"The Animal" is headed into the WWE Hall of Fame as it was announced Batista will be part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
The news was first reported by Rachel DeSantis and Lindsay Kimble of People Magazine.
?Vince [McMahon] called me personally to ask me, I was just ? I wasn?t surprised, but I was pretty happy. It?s a good feeling, it?s a really great feeling," said Batista. ?As soon as I hung up the phone, I was ? and excuse my language, I was like, ?S?t, I gotta give a speech.? And that is what I?ve been stressing about since. I don?t think it?s sunk in. And I was thinking about it because I mean, it seems like a long journey, but it also feels like yesterday when I started my career. And it also feels ? because I?m still working so much, it doesn?t feel like an end of a journey.?
Batista lost to Triple H at WrestleMania 35 and retired days after the event. In an interview with Lilian Garcia before WrestleMania 35, Batista revealed he had already asked someone to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame, knowing he would be going in at some point. Batista ended his full-time run in WWE in 2010, transitioning into a successful movie career where he has starred as Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Along with Batista, WWE revealed the New World Order (Sean Waltman, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall) would also be going into the 2020 Hall of Fame class.
The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for Apr. 2 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The ceremony is part of the WrestleMania 36 weekend festivities.