Dave Bautista Says He Was In Talks With WWE About Teaming With Ronda Rousey At WrestleMania 34

Just prior to WrestleMania 34, Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Dave Bautista was in talks with WWE about being Ronda Rousey’s partner in the Mixed Tag Team Match against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 34 before the decision was made for it to be Kurt Angle. Bautista did a radio interview last week and said that he was talking with WWE about teaming with Rousey, but they fell through after the company suddenly stopped talking to him.

“This is all insider stuff, and I usually don’t share,” Bautista said in an interview with Chad Dukes of 106.7 The Fan. “I’m really an old-school kayfabe guy. But they reached out to me earlier this year to possibly come back and do that thing with Ronda (Rousey).”

“And I said that I would be willing to do it only if we teased something for me and Hunter to go to Mania next year,” he added. “And they said, ‘Yeah, that would be great. I love that idea.’ And I said, ‘Well, that’s great. I’ll come back a few times during the year, and we’ll tease it, and we’ll work it and we’ll milk it. And we’ll go to Mania, me and Hunter, next year.’ Oh, I love that idea. Let’s do it!”

“And so we literally talked for about like three weeks and then they just stopped calling me,” Bautista went on. “I sent a text to Hunter. I was like, ‘Hey man, I don’t know if you put any more thought into what’s going on. I’m really excited about the possibilities.’

“And I literally never heard back from them. They just stopped talking to me about it. Man, I don’t know what else I can do to try to… I want to end my career the right way. I’m faithful and loyal to the WWE. I’m proud of being from there and I want to do good business with them, but they just don’t make it easy. You know, they just don’t.”

Batista added that if he can not get a deal finalized or worked out with WWE, he will have to hang up his wrestling boots for good once he turns 50 years old next January.

“I told them next year would be my last year. I’m turning 50 next year. I’d be willing to… I feel great. Physically, I’m in great shape. I’ve never let up on that.”

“But I just don’t want to be the old guy in the ring and I don’t want to overstay my welcome,” he said. “I just want to end my career the right way and next year will be the last opportunity, so if we can’t make something happen by next year, then I’m just gonna officially hang it up.”

“I’m doing okay for myself, so I don’t need to be there,” he added. “I just, I love it there. Even though the fans totally crapped on me the last time I was there, I would still go back in a heartbeat and love to entertain them, and I would have fun doing it, man. I’d be happy to be there. But, I just don’t get it, man. I don’t get that company. I just don’t understand.”

You can listen to the interview here.