Batista has been up against a who's-who list of WWE Superstars such as Triple H, John Cena and The Undertaker just to name a few.
But The Animal and current budding actor — with roles in Guardians of the Galaxy and the James Bond film Spectre — has also had significant WWE bouts that have flown under the radar. Until now, that is.
WWE's weekly "5 Things" segment today takes a look at five of Batista's rarest opponents.
Right off the bat, WWE hits hard with the feature, showing that one Batista battle that you may have forgotten is that between him and another animal in the form of one Bill Goldberg. During the time, back in 2003, Triple H had put a $100,000 bounty on anyone who could put Goldberg out of action. Well, ever the opportunist, Batista, took Triple H up on the offer, shattering Goldberg's ankle with a steel chair on Monday Night Raw, setting up a heated feud between them weeks later.
Another forgotten Batista feud occurred on SmackDown on New Year's Day back in 2010, when Batista had 7 minutes to defeat R-Truth to earn a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight title. The Animal toyed with R-Truth for most of the match, pummeling him at will and dragging out the fight, using a Batista Bomb and attempting to pin his inferior opponent in the final 5 seconds. A bit too cocky there, Batista ... and it cost him when Rey Mysterio interfered, causing Batista the loss.
Perhaps, part of what Batista will always be remembered for during his tenure with the company was his place in Evolution, alongside the likes of Ric Flair, Triple H and Randy Orton. Well, part of that membership had Batista, turning on Triple H, before setting his sights on mentor Ric Flair in March 2005.
The "5 Things" segment highlights just that moment in time, showing how Batista dismantled Flair, before unforgettably taking Triple H's signature sledgehammer and breaking it over his knee in a demonstration of brute force.
As surprising as some of those moments were to relive and remember, the No. 1 spot was the biggest shocker, flashing back to Batista's brief battle with Scott Steiner back in 2003.
To see Batista's rare opponent that we didn't name, watch the segment below.
