Former WWE Champion Batista announced that he's going to fight for Strikeforce?

rovert

http://www.prowrestling.net/artman/p...10012552.shtml

Former WWE Champion Batista announced that he's going to fight for Strikeforce.

The TMZ cameras caught up with Batista over the weekend and he said he is finished with WWE, and intends to fight for the MMA promotion. "I'm done with WWE," he said.

When asked if he will be fighting for UFC, Batista responded, "Strikeforce." When asked who he will fight, Batista said, "I know, but I'm not telling you." To view the footage, visit TMZ.com.

Powell's POV: This is an incredibly strange decision by Batista, who is starting an MMA career while in his early 40s. He can always go back to WWE, but it would be interesting to see whether a one-sided MMA loss would damage his stock with the company.

Eat your heart out Pudz

scudzilla

All fun and games till someone snaps his arm in 2 :D


Anybody give me some odds on it being Kimbo, PPV gold for numbskulls

rovert

This report casts doubt on it though:

http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/06/2...h-strikeforce/

Early this morning, TMZ.com posted a video in which former WWE star Dave Batista says he'll soon be fighting in mixed martial arts for Strikeforce.

It's not true.

Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani that the organization has not signed Batista.

The 41-year-old Batista recently quit pro wrestling after a multi-year tenure in the WWE during which he was one of the organization's most popular performers.



Share Adding to the believability of the rumor, Batista was seen attending last week's Strikeforce event in Los Angeles. In addition, earlier this year, Affliction released a video of him training at their workout center. However, a jump to major MMA seems an unlikely one for him. Though he has reportedly trained a bit in the past, he does not have any martial arts base to draw on as some other late career changers like current UFC champ Brock Lesnar have.

Lesnar, like Batista, was once a big WWE star before transitioning to MMA, though Lesnar was an accomplished amateur wrestler, capturing the NCAA heavyweight championship before trying his hand at pro wrestling.

Batista may have just been fooling around with the TMZ cameras, as evidenced by his reaction when asked if he would fight Russian legend Fedor Emelianenko.

"I want nothing to do with that dude," he said with a laugh.

Thats the video:
http://www.tmz.com/2010/06/21/dave-batista-wwe-mma-strikeforce-mixed-martial-arts/

Dancor

Bizare news. Im starting to hate MMA for this reason.

@ rovert, Do you know if Dave has any fighting background at all? Or was he just a body builder before WWE.

EDIT: Just seen the above post. Thank god its not true.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

He'd be subbed in the first minute I'd say. Wouldn't like to get a box off him all the same.

rovert

Dancor wrote: »

Bizare news. Im starting to hate MMA for this reason.

@ rovert, Do you know if Dave has any fighting background at all? Or was he just a body builder before WWE.

EDIT: Just seen the above post. Thank god its not true.

Nothing bar a bit of Filipino stick fighting.

If it is true trust me it would be comedy gold.

Gerard.C

He would have a punchers chance against any of the fighters in Strikeforce

MrStuffins

Gerard.C wrote: »

He would have a punchers chance against any of the fighters in Strikeforce

Since when is he a puncher?

I wouldnt write this off! With the companies like Strikeforce playing catch up, they'll put on any fight that will put buns on seats!

Batista is famous enough. After all, these are the same guys who let Hershel Walker fight some empty vessel live on TV!

rovert

Gerard.C wrote: »

He would have a punchers chance against any of the fighters in Strikeforce

Before or after he tears a bicep? :pac:

Kieran81

did he say he had no martial arts backround or was that the reporter saying it, I remember reading an interview with him a few years back and mma came up in the conversation, something along the lines of what was his opinion on the current fad of wrestlers using mma ''moves'' in their matches (the undertakers triangles etc) and he said he didnt approve and that he actually trains in bjj , but thought it wasnt right to bring it to the wrestling ring. anyhow its been a couple of years at least since i read a wrestling mag , so that'd give me the impression he at the very least a few years jitz under his belt.... still cant see him lasting pissing time wit anybody of decent standard though his body must be a wreck after all that wrasslin

Gerard.C

rovert wrote: »

Before or after he tears a bicep? :pac:

Before the tear, after giving his opponent the thumbs down of doom

rovert

Kieran81 wrote: »

did he say he had no martial arts backround or was that the reporter saying it, I remember reading an interview with him a few years back and mma came up in the conversation, something along the lines of what was his opinion on the current fad of wrestlers using mma ''moves'' in their matches (the undertakers triangles etc) and he said he didnt approve and that he actually trains in bjj , but thought it wasnt right to bring it to the wrestling ring. anyhow its been a couple of years at least since i read a wrestling mag , so that'd give me the impression he at the very least a few years jitz under his belt.... still cant see him lasting pissing time wit anybody of decent standard though his body must be a wreck after all that wrasslin

Quite right:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRTPeh6mgRY

Gerard.C wrote: »

Before the tear, after giving his opponent the thumbs down of doom

Either way fireworks are guaranteed

Butch Cassidy

rovert wrote: »

Nothing bar a bit of Filipino stick fighting.

