Training Part 3: Fit Finlay

So even after hitting it big the WWE realizes that Batista still doesn't really know what he is doing, so they give him to Finlay as his pet project.

Batista has nothing but good things to say about Finlay (as does everyone else he has ever trained), and, to his credit, Batista also knows that he needs the work. He says that he learned more in two days with Finlay than he did in two years at OVW. Ouch. Cornette was pissed.

Training Part 2: Enter Leviathan

His work with Afa helped Batista get a spot in OVW. This brought a paycheck of $650 per week and the role of Leviathan! Leviathan was a monster from the sea, an unkillable beast, who squashed everyone he went against. I personally think that he should have kept this character. Sure, it's pretty old school, but he and the Undertaker could have fought some great matches as supernatural, unkillable monsters.

Interestingly enough, Batista mentions that his OVW matches never lasted for more than 2 minutes, so he didn't really learn that much about in-ring technical maneuvers.

The wrestling companies do it to themselves; they love big men wrestling, and they train them properly in the minors, but once they get into the ring they give them great moves like spear, choke-slam, power-bomb, and, let's not forget, the big boot.

A lot of future superstars were in OVW the same time: Sheldon Benjamin, Randy Orton, and Brock Lesnar. Batista regrets Brock leaving the WWE before he hit it big; in his mind a Batista/Lesnar match would have been legendary. Well, it would have been better than Goldberg/Lesnar.

Training Part 1

To start his wrestling career, Batista trained with Afa Anao'i. Afa was one half of the legendary Wild Samoans tag team in the 1980's. He also managed the Headshrinkers and, most recently, trained Mickey Rouke for his Oscar-nominated role in The Wrestler.

This adds credence to my theory that every professional wrestler is trained properly and could perform all sorts of moves if they so wished.

Anyway, Batista's time with Afa helped him get his foot in the door with the WWE and a contract with Ohio Valley Wrestling.

The Power Plant

Back in its heyday WCW had a training facility in Atlanta named the Power Plant. They had what was essentially open auditions for anyone who wanted to try to be a wrestler.

Like many huge bouncer/football player/body builder Batista thought that it would be easy for him to stroll right in and became a professional.

The lead trainer had other ideas. Sarge (as he was known) pushed Batista to the limit with calisthenics. So far, in fact, that Batista threw up and was forced to continue while standing in a pool of his own vomit. Then Sarge told him to go home; he didn't have what it took to be a professional: no heart.

Batista surmises that Sarge could be one of the reasons that WCW failed; if they passed on a man who would headline Wrestlemania in a few years with Batista, who else did they miss? (An interesting theory, but flawed in many ways.)

This story does give all of the youth reading this scholarly effort a good piece of advice: sometimes you need to ignore the people who tell you to give up.

Young Love

After explaining his childhood, Batista tells the reader about his young adulthood. Married and a father at 18 and divorced shortly after. He talks about his marriage being a big mistake, and he notes that his kids were the only good thing to come of it.

He talks about working as a bouncer, a lifeguard, and getting into trouble with the law for beating up people while working as a bouncer and a lifeguard.

He also talks about his second marriage; it was a quick civil affair and after the ceremony he and his wife ate chili dogs and gatorade from a stand on the street. They ate that meal every year on their anniversary.

Now, I would not recommend to anyone who is planning a wedding to choose a similar menu for their reception, but I appreciate the romantic nature of continuing the tradition of enjoying a crummy, nitrate-laden meal.

Favourite Wrestler

When Batista was a child his favourite wrestler was the Warlord

This came as no surprise.

Lesson of the day

I am not completely sure, but I think that Batista may have written this book for children or people who have been in a coma for decades and they don't know anything that happened in world during that time.

"KISS was a hot rock band at the time. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss were the band members. They wore face paint, played heavy metal, and were huge at the time."

If you don't know who KISS is I'm not sure that you require such an in depth, and superfluous, explanation. By telling the reader that they were hot at the time you don't really need to follow up two sentences later with huge at the time. There is a lot of padding in this book.