Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
WWE star’s sulk is blow for fans
Tuesday 24th April 2007, 11:50AM BST.
Young Black Country wrestling fans were left disappointed when an American wrestling superstar refused to speak to them or have pictures taken, it was claimed today.
Hundreds turned out to see wrestler Batista appear at Woolworths in Wolverhampton yesterday.
The store had been running a promotion where youngsters were given a prized ticket to meet the 6ft 5in giant after buying any WWE merchandise from there.
Queues snaked outside the store, with many youngsters taking the afternoon off school to catch a glimpse of the former WWE heavyweight and tag team champion just hours before he appeared in the ring in Birmingham as part of the WWE world tour.
But one of those, Sedgley youngster Kyle Peplow, went home in tears after his meeting with his wrestling idol.
Kyle’s dad Colin, of Sedgley Hall Avenue, said the way youngsters had been treated was “disgraceful”.
He said: “Kyle got a ticket and couldn’t sleep the night before, he was so excited at meeting Batista and he had the afternoon off school. All his mates were telling him how jealous they were.
“But when he got there we were told Batista would only be signing WWE merchandise. We queued for nearly two hours and he signed a WWE book, didn’t even look at him or say a word and that was it. His mum was trying to take a picture of the two on the mobile phone but his bouncers kept standing in the way to stop it.
“And he refused to sign a birthday card that Kyle had taken in because it is his birthday in three weeks.
“I think it is absolutely disgraceful for a man who is loved by so many kids to behave like this. We go down to the Wolves training ground all the time and they can’t do enough for us. If they can make the effort I don’t see why a jumped-up bloke in tights can’t do the the same. Kyle couldn’t stop crying.”
The 6ft 5ins hulk was promoting last night’s Wrestlemania Revenge Tour at Birmingham’s NEC Arena which saw Batista take on perennial favourite Undertaker. Limited tickets were available for the meet and greet session at Woolworths with the first 500 shoppers to buy WWE merchandise gaining access to see the star in the flesh. Amy Miller, 17 and Pete Stevens, 21, were one of the first to arrive outside Woolworths at 5am.
Pete, from Sandwell said he had waited for years to meet Batista, but admitted he did seem a little “jetlagged” when signing his autograph. “I didn’t say much and he looked a bit jetlagged to be honest.” Woolworths spokesman Daniel Himsworth said: “Woolworths is extremely disappointed that its customers were disappointed by the WWE superstar.”
But WWE’s Ross Walker said said two hours would normally be allocated for such a signing, but yesterday’s session had to be cut to an hour because of transport problems.
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Perhaps this was steroid rage, jetlag is no excuse – you earn the big bucks you should at least be polite and ameniable to the fans that pay your wages.
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this is typical of the wwe, they don’t care about the fans, as long they get the money, they don’t care about anything else. I was there myself waiting for 2 1/2 hours and to tell you the truth i wish i didn’t bother. I mean Batista didn’t even look up when he signed my dvd cover, not even an hello, but only just had to effort to shake my hand. And they had the nerve to turn up 1/2 an hour late and without an apology, i’ve been to other fan signings and got treated better than this. wwe should be ashamed of themselves.
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Sooo angry with batista. Bearing in mind i am 16 years old i was so excited to see him. Could not wait. I so badly wanted a pic ture with him. When i seen him he didnt even look at me. I wasnt even alowed a picture with him. All them excited fans to see him and we dont even gat a “hello”. What a disgrace. Nevr been more dissapointed in my life. Dont know how the younger kids must feel.
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My Daughter spent alot of money on Batista merchandice that week,& not just for one item!.It was the other parents children i felt sorry for.My daughter is all grown up now,so it wasnt so upsetting for her,disappointed is the term we used.It was like we were on a conveyor belt.Me & my daughter had been queing since just before 10am & there was 4 people before us,it was all over within a matter of a seconds,not even a chance to press the button on our camera.I must admit,we had a good night at the Smackdown thou at the Nec,at least he was in a better mood then!.A big thankyou to the photographer who put us on the photo,cool!.
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Well They Might, but they have travelled everyday the past three weeks throughput europe to the fans in ITaly, Germany and now the United Kingdom, so that might be why Dave Batista was stressed and tired, as they are thousands of miles away from their loved one and after this he had to go and train, get to the N.E.C and perform, so do not judge them by this because they have one of the hardest lifes in any perfession
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i think you need to get off the aniamls case!
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i meant anaimal
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I was in the que for 2 hours i couldn’t wait to see Batista because i have never seen a famous person in my life when i got there there was no hello or goodbye just a stupid signed autograph but i stilled enjoyed myself because it was huge
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Jet lag from Cardiff thats a new one. The wrestlers have been in Europe for a week so I dont think jet lag would be an issue.
