And seeing guys like Dave motivated me.
03:37Oh, my God.
03:39What did you do?
03:41It was quite competitive, but in a good way.
03:44Oh, it's like that, huh?
03:45I think we pushed the hell out of each other.
03:47Prototype, you may be the perfect man,
03:51but no man can slay a demon.
03:56You have two guys competing for the same space.
03:58Prototype went for the kick!
04:00The demon catches him,
04:01clotheslines him out of his boots!
04:03And having Dave in that same trajectory.
04:08Prototype now, belly to back!
04:10And again on the demon!
04:11That's how that motivated me.
04:13Prototype is the new Ohio Valley Wrestling heavyweight champion!
04:22At the time, WWE was changing completely.
04:27The Attitude Era was over.
04:29And then losing The Rock to Hollywood,
04:32that was a big hit.
04:34And then it quickly became, what's next?
04:37What do we do now?
04:39In 2002, when there was no Rock,
04:41we said we need new, we need young,
04:43we need fresh, we need now.
04:45And I remember a lot of consternation
04:48going back and forth in the production meeting.
04:50John and Dave, are they ready, are they not ready?
04:55You know, the trigger was just pulled.
04:56Whether they're ready or not,
04:57guess what, we're putting them on TV,
04:59and hopefully they become successes.
05:02I know this kid, this is John Cena,
05:04one of the many young talents who could be looking
05:06and knocking on the door of opportunity.
05:09When you come from your developmental programs
05:12and you get to the show,
05:14you're starting completely over.
05:16John Cena was somebody
05:18that we didn't know what to do with.
05:20Boring, boring, boring.
05:22He was boring.
05:26He had these shorts where he would wear
05:30He had these shorts where he would wear
05:32different colors that matched
05:34the sports teams in each city.
05:36John Cena wearing the Carolina blue,
05:38I'd like to point that out.
05:41But he needed something else
05:43that wasn't going to do it.
05:46Meanwhile, Batista, he was put with Devon Dudley
05:50as Deacon Batista and was Devon's enforcer.
05:54What the, who is that?
05:56What is that?
05:57What is that?
05:58What's he holding?
05:59He was a big son of a bitch.
06:04But the gimmick didn't go well.
06:07I hated it.
06:08I thought it was the dumbest thing I'd ever seen.
06:12The reason that the Deacon Batista character
06:15didn't work is it wasn't Dave.
06:18It wasn't authentically Dave.
06:21Not only that, but backstage,
06:22I didn't say all the right things.
06:24I barely said anything at all
06:25because it just, you know,
06:26I wasn't that guy.
06:27It wasn't, it was hard for me
06:28to go up and shake someone's hand.
06:30And a lot of guys took it the wrong way.
06:32They thought I was an arrogant person,
06:34a standoffish person,
06:35and I wasn't at all.
06:36I was just very introverted.
06:38Everybody backstage had their reservations about me.
06:41Nobody liked me.
06:42Everyone was like,
06:43hey, don't work with John.
06:45He has no respect for this business.
06:47I don't think he's going to be anything.
06:49And I would do nothing but prove them right
06:51in the first phase of my attempt
06:54at promotion and development in WWE.
06:57I wasn't progressing.
06:59I wasn't becoming the guy
07:00that they needed me to be.
07:02There was more than a few occasions
07:04where I thought I was going to lose my job.
07:06The WWE used to make a series of cuts
07:10around late November called Christmas Cuts.
07:13I was told that I would be getting
07:14my release in Christmas Cuts.
07:17Frustration by John Cena.
07:19It's crazy to think about now.
07:22Superstars who would ultimately define an era
07:26were on the verge of not making it.
07:30In WWE, we travel as a community,
07:33so we're all on the same bus.
07:35So I heard a bunch of guys
07:36sitting in the back of the bus,
07:37and they were all freestyling,
07:39you know, like rapping.
07:40And I remember just being like,
07:43let's go try this.
07:46When he started to rap,
07:48everybody's clapping,
07:50and now everybody's popping on every little thing.
07:52Well, if he can entertain the most cynical group
07:54you could ever ask for,
07:57he can entertain the masses.
08:02I excel beyond sports.
