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Today’s Superstar of the Day over WWE.com is none other than “The Animal” Dave Batista. Be sure to check out the photo by clicking below.

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Superstar of the Day: April 20, 2009

Sounds as easy as a leisurely Sunday drive, right? Only if you had to wrestle a bear for the keys.

In a Stretcher Match, there are no pinfalls, no submissions, no count-outs and no disqualifications. Plainly stated, Superstars must pummel an opponent so severely – while maintaining enough strength and coherence – that they’re able to heave their adversary onto a gurney, then roll it across the victory line. This is a match requiring not only stamina and determination but also an utter disregard for your rival’s well-being.

In 2008, a pair of legendary Superstars more than exceeded those requirements. At One Night Stand, Batista took issue with Shawn Michaels for sending their longtime friend and mentor Ric Flair into retirement at WrestleMania XXIV. Toward the end of their classic Stretcher Match, after trading perilous rides on the gurney, The Animal finally wore down HBK, incapacitating him with a back-wrenching Batista Bomb before  hoisting Michael’s limp body aboard the gurney and racing across the yellow line.

In similar, brutal fashion, just five days after the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, the Brothers Hardy resorted to a Stretcher Match in hopes of settling their vicious sibling rivalry. After Matt had prevailed in an Extreme Rules Match at WrestleMania, Jeff felt confident his time had arrived. He zeroed in on his brother with a Swanton Bomb outside the ring, but the elder Hardy evaded the maneuver, causing Jeff to crash land onto the empty, unforgiving gurney. A chair to the skull deblitated Jeff further before Matt rushed the gurney and his unconscious brother over the line.

While the possible injuries in a Stretcher Match are seemingly endless, the stipulations do not necessarily require a Superstar to test their fear of heights or confined spaces. What is unquestionably required, however, is a test of both determination and resolve – a resolve to inflict enough damage on an opponent as to render them incapacitated. As a result, there are few better yardsticks to measure a Superstar’s will – and contempt for an opponent – than the Stretcher Match.

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WWE Related > WWE Digitals > Other Digitals > # 9: List This! Most Extreme Matches

Batista traveled to Japan, the Philippines and Australia last week, spending five days promoting WWE to our overseas fans.

In addition to telling the WWE Universe about the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, Batista, who is recovering from being punted in the head by Randy Orton, as well as optional hamstring surgery, promoted WWE’s upcoming tour of Japan and the annual pay-per-view subscription package.

The Raw Superstar’s promotional tour in Tokyo included two television appearances, 12 print interviews, three sports newspaper interviews, four online interviews, one radio interview and a fan appearance!

Batista talked to Japan’s Rolling Stone and Iron Man magazines; popular entertainment weekly, FLASH; men’s magazine, Lightning; gaming magazine, Fami-tsu; and Weekly Pro-Wrestling magazine. He was also interviewed by Sports Nippon, Tokyo Sports and Daily Sports national newspapers, which boast a circulation of more than 5 million, as well as Metropolis, which is Japan’s largest English language newspaper.

More than 4 million tuned in to Batista’s InterFM radio interview. Batista also spoke to Japanese wrestler Masahiro Chono for a J Sports TV special and appeared on a Samurai TV news program.

Finally, the Raw Superstar met hundreds of members of the WWE Universe at the HMV Shibuya store. It was the store’s most successful meet-and-greet to date.

In the Philippines, thousands of WWE Universe members came out to one of the biggest malls in Manila to see The Animal in person. He also shot some hoops with the Philippines National Basketball Team.

After visiting Manila’s fortress landmark, Intramuros, The Animal also took time to meet with 25 children from Cancer Warriors, a local charity.

Batista participated in more than 25 media interviews in the Philippines, including sessions with various local and national newspapers, radio stations, Men’s Health magazine, Bounce Magazine, Atlas TV Guide, KZone kids magazine, Jack TV and ETC’s ChillSpot. The interviews focused on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, The Animal’s training regimen and recent injury, as well as his Filipino heritage.

Finally, in Australia, Batista participated in radio, television and print media interviews, with Foxtel, Disney magazine and Mercury Mobile. He discussed WWE’s upcoming July tour Down Under, the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and his recovery.

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WWE Related > WWE Digitals > Other Digitals > Batista’s promotional tour of Japan, March 2009
WWE Related > WWE Digitals > Other Digitals > Batista Promotional Tour in Australia, March 2009
WWE Related > WWE Digitals > Other Digitals > Batista’s promotional tour in the Philippines, March 2009

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MANDALUYONG CITY – For Dave Batista, more known for his moniker Batista, wrestling isn’t all about brawny alpha males breaking each other’s backs.