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Having met Dave Bautista outside of the confines of a WWE event, I can assure everyone that he is an egotistical berk, and his undeserved success has only inflated his ego, so this was of little surprise to me.
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Batista was acting like Wolverhampton was below him and he was the best thing in the store. I’ve seen John Cena’s autographs sessions and others on Youtube and they actually smile and shake people’s hands. He could have atleast took his sunglasses of so we could see him properly.
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That’s nothing new. I went to a signing at Virgin in Cardiff in 2005 and Carlito was very rude and ignorant. He never said a word, although Dawn Marie (who was also there) was very nice (then she got sacked) and all of the other wrestlers I’ve met have been friendly and polite. I think it’s especially bad when there’s little kids involved. Batista may have been tired or whatever but it’s the fans who are keeping him in a job by buying his merchandise and watching the TV shows.
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Maybe if someone had done their research, they’d know that Batista was in Cardiff the day before…and had been in Europe ten days already. No jet lag at all. Meet-greets are basically a part of the job that most of the stars hate doing. I think Batista could have been more friendly yes, but I have no sympathy for a man that takes his child out of school to meet a wrestler. The real story here is about people that don’t value their children’s education
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Was gutted,, I’m in the picture behing the Indian lad.
Waited near 5 hours to meet the guy and he is just a dissapointment
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i heard about the tna expirence and they would bend over backwards for you every second there was something going on this is really disopointing
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The WWE do take care of their fans, I have countless photos of myself and Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, The Rock, Mick Foley, John Cena and other’s that have been taken throughout the years.
Let’s see you go through what they go through and then see if you’d look up when signing anything.
Put yourself in their shoes before you judge them.
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that’s one difference between cena and batsita
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I’ve dealt with the same situations before but not from the WWE superstars. I met Lex Luger and Kevin Nash some years ago and it was the biggest waste of time. The same thing happened. They treated the kids like crap and wouldn’t take pictures or make any eye contact. I guess when the ego kicks in, some clowns actually believe that they are just better than everybody else.
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you maybe forgetting this man over nearly a month ago was world champ and had the whole world agaist him and has been fieghting his ingures from the match with the undertaker. even tho batstia didn’t say anything i was exsteamly happy just to get within a foot of a former world champion
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It all boils down to the individual. Say what you will about John Cena, but he regularly goes above and beyond the call of duty when interacting with the fans. If Batista can’t deal with the fans, he should find another line of work, because these fans are the ones who put food on the table for him. The rumours about Batista being in the business mainly for the women don’t seem so far fetched now.
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im not surprised at this story to be honest i have been a wwe fan all my life but was dissapointed at how the uk fans have been treated since the wwe stars came over here, myself my brother and a friend went to the earls court raw taping yesterday and the show was fantastic dont get me wrong but the thing that upset us and a lot of other fans that turned up is that not one single wwe superstar turned up afterwards or before to sign autographs or have pictures taken we were told by several people that they were going to an after show party and they all dissapeared as quickly as they could in cars with blacked out windows, i think it is a disgrace considering how much people have to pay to see the shows that nobody bothered to sign autographs that when some superstars do sign autographs they dont seem to think about how much time and money the fans spend trying to get to autograph singings and shows to meet them i think it is a disgrace
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Dude, you try touring nationally and internationally for weeks on end, and then have to do a two hour autograph signing. You’d be just as worn out as Batista was. Now I believe he could have at least said hello to some people, or at least signed that kid’s birthday card, but really, it’s the touring schedule to blame, not Batista. Don’t be so heartless.
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It is sad. Sometimes wrestlers get burnt out from the constant attention, like any media based star. I’m not trying to excuse it, because you should never be rude to childen, or any type of fan actually, but it happens. People have bad days…and, sadly, will normally cause others to have bad days as well.
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I’m not surprised. I saw Batista a year and a half ago outside of Outback Steakhouse after seeing a wrestling match that he and the other “Smackdown!” superstars were in, and he snubbed the fans then, too. One guy asked for Batista’s autograph, and he refused to sign the fan’s WWE program. He basically told the man, “No, I don’t have time [to sign my autograph],” slammed the car door in the man’s face, and drove off.
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I have heard this about Batista before. It is not surprising as he appears to be ungrateful to the fans for giving him his status. Many WWE superstars actually go out of there way for the fans. I assure you this was Batista more than WWE. What a jerk.