08:04He rocks a horn on his head,
08:07I rock a horn in my shorts.
08:10He was able to turn around
08:12and connect with our audience.
08:14It's time to make John Cena
08:16a household name.
08:19John Cena pumping it up.
08:21Connecting!
08:22It was unbelievable when he came out.
08:26Everybody got on their feet.
08:28Everybody in the arena, it changed.
08:31Meanwhile, you have Triple H,
08:33who is at an incredibly high point of his career.
08:38He has his eyes on a young Batista,
08:41and sees something,
08:43and chooses Batista
08:45to round out this incredible faction, Evolution.
08:48Dave Batista, 6'5",
08:51325 pounds
08:55of genetic stopping power.
08:59Dave had gone from the big guy
09:01that just stood in the corner with no sleeves
09:03to the guy that was having great matches.
09:06The beast has been unleashed!
09:11By joining this faction,
09:13Batista kind of becomes a made man.
09:17Around the same time,
09:19WWE was in the middle of a grand split
09:21where the roster of SmackDown
09:23and the roster of Raw were completely separated.
09:26And on each show,
09:28Batista on Raw,
09:30Batista Bomb!
09:32and John Cena on SmackDown,
09:34SmackDown's fastest rising star,
09:37John Cena!
09:39were rising to the top
09:41at the exact same time.
09:43And while they never touched,
09:45they were clearly on a collision course.
09:48To see Dave and Evolution
09:51and the success of that,
09:53it made me want to work harder on the other side.
09:56Undertaker up on John Cena's shoulders!
09:58Wow!
09:59You know, you had these two stars.
10:02From a creative standpoint,
10:03you're just too tempted to leave money on the table
10:05by not having these guys face each other.
10:07At some point, it's inevitable.
10:11Welcome to the 18th Annual Royal Rumble!
10:162005 in the Royal Rumble.
10:19One by one,
10:20competitors are getting thrown over the top rope
10:22and eliminated from the match
10:24until we get to what we've been waiting for.
10:27Well, we're down to one man from Raw,
10:29one man from SmackDown,
10:31John Cena, Batista,
10:33the final two!
10:35Three years removed
10:37from a really slow start.
10:40To hear these two superstars are face to face
10:42and what's going to happen next.
10:44This is a dream matchup!
10:46This is awesome!
10:50It was crazy from there on out.
10:55Well, we're down to one man from Raw,
10:57one man from SmackDown,
10:59John Cena, Dave Batista,
11:022005 Royal Rumble.
11:03Everybody's like,
11:04okay, who's gonna get this?
11:05Who's gonna get this?
11:06And it comes down to the last two.
11:11Going in, we have a plan.
11:13We at least know that Batista's gonna win the Royal Rumble.
11:16I think it's Batista!
11:18I gotta believe it's gonna be Batista!
11:20Dave is supposed to win the Rumble.
11:22It was a great plan on paper.
11:26But it didn't go according to plan.
11:28Again, the rules of the matchup,
11:30once you're over the top rope,
11:31you are eliminated!
11:37To our shock,
11:39Cena and Batista go over the top rope
11:41at the same time.
11:43It wasn't written in the script
11:44they'd go over at the same time.
11:45If you wanted to write it in the script,
11:47you couldn't do it any better
11:48than the way they both landed.
11:50Every replay was inconclusive.
11:53Who touched first?
11:55It was funny because I think
11:57when I picked him up for the bomb,
12:00he came up with so much force
12:02that he literally just flung me over the ropes
12:04and we both went over.
12:06Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
12:07Get him!
12:08Oh, Jesus!
12:09My God, they both went out!
12:10As a fan watching this,
12:11you could tell,
12:12I don't think this was supposed to happen.
12:14You could see the look in everybody's eyes
12:16that they were trying to figure out
12:17what to do on the fly.
12:19Backstage, we're listening in on headset.
12:22What happened?
12:23Nobody knows what to do.
12:25Oh, s**t!
12:27What the hell just happened?
12:29We got back in the ring
12:31and didn't know what was going on.
12:34Batista wins it!
12:35No, no, no.
12:36Well, there's...
12:37Man, we got some...
12:38Yeah, John Cena won!
