Audience with The Animal
The Sun Online interview with Batista
October 15, 2005
The LilsBoys: When we interviewed you before WrestleMania you said Smackdown
made you "sick" and that some of the stars were "not there to work" - did you get much heat for those comments?
Batista:
Oh yes - tons of heat!
I got lectured by Vince McMahon, The Undertaker and all the way down. I had good friends who
just turned on me. Well, I thought they were good friends. Some of them are not with the company now.
But I spoke
from my heart then and I still feel that today.
Maybe I chose the wrong forum to voice that opinion but I was speaking
from the heart.
When we were having that discussion we were talking about the competition between Raw and Smackdown.
I didn't mention anybody on Raw, but there were guys on Raw I had the same sentiment about - who were absolutely lazy,
had no passion and I thought should not be there.
The same goes now. I'm putting my foot in my mouth again but I still
think there are guys on both shows who are lazy, couldn't care less and show no dedication. But we're slowly weeding those
guys out.
I want everybody in this company to work as hard as me, Triple H and The Undertaker do. I want them to sack
the guys who lack the passion for this business and this company - I don't want them to be part of my show. Some of the guys
who I think should be on their way out the door are still being given opportunities to shine, and it's up to them to take
the bull by the horns and show that they really want to be out there.
Then there are some guys, like
Christian,
who are dying for that chance and aren't being given that opportunity.
I'm a huge fan of
Christian - I enjoy
every aspect of his work, the fans love and appreciate him, he has a great attitude, awesome work ethic, is always in shape
and is very smart about the business. I feel very strongly that he's underutilised.
