WWE legend Dave Bautista set to appear in The Jim Henson Company’s live-action monster tale ‘Grendel’

Despite being in his mid-50s, the wrestler-turned-actor has maintained a chiseled physique. It’s nothing but a testament to Batista’s sheer penchant for always being on the move. After all, he’s had one of the most successful transitions to Hollywood; that’s right up there with John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Even though Cena and Rock have been erratic with their sojourns inside the squared circle, Dave’s stayed true to retirement.

Having last wrestled Triple H at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, Batista hanged up his boots for good. Locking horns with his former Evolution stablemate was the last thing Dave wanted out of his prolific tenure in WWE. It remains the Demon of the Deep’s last televised appearance with the Stamford-based promotion. Though he was backstage for the last SmackDown episode of 2022, the Washington-based actor’s stay was transient and confined to backstage.

Why has Dave Bautista not been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame yet?

For the unversed, WWE was originally set to induct Dave Bautista into their Hall of Fame back in 2020. The production unit even rolled out a ton of promotional material for the cause, only for COVID to doom it.

As a result, the Army of the Dead star pulled out of the honor as he was reluctant to dispatch his HOF speech behind closed doors. Three years later, in 2023, WrestleMania went to Hollywood.

The theme was like a match made in heaven for Bautista to return to WWE for his overdue induction. However, his acting commitments precluded that from coming to fruition.

There was a glimmer of hope that the 265-pounder would become a Hall of Famer this year in Philadelphia. However, it was not to be. At this point, there’s no update on when the ex-WWE star will eventually be called upon next.