12:41We got two winners of the Royal Rumble.
12:43It was crazy.
12:45Per order of the chairman,
12:47he has ordered that this match
12:50be restarted!
12:53This is unprecedented.
12:54This never happens.
12:55No, no, watch out!
12:56Oh, Batista from Raw!
12:58Overpowering John Cena!
13:00No, no, no!
13:01Batista beats Cena!
13:03Batista, the exclamation point!
13:06The winner of the Royal Rumble match,
13:10Batista!
13:12It will stop without controversy!
13:15Yeah, that was absolute pure chaos,
13:18but it became historic.
13:20It's one of the most memorable
13:21Rumble moments in history.
13:23I thought it actually worked out better
13:25because here we are still talking about it.
13:27Batista!
13:29We are still talking about it.
13:30Batista will be in the main event
13:32at WrestleMania 21!
13:37We are alive in Hollywood
13:39and this is WrestleMania!
13:44WrestleMania 21,
13:46you had two guys who were passing on the baton.
13:49Oh, here he comes!
13:50He got him!
13:51The cover!
13:52One, two, three!
13:54John Cena is the champion!
13:57Batista!
13:59Batista from Raw!
14:01Triple H and I to Cena and Batista
14:04because those are the guys
14:05that are going to carry the company forward.
14:07You know it's coming.
14:09The young ones are going to try
14:10and push the old ones out.
14:12I mean, that's just, that's nature.
14:14Can Batista pin him?
14:17Yes!
14:19Batista has won the world title!
14:23You know the two old guys
14:24telling the young guys
14:25here's the titles,
14:26it's your show now.
14:27They were expected to carry the WWE forward.
14:30That's expectations that are beyond belief.
14:35That's when really it became
14:39a Batista-John Cena WWE.
14:45And I think with us coming up through OVW
14:47kind of neck and neck.
14:51We're mirror images of each other,
14:53our careers, where they're going with it,
14:54where they were at at that time.
14:56Batista! Batista! Batista!
14:59But at the same time,
15:01we're so different.
15:04With evolution,
15:05I was usually always in the background,
15:07but I went from being the guy in the background,
15:10I went from being the muscle
15:12to being the star.
15:14We love Batista!
15:18It was overwhelming at first.
15:20Batista! Batista! Batista!
15:24I didn't know how to deal with that.
15:25I had no idea.
15:28It has its repercussions
15:29because I think when you're an introverted person
15:32who is constantly bombarded with attention,
15:35you just want to crawl under a rock and hide.
15:39A lot of times I would just separate myself
15:41from the locker room
15:42and just be somewhere by myself and not because
15:45I felt like I was too good for everybody.
15:47I just didn't want to be around anybody.
15:49I just wanted to be alone.
15:51An introvert was considered a dirty word
15:53in the WWE at the time.
15:57In some respects, he's the exact opposite of John.
16:03John is an extrovert.
16:08John Cena was on all the bar keys.
16:11He was the one on all the commercials.
16:13Is that fresh toasted?
16:15The chip looks fresh toasted.
16:16What if I come to your next birthday party?
16:18That's when things shifted.
16:20WWE had decided that John Cena
16:22was going to be the new face of the company.
16:25Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
16:26It looks great on you.
16:31Dave loved that the company
16:33considered John to be the number one.
16:35He was just like,
16:36absolutely, if the company sees John as the top guy,
16:39I'm all for it.
16:40I'll be here in catering.
16:41Okay, I'll give a real answer.
16:45I think Dave considered himself
16:47just as equally talented
16:48and just as equally money-making
16:50as John Cena was.
16:52That was a point of contention for Dave.
16:56I didn't feel like I was getting fair opportunities.
17:00I felt like I was on the level of anyone in that company
17:04as far as drawing a crowd,
17:06drawing money.
17:08It's like, Dave,
17:09you should be happy for your success.
17:10You're a main eventer.
17:11Be happy with where you are.
17:13And I don't think Dave was satisfied with that.
17:15And I think he saw that
17:16as a slap in the face.
17:18So, what's going to happen next?
17:32Every year in WWE,
17:35there was a draft.
17:37This is the night!
17:39This is the night!