Currently signed up with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Batista was quick to admit to the entertainment aspect of professional wrestling.

“It’s not really so much about the moves you do or stunts you perform. We’re telling stories in the ring – who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy,” the four-time world heavyweight champion told INQUIRER.net in an interview.

“We try to make it as dramatic as possible because that’s what draws the crowd in and makes them emotionally invested in a wrestling match,” he continued.

Batista, who is half-Filipino, half-Greek, is in Manila promoting upcoming WWE events courtesy of local cable channel Jack TV.

He was born David Michael Bautista Jr., and admitted to have been estranged from his father but grew up close his grandfather who passed away 10 years ago.

“My devastatingly handsome good looks,” he answered, jokingly, when asked what distinctively Filipino trait he got from his father side.

“What I have always admired about my grandfather is that he was very driven. He was what you would call a hustler, a go-getter,” he said.

At six feet six, 290 pounds, Batista is all muscle but appeared relaxed and was laughing at times during the interview.

He admits to having shifted from one job to another – including a disastrous stint as a club bouncer that led to him being arrested – before finally heeding the call of professional wrestling.

He credits Ric Flair and teammate-turned-nemesis Triple H for his ascent as one of the most recognizable wrestlers around.

“Being driven is what I would say I got from him [my grandfather]. I’m a living proof that dreams do come true,” he declared.

In many interviews and articles written about him, Batista admits to having lived the hard life, raised in the rough neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.

Using his popularity, Batista said he has always preached the value of education to kids, the same way he has done to his two daughters.

“I consider it to be one of the biggest regrets of my life,” he said. “If I could, I’d probably be making a living off my mind and not beating myself to death.”

This is his third visit to Manila but admits not having done enough to explore his Filipino heritage. He sports a tattoo on one arm, an illustration that merges the flags of Greece and the Philippines into one.

“If anybody here would research about me, I’d love to know about it. I’m pretty sure I have a lot of relatives here,” he said.

Source: inquirer.net

WWE has posted footage on their site of Batista speaking from his hospital bed about the injury and surgery he just had. It’s half shoot and half work as Batista is really selling the head “injury” he received at the hands of Randy Orton’s punt kick from RAW. Batista said he’s had hearing damage, jaw repair work, migraines, disorientation, and other symptoms.

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The recipient of Randy Orton’s infamously wicked punt to the skull on the Dec. 15 edition of Monday Night Raw, Batista was knocked out and put out of action indefinitely due to a head injury. While recuperating from the perfectly directed kick to the head, WWE.com has learned that during his recovery, The Animal has also elected to undergo surgery to repair a hamstring tear. Ironically, the hamstring was injured at SummerSlam, in the same match that World Heavyweight Champion John Cena was forced out of action with a neck injury.

Additionally, Batista underwent a bone graft in his jaw this past Monday, after having two of his teeth forcibly removed due to the punt from Randy Orton.

Just days after being forced to forfeit an opportunity to ultimately contend for the World Heavyweight Title and ascertain revenge against the Legend Killer, Batista traveled to Birmingham, Ala., this past Friday. At the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, The Animal sought to mend a partial tear in his hamstring tendon, under the care of Dr. Jeffrey Dugas – a colleague of Dr. James Andrews, who has performed countless successful surgeries for many Superstars.

According to Dr. Dugas, Batista will remain in Birmingham for several days following his surgery, and is scheduled to begin rehab on Sunday.

Stay logged on to WWE.com and BatistaInfo.com as updates become available on Batista’s surgery and details on his condition.

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Batista’s hamstring surgery, December 2008

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This is a rush transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” December 19, 2008.

SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Now earlier this month WWE wrestlers stepped out of the ring, and they traveled to Iraq to entertain American troops for the holiday season. Now this marks their sixth consecutive trip to the Middle East, and their dedication to our brave men and women in uniform.

And it’s really inspirational, and so inspirational it actually moved President Bush to sent them a special message of thanks. This two-day event was filmed. It’s going to air, by the way, this weekend, on NBC at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Here to talk about it and the whole experience, WWE stars Maria Kanellis and David Batista.

How are you?

MARIA KANELLIS, WWE DIVA: I’m good. Very good.

