By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Dave Bautista announced his retirement from pro wrestling early Monday morning following WrestleMania 35. “Thank you for letting me entertain you,” Batista wrote on social media. “I love this business and whether you cheered me or jeered me, I’m grateful for being a small part of your life. I am officially retired from sports entertainment and I am grateful for every second of my amazing journey.”
Powell’s POV: Congratulations to Bautista on his career and many accomplishments. It’s also good to know that he was able to go out the way he wanted to based on things he said and wrote about this scenario even prior to the launch of his swan song storyline with Triple H.
@WWEUniverse Thank you for letting me entertain you. I love this business and whether you cheered me or jeered me, I’m grateful for being a small part of your life. I am officially retired from sports entertainment and I am grateful for every second of my amazing journey ✌🏼
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) April 8, 2019
Check below for the new Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and guest John Thorne, who discusses promoting the AIW Slumber Party Massacre from the Thursday of WrestleMania weekend (available via VOD on FITE TV), being a small fish in the big WrestleMania weekend pond, his long history with Johnny Gargano, and much more.
If he was planning to retire, then why didn’t WWE make the match career vs. career? That would have made far more sense than the odd stipulation they actually used AND Batista could have had a nice sendoff in the ring.
Uh they did make it career vs career, said that several times leading up to the match and during the match on commentary as well.