17:41Raw and SmackDown would mix up their rosters
17:44to see what superstars were wrestling on what show.
17:48A SmackDown superstar is going to be coming into this ring
17:51to make their Raw debut tonight!
17:55No matter how much the company line was,
17:59Raw and SmackDown are two equal shows,
18:01which I believe they are now.
18:03But back then, Raw was considered the A-show.
18:06So, okay, now it's time for the number one star
18:09to be on the number one show.
18:11The very first pick!
18:12Come on down!
18:24John Cena!
18:25This is the biggest acquisition in Raw history!
18:30The company considered John the top star.
18:32And it was just time to make the switch.
18:41Meanwhile, Batista went from Raw to SmackDown.
18:46SmackDown is a huge show,
18:48but Monday Night Raw was simply where the top stars went.
18:54When he came over and took down Raw,
18:56I thought he deserved it.
19:00But now I'm on SmackDown.
19:04You know, it's just part of the business.
19:08Beyond that,
19:09by this time,
19:10the company had formed WWE Films
19:13and started producing Hollywood movies.
19:15Action!
19:18They cast John Cena in the title role of the movie,
19:21The Marine.
19:23Highway Patrol, this is John Triton.
19:25They have a hostage.
19:26It's my wife.
19:28On the other hand,
19:29Dave was a top star,
19:31but he wasn't the face of the company.
19:33He wasn't getting movie opportunities from WWE.
19:35So, looking back on it,
19:37it's very easy to see why he'd be frustrated.
19:43Throughout 2007,
19:45Cena and Batista are just continuing their reign over WWE.
19:49The champ is still here!
19:52It was so cool to kind of watch their parallels.
19:55I mean, there's your two guys.
19:56They are the two guys that are carrying the company forward.
19:59Take a photo of Batista!
20:01Listen to the crowd, man!
20:02Now, Cena and Batista would each lose their titles,
20:06gain them back,
20:07but regardless of when the title was on them or not,
20:10these were the two guys.
20:14But they had not touched each other
20:17since the end of that Royal Rumble match back in 2005.
20:21You know these guys are on a crash course to each other.
20:25And you know at some point,
20:26this is going to come to a head.
20:29As general manager,
20:31I am proud to announce that at SummerSlam,
20:34it will be John Cena
20:38versus The Animal Dave Batista.
20:41Dave and John are at the height of their powers right now
20:44as money-drawing stars.
20:46Our resumes are both impressive.
20:48We've answered a lot of questions,
20:50but we've never answered this one.
20:52And if John versus Dave is a money-drawing match,
20:55then the need to do it is now.
20:57Between you and me, who's better?
21:05It is indeed the biggest blockbuster of the summer.
21:10No hype needed.
21:13Nearly 16,000 strong
21:16to see Cena and Batista
21:18butt heads for the first time
21:21in a one-on-one matchup.
21:25The SummerSlam match,
21:27there was a pulse to it.
21:29John Cena, the bigger star of these two men.
21:32The bigger star of these two men.
21:34You gotta wonder if that's eating at Batista a little bit.
21:39And then the pulse began to be strong.
21:42This matchup really to prove who's better than who.
21:45The personal stakes of what was going on.
21:49Oh, yeah! Sparring buster!
21:51As far as Dave feeling resentment
21:53for, you know, the company essentially picking John.
21:57There was definitely an undercurrent
22:00of tension and reality.
22:03Cena hits it!
22:05The cover! He got him!
22:07He can, oh, kick out at two and a half!
22:09Can you believe it?
22:11That night, the two of them brought out the very best in each other.
22:15Oh, look out, Batista's in another gear here.
22:17Batista bombs!
22:20The vicious assault!
22:23And Batista picks up the win!
22:27Here is your winner, Batista!
22:34It was special. It was very special.
22:37To watch Dave have that all, you know, happen for him
22:42and everything else, it was awesome.
22:45John Cena at that time may have been the face of the company,
22:48but Batista scores the big win in the big moment.
22:52And you're sort of left as a fan wondering
22:55what's going to happen.
22:57And not only that, the WWE landscape
23:00was about to change in general.
23:04Only on A&E.