HANNITY: Nice to see you. Thank you. Very nice to see you.

ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Can you crush his hand when you shake it?

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: No, no, no. Are you a liberal or a conservative?

COLMES: That’s none of your business.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: Well, I just want to know if I’m going to get crushed or he’s going to hit you for me.

DAVE BATISTA, WWE WRESTLER: I got to say that my mom right now is very proud that I’m sitting next to this man, I guarantee you.

HANNITY: Colmes?

COLMES: Isn’t that nice?

BATISTA: Absolutely.

HANNITY: So you.

COLMES: He’s my friend.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: So your mother grew up in San Francisco or Boston?

BATISTA: My mother lives in San Francisco.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: I swear I didn’t know. All right, good guess.

Now, did you — the troops when they see you girls there, come on, that must be a big morale booster?

KANELLIS: It is, definitely. They like to smell us, too, which is rather.

COLMES: Excuse me?

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: You have a particular odor?

KANELLIS: No. We actually smell like girls, not dirt and dust and firearms, and everything that in there.

HANNITY: Hang on a second. Let me smell. Oh yes, you smell like a girl.

KANELLIS: Yes? Thank you. Appreciate it.

BATISTA: There’s not a whole — there’s no fratization on the bases so.

HANNITY: Yes.

KANELLIS: Yes.

BATISTA: (INAUDIBLE) so different.

HANNITY: But listen, you know what, the fact that you guys do this, number one, is terrific, but I — when I was a kid I used to watch wrestling. It’s so tremendously popular. Why is it so popular?

BATISTA: It’s just fun.

HANNITY: Just fun.

KANELLIS: It’s fun.

BATISTA: Yes, it’s pure fun.

KANELLIS: Girls like it, too.

BATISTA: It translates across the world. It’s really easy to figure out, you know? Usually, you’re going to watch it, if you watch it, there’s no sound, there’s a good guy and there’s a bad guy, and you pick which one you want to root for and that’s how.

HANNITY: And that’s how it is. You know, I went to Iraq one time, and I’ve got to tell you something, it really inspired me. You know when you start that twirl down and you corkscrew down, and you think about — as I was thinking as I was going down, what if I was going to be here another year, and when people like yourselves take time out of your busy schedules, you know how impressed I was, it really means a lot to those men and women.

KANELLIS: It does. Definitely. And.

HANNITY: What is it like for you?

KANELLIS: You know, every year it gets better and better.

HANNITY: Yes.

KANELLIS: … for me, because I’ve been over there four times, actually. First time.

HANNITY: Do they all want to date you?

KANELLIS: They ask me to marry them a lot.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: Hi, can you marry me?

KANELLIS: Yes, exactly. Exactly. Something like that.

COLMES: You haven’t accepted any of those invitations, I presume?

KANELLIS: No, I haven’t, you know? I think they’re a little busy over there right now, but the morale of the troops overall is getting better and better. Every time.

HANNITY: Yes. They’re winning.

KANELLIS: … we go over there, we’re seeing — you know, we’re flying in the black hawk helicopters over these schools.

HANNITY: Yes.

KANELLIS: And the Iraqi children are waving at us.

COLMES: They’ve got to be thrilled to see you guys.

KANELLIS: And that’s great.

COLMES: You know, I’m amazed at how — you’ve got to be in great shape, and I’m not going to get into whether or not, you know, what’s real and what’s not real. But to do what you do, just to watch you take the falls you take, you’ve got to be in excellent shape, right?

BATISTA: That’s right. It’s a little rough, yes, but you know, but we — we’re constantly working out and staying in shape. That’s — you know.

HANNITY: Do any of the guys smell you?

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

KANELLIS: He smells good. He’s good. He’s good.

COLMES: No, you’re just weird. That’s just a weird question.

HANNITY: Well, she said they want to smell her.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: Do any of the girls, the female soldiers smell you?

BATISTA: I feel a little uncomfortable right now. But yes.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

COLMES: Has anybody ever asked you before if you want to be smelled?

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: I’ve never had — that’s what people ask.

KANELLIS: I know.

HANNITY: They ask you that?

KANELLIS: Yes, and can I smell you? Can I stand here a little longer?

HANNITY: I — I have — no, I can smell the stench of liberalism almost a mile away.

COLMES: Glad that’s not in this room.

(LAUGHTER)

COLMES: All right. So, Maria, apparently.

HANNITY: All the eyes of the beholder.

COLMES: … is it true that you collect tin lunch boxes?

