Welcome back to another round of Dark Match Dungeon! Sorry for missing last week, I was all Wrestle Kingdom’d out. But we’re back on schedule this week, with another look to the internet for some old footage of wrestling stars before they became household names. For today’s installment, I figured we’d take a look at everyone’s favorite Bond henchman/guardian of the galaxy, Batista. Here he is as the monster heel LEVIATHAN in a quick squash against Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore. Apologies in advance for the ugly watermark that occasionally pops up.
What To Look For:
- Batista’s chain necklace, which kind of fails to live up to the legacy of Bruiser Brody (and Togi Makabe by proxy)
- Dinsmore’s music, which might as well be accompanied by a “HE’S GOING TO LOSE” TitanTron video
- Batista’s back, shockingly unobscured by tattoos
- Surprising athleticism from both men (Batista’s whiffed bicycle kick and Dinsmore’s huge top-rope dropkick)
This one took place before Monday Night Raw hit the airwaves on May 14th, 2001. Batista was still in WWE’s Ohio Valley Wrestling developmental system with guys like Randy Orton and John “The Prototype” Cena during this time, but would transition to the main roster as D-Von Dudley’s deacon on Smackdown almost exactly one year later. Life’s been pretty good for Batista since then, whether he’s winning titles with Evolution or hanging out with RZA on movie sets. As for Dinsmore… uh, yikes. The less said about the storied career trajectory of Eugene, the better.