23:07In the late 2000s,
23:09WWE wanted to kind of go back to their roots.
23:13Family entertainment.
23:16And that meant toning down language,
23:18toning down storylines.
23:20And so in what's known as the PG era,
23:23there were handcuffs.
23:25That was the era that Batista and John Cena had to exist in.
23:29Slowly, the people we were watching changed.
23:32I saw it happen. I didn't need a sheet of analytics.
23:35I could see it.
23:36So I said, this is it. We're changing up right now.
23:41I don't think John had any issue changing with the times.
23:45I'm talking to those people who still believe.
23:47He became much more of a babyface,
23:50fighting champion type guy.
23:52You never give up.
23:53You pick yourself up.
23:54You brush yourself off.
23:55You push forward.
23:56You move on.
23:57You adapt.
23:58You overcome.
23:59That is what I believe.
24:02Now it's a PG era.
24:03He was filling arenas with his PG message.
24:06Again, working with limitations.
24:08And he made it work every single night.
24:12Why fight it?
24:13He was like, hey, as long as they're reacting,
24:15that's all that matters.
24:16What are we doing tomorrow?
24:17Bingo! Bingo! Bingo!
24:21But on the other hand, Batista, the character,
24:24and I suppose the human being as well,
24:27is not a TV-PG kind of guy.
24:30Like, he's an adult character on a kid's show.
24:33This is not about you.
24:35This is about me.
24:37Being in the spotlight where I deserve to be.
24:42At that time, I wish I was somebody who was a little more exciting.
24:45I wish I could have been a little more charming.
24:47But I think John Cena was the type of wrestler
24:49that I never wanted to be.
24:51He was flashy.
24:52He was very entertaining.
24:55But I didn't want to be that guy.
24:59At that time, you have these two guys
25:02who have been the faces of WWE.
25:04Even though they're these dominant forces,
25:07you just don't see them together.
25:11WWE started using their imaginations
25:13about just how good this rivalry could be.
25:16By the time we get to Elimination Chamber 2010,
25:19Triple H is champion.
25:21Triple H in an unbelievable amount of pain.
25:25He tapped out.
25:26John Cena is the WWE champion!
25:30But now a bigger story is unfolding.
25:34Congratulations, Mr. Cena.
25:36You're going to WrestleMania!
25:39Just as long as you can defend your championship
25:42right now against this man.
25:49Oh, my God!
25:50You've got to be kidding me!
25:53Look out!
25:54Spear!
25:56Come on!
25:57This Cold War that had sort of existed behind the scenes
26:00is now back in the ring.
26:04Oh, no!
26:06Look out!
26:07Batista Bomb!
26:08Bone rattling!
26:10You've got to be kidding me!
26:12Batista is the new WWE champion!
26:17And Batista will headline WrestleMania
26:20as the WWE champion.
26:26I got to quit just winning and losing
26:27in the same night, bull****.
26:30Is this the part where you ask me
26:31some bull**** question?
26:32Well, I'm through that one,
26:34and I thought I did good,
26:36but it didn't work out that way.
26:38Can't dwell on it.
26:39I'm halfway healthy.
26:40We'll see what the bull**** happens tomorrow.
26:42That's just it.
26:43That's the way it goes.
26:48In 2010,
26:49and the buildup to that WrestleMania
26:51storyline and real life kind of collided.
26:55John Cena is the face of
26:57World Wrestling Entertainment,
26:58and that is what eats at Batista.
27:02This company has decided to label you
27:06as the man.
27:09I think the best rivalries are ones
27:11that are based in reality,
27:13that could bleed into the camera
27:14and on screen.
27:16It always enhances it.
27:17John Cena,
27:19the name and face of the WWE.
27:25Dave's beef with Cena,
27:27I thought was like something
27:28that people could relate to.
27:30He was like really mad that
27:31Cena was the chosen one.
27:33Right.
27:34You know, I mean,
27:35I should be the chosen one.
27:37Commercials.
27:40Perception in this case was reality.
27:43Movies.
27:45Some of those feelings
27:46might have been festering,
27:47but now he could do it
27:48as a full blown heel,
27:49bitter, angry character.
27:51I should be the name and face
27:52of the WWE.