BATISTA: I do. That’s — my passion. Yes.

COLMES: Now you would — now nobody would ever make fun of you for that, right, twice?

BATISTA: Yes, I have. I don’t care.

KANELLIS: (INAUDIBLE) Ninja Turtle one?

BATISTA: I do not, no.

KANELLIS: No? I have to find you.

COLMES: So now, what — I wonder what happens in the locker room after you’ve been in the ring and you’re at each other. What happens after the match?

(LAUGHTER)

KANELLIS: It depends on how the match went.

BATISTA: We really don’t like to be — you know, too much of the magic. But you know, everybody knows it’s entertainment.

COLMES: Yes.

BATISTA: We are a very family oriented atmosphere in locker rooms.

COLMES: Right.

BATISTA: But you know, we won’t give away too much.

COLMES: I want to know about the real rivalries.

(LAUGHTER)

COLMES: I want to know about people who really hate each other.

BATISTA: It’s very competitive. It’s very competitive.

COLMES: It is competitive.

BATISTA: Absolutely, it’s competitive.

KANELLIS: And it’s always professional, too.

BATISTA: Yes, absolutely.

COLMES: All right. Look, congratulations on what you’re doing for the troops, and we appreciate you coming here and telling us about it.

KANELLIS: Thank you.

BATISTA: That’s right.

COLMES: And have a very happy holiday. Thanks so much for being here tonight.

KANELLIS: Thank you.

HANNITY: Appreciate it very much.

KANELLIS: I love the show.

COLMES: And up next.

BATISTA: Thank you.

Source: foxnews.com

Screen Captures – Digitals – Video – Discuss

Batista came out first for the babyface team. Cole informed us it’s his first trip Tribute tour and he came out sporting camo pants rather than traditional wrestling trunks. Batista waited on the apron, then Rey Mysterio came out and body-surfed into the crowd before entering the ringside area. And finally, World Hvt. champion John Cena, who was sporting a #4 jersey. Cole said it reps the fourth infantry division. Sweet overhead shots of the makeshift arena, by the way.

BIG SHOW & CHRIS JERICHO & RANDY ORTON vs. World Hvt. champion JOHN CENA & REY MYSTERIO & BATISTA

Batista wanted the Batistabomb on Orton early on, but Orton went to the knee and Jericho tagged in to continue working on the knee. Jericho yelled at the troops, then Batista caught him with a Black Hole Slam before tagging in Rey. Jericho reversed a whip, but Rey caught Jericho with a head scissors that sent him onto the middle rope. Rey wanted the 619 on Jericho, but Show stepped off the apron to catch Rey by the legs and whip him into the guardrail. Break time.

Before returning to the ring, a slideshow of the trip was shown with pictures of the wrestlers interacting with the troops. Back to the ring where Jericho was stomping on Rey, who wanted to make that hot tag, but Jericho pulled him back into a neutral control to paint brush Rey. Jericho and Show then started to have an argument about taking out Rey, so Jericho shoved him in the chest.

Show slowly stepped into the ring and went right up to Jericho before giving him a chokeslam. Orton then took a headbutt for good measure and Show decided to leave the ring. Show went AWOL (there’s an Orton military joke in there, but I’ll pass), then Rey was able to make his hot tag to Cena, who cleaned house on Orton and set him up for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena took his time and told Orton “You Can’t See Me” before brushing that dirt off his shoulder to deliver the Knuckle smash. Cena wanted to put Orton away with the FU, but Jericho broke it up.

Action broke down and Orton wanted the RKO on Cena, but Cena shoved him off into Jericho and the heels butted heads. Rey was then in position to hit a double 619. And finally, Batista with a Batistabomb on Jericho and Cena with the FU on Orton simultaneously. Batista and Cena pinned the respective opponents for a double three count for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Team Cena in 10:00.

WWE.com has added more photos of the WWE Superstars and Divas on their way to the Middle East for Tribute to the Troops. Batista is featured in 35 photos.

WWE’s sixth annual Tribute to the Troops program airs Dec. 20 at 9/8 CT on NBC, featuring exciting matches from Raw, SmackDown and ECW Superstars’ live performance in the Middle East. WWE’s mission to bring its unique form of entertainment to the U.S. servicemen and women in Iraq also bridges the American public with those who continue to fight in the name of freedom. Tune in to NBC at 9/8 CT on Dec. 20 for this poignant holiday special.

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Tribute To The Troops 2008