Exclusive interview: Batista tells all on his wild return

WWE.COM: Do you think you’ll get back in the ring after you’re done promoting the movie?

BATISTA: We’ve already been talking about that. We were talking about when I would come back before I even left. I don’t feel like my career is over. I felt better leaving this time than when I got in, because I came in with an injury and I left feeling healthy as can be. It’s hard for me to leave now because I feel like I was just hitting my stride. I think a lot of people forgot I was away from wrestling for four years, and it took me a couple months to really start getting in touch with the audience because it’s a completely different audience, man. It was really weird for me at first. I just started finding my stride, so it’s weird for me to leave, but I don’t feel like my career is even close to over, man. I got a lot of good matches, and hopefully it’ll work out.

WWE.COM: Any guys off the top of your head you want to compete against?

BATISTA: Absolutely. Right off the top of my head, Bray Wyatt. Love him. Of course, Roman Reigns. Ambrose, I love Dean Ambrose. I think they need to elevate him a little bit. I’d like to see him in more singles matches. Daniel Bryan. I’d like a long-term rivalry with Daniel Bryan. And, of course, Triple H. I’ve said for years and years, I want to go back to WrestleMania with Triple H. I’d like to be that my retirement match.

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WWE.COM: And when you do come back, are the WWE fans going to cheer you or boo you?

BATISTA: They might cheer me for a minute or so.[Laughs] They’ll boo me. I don’t know, I’m the guy they love to hate and I don’t mind playing that role. It’s a good thing. I have more fun in that role, it’s my comfort zone, I know how to be that guy. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes I want to do stuff that I know would get them excited, I know would get them amped up, but I have to tone it down because I don’t want them to like me. And sometimes I think they lose sight of that. It’s like, “Oh, Batista, you got old, can’t do this anymore, can’t do that,” and it’s like, “Yes I can!” But I’m not gonna give it to you, because I know that you’ll cheer me. And I don’t want you to cheer me.