27:54I'm the biggest star in this company.
27:56And it just worked out perfectly.
27:58The timing was now right
28:00to main event WrestleMania.
28:04Come and make it count.
28:11What's up, man?
28:12How are you, buddy?
28:13How's everything going?
28:14Good to see you, man.
28:15Thanks for coming back.
28:16I love it.
28:17WrestleMania is this Sunday.
28:18This is a big deal.
28:19It's going to be fun.
28:20I mean, Batista.
28:22Dude's bad.
28:23He's a badass.
28:24But I think my main man,
28:25John Cena,
28:26is going to come through
28:27and just kick some ass.
28:28He's going to come out victorious.
28:30As much as John Cena and Batista
28:32started on this parallel footing,
28:35as their time in WWE went on,
28:37they only got bigger
28:38and bigger and bigger.
28:40Now you see the John Cena-Batista
28:42rivalry on the late night shows.
28:44You're up against Batista.
28:46Yes.
28:47Look at this guy.
28:48This is, oh my God.
28:49So we finally got to this place
28:51where WrestleMania
28:53became the spot
28:55where these two stars
28:56would become superstars
28:59had to settle it
29:01for the grandest stage.
29:08John Cena and Batista
29:09finally facing off
29:11at WrestleMania 26.
29:13What do you guys remember about that?
29:16I think they had built it up
29:18so perfectly
29:19that it was everything
29:21that the crowd had wanted
29:22and more.
29:25Batista has been craving
29:27the spotlight in recent weeks.
29:31And here tonight,
29:32he comes out
29:33in a lone spotlight.
29:37If you say at WrestleMania 21,
29:39we're hoping that they're going
29:40to carry the company.
29:42Five years later,
29:43WrestleMania 26,
29:44they're going to be headlining
29:45after being champion
29:46all these years,
29:47half a decade.
29:48That's a win.
29:49Solid investment.
29:51You can feel it here tonight,
29:52a big fight feel.
29:57These guys
29:58who started together
30:01who came up together
30:02who were both trying to
30:03find themselves at one point,
30:04they both found themselves.
30:06Batista with a great counter.
30:10Batista back to the mat
30:11with a neck breaker.
30:13And now here they are
30:14at WrestleMania
30:15in front of everybody.
30:19And here comes Cena.
30:24Cena saying,
30:25you can't see me.
30:26Batista down.
30:27Look at Cena.
30:28Cena delivers
30:29the five knuckle shuffle.
30:31Huge crowd.
30:32So again, huge numbers.
30:33We bet on you.
30:34You know that you were
30:35going to draw people
30:36into the biggest show
30:38of them all.
30:39And that's what they did.
30:41Oh no.
30:42Batista connecting.
30:45Here's the cover.
30:46Hook of the leg.
30:47Cena kicked out.
30:50The noise is an indicator.
30:51And there's noise out there.
30:55I think Cena's got him.
30:56Cena's got him.
30:57Cena's got him.
30:58Attitude adjustment.
30:59The biggest I've ever seen.
31:00The cover.
31:01New champion.
31:02No.
31:03Batista kicked out.
31:04What?
31:05And it was that, you know,
31:06big match feel
31:07that we got
31:08finally on the grandest
31:09stage of them all.
31:11We see a new champion.
31:12Batista's in trouble.
31:14Cena's got the STF locked in.
31:19It's over.
31:22John Cena has done it.
31:27And new WWE champion
31:32John Cena.
31:40I got news for you.
31:41I won't have this forever.
31:42I'm going to lose it again.
31:44But to lose the belief
31:46of all those that
31:47give two dams about me
31:49and think when the chips
31:50are down, I'm the guy.
31:51That can't happen.
31:53That didn't happen.
31:54I'm very, very happy about that.
31:58After all that talk
32:03about how you wanted
32:04to take my spot
32:05and called yourself
32:06the face of the company.
32:11You can write a chapter
32:12in the dynasty
32:13of the animal Batista.
32:15You can regain
32:16the WWE championship.
32:18How can he do it, folks?
32:22Rematch.
32:25Ladies and gentlemen,
32:26this is the last
32:28man standing match.