If it is true trust me it would be comedy gold.

Oh dear haha! It would indeed be hilarious.

I know WWE have some kinda no-fight clause in their contracts or whatever but other than Brock surely there's no one else that could really be a credible contender? (in terms of both ability AND status/celebrity). I note Kurt Angle was muttering something about MMA again a while ago. Deary deary me

funky_buddah

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

I note Kurt Angle was muttering something about MMA again a while ago. Deary deary me

Yeah, it's not like he's an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling or anything :rolleyes:

There's a fair few professional wrestlers with outstanding amateur wrestling credentials, such as Jack Swagger, Shelton Benjamin and Dolph Ziggler, combined with the fact they remain in great shape from their physically demanding career it's not completely absurd to think they could transition to MMA.

Butch Cassidy

funky_buddah wrote: »

Yeah, it's not like he's an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling or anything :rolleyes:

There's a fair few professional wrestlers with outstanding amateur wrestling credentials, such as Jack Swagger, Shelton Benjamin and Dolph Ziggler, combined with the fact they remain in great shape from their physically demanding career it's not completely absurd to think they could transition to MMA.

My sarcasm at Angle's comments every few years about going into MMA have to do with the man's health. He's too old and more importantly too unhealthy to try MMA. The man would get seriously hurt. If I remember rightly, the last time Angle wrestled competitively was 1996.

I would agree it's entirely possible for another cross-over MMA fighter from pro-wrestling but not at the level Brock is at for the reasons I outlined. His case was very unique. He was popular with a certain demographic that switched from wrestling to MMA. Batista's highest level of exposure came after the predominantly male teen+ audience switched to MMA/UFC around 2005-2007. Bobby Lashley wasn't really at the level Brock was in WWE in terms of status in the company etc.

calex71

pfffffffffffff he's lose @ mma for certain, sure the batista bomb would likely count as spiking an opponent and so illegal under mma rules. He'd have no finishing move to do after the thumbs down, he'd be KO'd while standing there wondering what to do then. Unless Dana would distract the ref, while Goldie slips him a steel chair, I'd actually watch that

As for the story , props to the guy for taking the piss out of tmz

racso1975

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Oh dear haha! It would indeed be hilarious.

I know WWE have some kinda no-fight clause in their contracts or whatever but other than Brock surely there's no one else that could really be a credible contender? (in terms of both ability AND status/celebrity). I note Kurt Angle was muttering something about MMA again a while ago. Deary deary me

Two words...................

HULK

HOGAN

rovert

racso1975 wrote: »

Two words...................

HULK

HOGAN

He has claimed he did MMA in Japan in the 1980s, actually. Pro Wrestling over there is real apparently, brother.

Here it is

HULK HOGAN FOUGHT IN PRIDE!!!!!: That's right kids, I bet you didn't know that! I remember a while back that I told you the story of how Verne and Greg Gagne "supposedly" came up with the original idea for the UFC. That was a fun story and it contained numerous factual errors that were fun to read. Now if you follow wrestling at all, you know that Hulk Hogan is famous for his "stories" and grand exaggerations. From there being a BAJILLION people at WrestleMania III and Andre the Giant being 900lbs to him tearing all of the muscles in his back when he slammed the giant and the fact that he was supposed to be the man behind the George Foreman grill, they are all great stories. But this one, this one actually takes the cake. When Hogan was doing some media a while back, he started telling stories of his days in Japan and went onto talk about having to SHOOT on guys that didn't want to cooperate with you in the ring. But what does this have to do with MMA? Hogan claimed that in his early career that he fine-tuned his SHOOTING while working for PRIDE in Japan. Back in the late 70's and early 80's, before it was known as MMA and the fights were held in secret, he was SHOOT FIGHTING for PRIDE. Apparently no one told Hulk that PRIDE held their first show in 1997. Thanks Hulk, you make my job so easy…

http://www.411mania.com/MMA/columns/128141

Jayo_M

In fairness to Hogan, he's noted as being a pretty legit catch wrestler back in the day, and did have to deal with a lot of Japanese wrestlers trying to shoot on him.

MrStuffins

Jayo_M wrote: »

In fairness to Hogan, he's noted as being a pretty legit catch wrestler back in the day, and did have to deal with a lot of Japanese wrestlers trying to shoot on him.

This Pride story is all true!

Didn't you know that he was to Atomic Leg Drops what Cro Cop is to Leg Head Kicks?

rovert

MrStuffins wrote: »

This Pride story is all true!

Didn't you know that he was to Atomic Leg Drops what Cro Cop is to Leg Head Kicks?

Butch Cassidy

Jayo_M wrote: »

In fairness to Hogan, he's noted as being a pretty legit catch wrestler back in the day, and did have to deal with a lot of Japanese wrestlers trying to shoot on him.

I've a documentary DVD where he says that when he was learning how to wrestle these legit shooters bait the shoite outa him and broke his leg. He always tells that story actually.

rovert wrote: »

Must've been years before he had a bod like that! Now he's just got this bizarre expanding muscluar looking belly.

