Who would ever forget John Cena and Dave Bautista’s face-off in the ‘I Quit’ match back in 2010? It was one of the most exhilarating experiences that any wrestling fan could ever witness, and truly a match that defined both of their careers.
It seemed fateful that the two powerful heavyweights would lock horns inside the ring, especially after The Animal had repeatedly complained that he should have been the “face of WWE”—a title that Cena pretty much held for a long time.
John Cena defeated Dave Bautista in an unforgettable ‘I Quit’ challenge
John Cena and Dave Bautista worked their way up to becoming WWE superstars, which also landed them the privilege to lead main events. Their success also went beyond the ring as they have proven to be great actors as well. Cena notably starred in DC’s Peacemaker and Batista as Drax in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy—both massive franchises from two of the biggest Hollywood empires right now.
Their rivalry did not start until SummerSlam 2008. While it was a disappointing match, Cena accidentally punching Batista fuelled the animosity between them. In 2010, the latter turned heel which gave him the chance to steal Cena’s title. They would undergo a rematch at WrestleMania 26, with Cena taking back his belt.
In the same year, they had two more fights that ended with Batista biting the dust: the Last Man Standing match and the ‘I Quit’ match. They went toe-to-toe in the main event of Over The Limit 2010 where Cena pulled his terrifying finishing move on The Animal, the Attitude Adjustment.
For about 20 minutes of intense confrontation, neither wanted to yield so Cena took it up a notch. He climbed on top of a car and lifted his opponent on his back, scaring Batista enough for him to declare his surrender. Despite the plea, the Cenation Leader closed the match with a shocking twist—he performed an Attitude Adjustment that buried Batista down the stage.
The Animal left WWE after this match to pursue acting, putting an end to his on-screen feud with Cena and departing from his full-time career in wrestling. It proved to be a good decision, though, as he has found immense success in Hollywood with movies like 2015’s Spectre, 2017’s Blade Runner 2049, and 2021’s Dune.
John Cena and Dave Bautista remained friends after WWE rivalry
They might have been rivals inside the ring, but there were no hard feelings between Cena and Batista. The latter had previously expressed his disinterest in making movies with his fellow wrestler, but he clarified that it’s not personal and he just did not want any issue.
Cena understood this and respected the guy’s decision, even revealing that he does not have any beef with Batista. It is great to hear that none of them hold any grudges and are very supportive of each other’s careers.
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