32:30The only way
32:31to win this match
32:32is to incapacitate
32:33your opponent to the point
32:35that he is unable
32:36to answer the referee's
32:37count of ten.
32:42Let's go do it again.
32:44Time to make magic again.
32:47There's the shoulder
32:48knocked down by Cena.
32:49John Cena building momentum.
32:51Wild miss by Batista.
32:53And John Cena's rolling.
32:56I think with the history,
32:57they really, really clicked.
32:59The arena has exploded.
33:01This is unbelievable.
33:06Part of that is
33:07trying to outdo each other,
33:08trying to bring out
33:09the best in each other.
33:10Here comes Cena.
33:11Here comes Cena.
33:15A count of eight.
33:17A count of nine.
33:19Will Batista make
33:20the ten count?
33:23On the A&E app.
33:24A count of eight.
33:26Batista count of nine.
33:28Will Batista make
33:29the ten count?
33:31And he made it up.
33:32He made it up.
33:35For John Cena
33:36and Batista,
33:37we love the matches
33:38because of how creative
33:39they got.
33:40Cena with duct tape.
33:41We get the last man standing.
33:43Yes.
33:44Cena's hard tying Batista.
33:45Where you're going,
33:46how are they going
33:47to continue this sort of
33:49creative role
33:50that they're on?
33:51And they do.
33:52Batista's not getting
33:53out of this.
33:54You can't see me.
33:55But what you can see,
33:56what you can't see
33:57is the WWE champion.
33:59And that would be
34:00Phil John Cena.
34:03And Phil
34:05WWE Champion
34:08John
34:10Cena!
34:22At that point,
34:24as great as Dave Batista was,
34:28he really wasn't getting
34:30to show his true self.
34:32The PG era was not really
34:34conducive to his sensibility.
34:37And
34:38Cena usually got the better of it.
34:41And so,
34:43I would guess that he felt
34:44left behind.
34:51At the time,
34:52I had issues with
34:53WWE creative
34:55because of storylines.
34:56But it's only because
34:58that's how much value
34:59I put into it.
35:00Like, that's what it is.
35:01It's an art form to me.
35:03Whether it's a physical story
35:05or a story you're telling
35:06through performance,
35:08it's a storyline.
35:09And that's what draws me to it.
35:10It's an art form to me.
35:12It's physical performance.
35:13Physical art.
35:16I was much more
35:18business
35:19than creative.
35:20I think Dave was much more
35:21creative than business.
35:23Like, he's very artistic
35:25and I think Dave
35:27wanted more to satisfy
35:29that creative urge.
35:30You know?
35:32I don't know how much more
35:34there was for him to do
35:35in WWE.
35:37Yeah, it was a ballsy decision
35:39because Dave decided
35:40to bet on himself.
35:41Having no acting credits
35:44of merit that people
35:45truly remembered
35:46decided,
35:47unbeknownst to us,
35:48that in a matter of weeks
35:49he would leave a top spot
35:51in WWE
35:52and become an actor.
35:54It was really, you know,
35:56hit or miss as far as
35:57whether this thing
35:58would work out.
36:04For two weeks,
36:06with the WWE Championship
36:08on the line,
36:11I will face Dave Bautista
36:13in an I Quit Match.
36:27That night,
36:28there was a lot of mixed emotions
36:29that were going through my mind.
36:33The following is
36:34an I Quit Match.
36:37The only way to win this match
36:39is to make your opponent
36:40say the words
36:41I quit.
36:43At that time, Dave was
36:44leaving WWE.
36:46It just speaks to his
36:47professionalism because
36:48if I knew I was already
36:49one foot out the door,
36:52I knew I was going to
36:53go on to transition
36:54my skills,
36:55talents and strengths
36:56somewhere else.
37:02I may want to be
37:03protective of myself
37:04while I do that.
37:11But that wasn't Dave.
37:14And that's a feather
37:16in his professional cap
37:17wanting to put on
37:18the best show possible.
37:29Or putting his body
37:30in jeopardy.
37:36To still give the
37:37WWE Universe
37:38what they want to see.
37:41Over who the best is.
37:44John Cena.
37:45The WWE Champion.