Professey Chin

^^
Thats pure awesomeness in picture form

MrStuffins

rovert wrote: »

That's amazing! If i could thank that a million times i would!

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Must've been years before he had a bod like that! Now he's just got this bizarre expanding muscluar looking belly.

Hulk or Mirko?

Bres

If batista wants to fight mma he's gonna need more then just muscle, i know he trains like a horse but he'd still have a fair way to go before thinkin of fighting... I remember training with a lad twice the size of him who was a greco wrestler, scaringly strong... He anialated lads in the finals in the olympics and won gold... Then if had an mma fight and got knocked out, he looked so clueless... His name was karem campbell i think, awesome dude!

rovert

Bres wrote: »

If batista wants to fight mma he's gonna need more then just muscle, i know he trains like a horse but he'd still have a fair way to go before thinkin of fighting... I remember training with a lad twice the size of him who was a greco wrestler, scaringly strong... He anialated lads in the finals in the olympics and won gold... Then if had an mma fight and got knocked out, he looked so clueless... His name was karem campbell i think, awesome dude!

Karam Gaber?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59YNXojXe_4

Classic case of a Wrestler who has fallen in love with his new toy of stand up. Taking some stand up training then thought he was stand up fighter. :rolleyes:

Anakin.S

The only reason that ex wwe fighters get signed for MMA is ticket sales

MrStuffins

Anakin.S wrote: »

The only reason that ex wwe fighters get signed for MMA is ticket sales

Or that coupled with them being complete monsters (Brock)

rovert

From UFC 116 Conference Call re: Batista:

Get in line, everybody and their dog wants to get into fighting. Next question. We're talking about a heavyweight championship fight, not some wannabe.

Bitchy!

MrStuffins

rovert wrote: »

Bitchy!

........ but true!

Butch Cassidy

Anakin.S wrote: »

The only reason that ex wwe fighters get signed for MMA is ticket sales

Absolutely. That was the case with Brock until he showed that he could actually fight!

Bres

hahha... so hoped no-one would cop that i got the name mixed up with that i got karam mixed up with kareem the skateboarder... man im a douche... how embarassing...

DeVore

did anyone do like me; read the subject line and think "good."

DeV.

Bres

he's a pretty fit dude though... i think the main place he will lack is technique...

ScottStorm

Has anybody watched the video when Batista said "Strikeforce"? personally I saw it a couple of days ago and am not bothered to watch it again, but my first thought was he had a little to drink and some dick came up to him with a camera and a microphone and asked if he was going to sign for the ufc, he said "no strikeforce". I didn't think he has any pretentions towards competing in mma.

I'm sure some other dick came up to him asking if he was going to film any hollywood movies, he no doubt replied that he was.

rovert

Batista nose ring and all talking about wanting to be legit, training with the Gracies and Strikeforce.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQgrH72VEIc

I must say he really does sound sincere and likable here.

By the by Batista last week did a really touching cancer awareness video that is really worth watching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQAk8G0jInw

TechnoPool

he's starting at 41 so i dont think we or him will expect too much, but GL to him and i look forward to seeing his fight

Mr. Plow

Bres wrote: »

he's a pretty fit dude though... i think the main place he will lack is technique...

I would think he'd be a bit like pudzianowski- strong but he'll gas

Tones69

Never know, he could be handy enough, looks well for 41 to be fair

MrStuffins

Tones69 wrote: »

Never know, he could be handy enough, looks well for 41 to be fair

He's just a Body-Builder. They might build up to a Batista v Hershal Walker match and stick it on TV for max exposure!

Tones69

MrStuffins wrote: »

He's just a Body-Builder. They might build up to a Batista v Hershal Walker match and stick it on TV for max exposure!

Have you seen him fight? Rich Franklin was JUST a teacher at one point too, turned out to be one of the best middleweights in the world, and peeps said the same about brock when he announced he wanted to do mma. To give Batista credit Hes a top level pro athlete and he could be handy in a couple of areas, u never know til u see him fight

MrStuffins

Tones69 wrote: »

Have you seen him fight? Rich Franklin was JUST a teacher at one point too, turned out to be one of the best middleweights in the world, and peeps said the same about brock when he announced he wanted to do mma. To give Batista credit Hes a top level pro athlete and he could be handy in a couple of areas, u never know til u see him fight

Dude, seriously?

You can't compare Brock, a top of the pile Champion Wrestler, to Dave Batista, a 41 year old Actor/Body Builder. The guy has NO Amateur Wrestling experience (to the best of my knowledge).

And Franklin didn't just jump from being a teacher to being MW Champ of the World.

Your logic is flawed Sir!

cowzerp

As a 41 year old celebrity, Actor/Bodybuilder i see him losing to any average MMA strikeforce fighter, his experience of crowds means he wont be fazed by that but his lack of fight skills will be his undoing..

Now keep this about Batista and not a pro wrestling debate

callaway92

tbh I think it was a good time for him to get out of the PW business with more sad news like this

RIP btw, the guy was a great wrestler and person I thought

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055999089

Jarren

http://mmabadass.com/?p=6752

Enjoy it ..:D