Weight: 275 lbs.
Finishing Move: The Batista Bomb
Titles Held: 1x World Champ, 2x World Tag Team Champ, 1x WWE Tag Team Champ, 2005 Royal Rumble Winner
Other Aliases: Deacon Batista
Real Name: David Bautista
Batista came to WWE in the spring of 2002, as the guardian of the building fund of Reverend D-von, though he was often more a means for D-von to win more matches when Batista would smash the collection box over the heads of opponents. At Judgment Day, he helped D-von attack his former tag team partner Bubba Ray Dudley. Soon after that, he dropped the Deacon from his name and just went by Batista. After having an argument with D-von, they split up and Batista defeated D-von in August on Smackdown. He jumped to Raw and ran through the lower midcarders. However, he managed to enrage Kane, who was his first real challenge. He defeated Kane at Armageddon.
A short time later, he and Randy Orton joined Triple H and Ric Flair to form the Evolution by helping them attack Scott Steiner. He and Orton also put Goldust out of action by throwing him into a power box and electrocuting him. However, he and Orton both suffered injuries and were put out of action themselves.
Batista did not return until October, when he attacked World Champion Goldberg and left him laying to collect the $100,000 bounty his leader Triple H had offered. Batista cost Steve Austin his job as co-GM of Raw at Survivor Series during the last minutes of an elimination tag match. It was down to Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton. Batista powerbombed Michaels to give Orton the victory. He confronted Shawn a week later, and challenged him to a match at Armageddon. Shawn pulled out the victory at the PPV, and Batista was enraged. Ric Flair calmed him down and they entered the Tag Team Turmoil match at the last minute, dethroning the Dudley Boyz for the belts.