37:50I mean it speaks to
37:51the respect that they had
37:52for each other.
37:53You know, even though
37:54there was this rivalry
37:55of them coming up
37:56from the mud together
37:57and trying to be
37:58on the top.
38:00You know what I mean?
38:01We've been to war together.
38:02But I'm going off this way
38:04and I want you to
38:05keep this thing going.
38:06Let me do this for you.
38:07This is supposed to be
38:08your enemy, right?
38:09But you're doing it.
38:10Yeah, it says a lot about Dave.
38:11It's what everybody has done
38:12in the history of this business
38:13that's worthwhile.
38:14Right.
38:15And Dave Bautista
38:16did the right thing
38:17and it's a great button
38:18on the right.
38:19Yeah.
38:21That's what's great about Dave.
38:23Just his ability to keep
38:24everything professional.
38:25There's resentment
38:26when I'm given
38:28some opportunities
38:29and Dave is struggling
38:31to find those opportunities.
38:32But I will tell you
38:33personally,
38:35never once did Dave
38:36treat me any different.
38:38Not just cordial.
38:39Friendly.
38:40Like, empathetically friendly.
38:45Ladies and gentlemen,
38:46please welcome
38:47Bautista!
38:52You know, I'm always a proponent
38:53of, if you know you're leaving,
38:55to make a big splash
38:56and big scene of it
38:57and go out with a bang.
39:05Make it be as memorable
39:06as possible.
39:07You're nothing without me!
39:09This place is nothing
39:10without me!
39:13One could say that
39:14that was
39:15a lot of the beginnings of
39:17us seeing Dave
39:19as he is now.
39:20The ability to
39:21envelop a different personality.
39:24You think I'm kidding?
39:25You think I won't do it?
39:26You think I won't quit?
39:30I quit!
39:32I can't!
39:39That's the beginning
39:40of what we have now.
39:42You'll miss me when I'm gone!
39:44You'll all miss me
39:45when I'm gone!
39:47Little did we know
39:48that this was only the start.
39:50Come on, push!
39:51I think that was Dave
39:52basically saying,
39:53you guys have no idea
39:54what is leaving your company
39:56right now
39:57and what's yet to come.
40:00After moving to Hollywood,
40:02to everyone's surprise,
40:04except probably his,
40:06Batista becomes a legit,
40:08bonafide Hollywood star.
40:12While all of this stuff
40:13is happening for Batista though,
40:15Cena's acting career
40:17would actually start
40:18to take off as well.
40:21They're doing gigantic
40:22box office performances
40:24in these giant movies
40:26and I don't know
40:28if they're looking
40:29at each other's movies
40:30and going,
40:31this was a better year for me
40:33or that my film
40:34was better than this one
40:35or whatever it is.
40:37So I think there's
40:38certain levels
40:39to their rivalry
40:40that can still continue
40:41in Hollywood
40:42even though both of them
40:43have amassed great success.
40:53When you think about
40:55John Cena and Batista
40:57you wonder
40:59if either of them
41:00would have been able
41:01to get as far
41:02as they got to
41:03had it not been
41:05for the other.
41:07Yeah, I think they both
41:09have just had such
41:10incredible careers
41:11but they also help
41:12elevate each other.
41:19Now we do have to
41:20take a serious look
41:21at that rivalry
41:22as like a pillar
41:23of WWE
41:25and I don't think
41:26it was like,
41:27you won.
41:28You know what I'm saying?
41:29I think it's more
41:30of a we won.
41:31I'm happy for John.
41:32He was given
41:33an opportunity
41:34and he just took it and ran.
41:35I mean, how can you
41:36hate a guy for that?
41:37And also,
41:38he was never
41:39unkind to me.
41:40He was never unfair to me.
41:41I treated him
41:42with respect
41:43and he treated me
41:44with respect.
41:45We were just talking
41:46about the very last
41:47thing we did
41:48on the last pay-per-view.
41:49Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
41:50Made it out in one piece.
41:51Yeah.
41:52I got to see him
41:53and I was able
41:54to hug him in person
41:55and tell him
41:56that I'm so proud of him.
41:57They've had his strengths
41:58and he persevered.
41:59So I'm very proud
42:00of these guys.