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Its a shame, i met mickfoley n waterstones in cardiff on sunday and the guy signed 2 book covers for me had a little joke took a photo with me and made it feel extremely worthwhile turning up to see him
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I’ve heard he was a snob,and has a superiority complex. I think it’s great that a true champion Booker T gave batista the what for. Plus why were you all so excited to see batista. McMahon only pushes him because he’s a musclephile. Not because he’s special in the ring. I mean he shakes the ropes like he’s stealing from the Ultimate Warrior. I want my money back.
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i was there and it was a bit of a dissapointment, i waited for 4 hours (4 and a half including the half hour they were late) and he didnt look up or say a word, just signed my poster and moved it along, i tried to get my ticket signed aswell but his bodyguards said “no thats it!”. it seems a bit wierd that on tv they always say “i love meeting the fans” and “its all about the fans” and then just ignore us completely! couldnt even get a decent picture, just one of his head while he was signing. big dissapointment, but still, glad i went because it was huge.
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batista sucks!!! doing this to kids
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I’ve read alot of backstage stories about Batista, and they are not very flattering
I was too at the signing in question, was queuing from about 12pm onwards, and when i got to him, I was being pushed by security men, and Batista just signed my book, slid it forcefully across the table back at me, and then looked the other way, avoiding any eye contact, I even thanked him for the auto to try and break the tension, but no reaction whatsoever
Batista is a waste of time and space, and I strongly advise thinking again before meeting him
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Maybe Big Dave Batista is a BAGGIE!!
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It doesn’t matter how hard you’ve worked, or what your job requires you to do physically in the ring. When you’re at a signing, it’s professional to be friendly and stay in character. If you’re going to have a signing, but have a bummed out attitude, deal with it. These people paid to see you, don’t just blow them off because you’re having a bad day.
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What a shame, Batista should be ashamed of himself. It’s the fans that make him the successful person he is today. Young kids idolise him, and then he goes and treats them like that. I would rate THE UNDERTAKER anyday, he is a far better person with manners and time for his fans.
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I was also largely disappointed with Batista and his “crew”. However, I did not move until I get a picture from that man himself, and guess what? I got my picture!
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Comment One, sorry, but that’s stupid. Wrestlers don’t take steroids anymore, you are WRONG.
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Tut tut, Batista really did the wrong here, not signing a kids birtday card, i bvet that kids heart is broken in ha;f.
message to Batista:
“People paid good earned money to see you, some of them waited over 10 hours for you. those fans are the reason you are a mega star, at least say a little “hello” and a handshake, its not much to ask, youve dissapointed alot of young kids who idolize you, you should be ashamed.
for the people who said he was “tired” or “jetlagged”, its interesting how he was performing perfectly at the nec,lifting up and slamming his oppoenents who are over 300 pounds i.e Mark Henry.
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Shawn Michaels is also a dissapointment, when trying to get things signed. Before a show in B’ham last year, i was staying in the same hotel as the wrestlers and by chance i bumped into shawn michaels. i had a pen and a bit of paper on me and asked for an autograph. he took one look at me and walked off. however all the other wrestlers were class acts. john cena is great when it comes to fans, he interacts, signs autographs and takes photos with fans.
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this is disgraceful iv always looked up to batista when he was on raw and smackdown!!! batista has no rite to treat us like that i neva knew a thing about this untill my mom sed in the paper but if i had the chance! to go to meet him i would take that chance ! the worst thing is no pictures no words he coudnt even be botherd to talk to any 1 or any piks im glad he lost his world heveweight championship hes just bein spoilt and he doesnt deserv it!
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A long tour is no excuse for not even making eye contact if you go to a tna fanfest they will always be friendly I went to the hall of fame where eddie was inducted and they wouldnt let us see the superstars
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These people, that some of us consider to be “idols” they treat us as below them, sure batista makes more money than us, hes known worldwide and is a generally a celeb, but he’s looking down the ladder, we fans put him up for top (for what reason i dont know), and this is the thanks we get – i wasnt at the session in question, but i wont be planing to go to any in the future, WWE orders or not, batista is a role model, and as one he should show his apprecieation to us. 1 hour or 2 hours, Batista should have done what is right and thank these people. Personally i’d like to thank everyone who went to show your apprecieation for these people who go through a hell of a lot to entertain us, and i feel sorry for you for not gettin that apprecieation back, I cant emphisise enough – this man is a star because of us – we deserve more. This behaviour is unacceptable – Kc
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batista was my best wrestler when he was in wwe raw now he just got boring i dont like him any more and after hearing he disappointed the fans i hate him even more
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batistas was my favorite wrestler now he isnt after him not looking at me and that it is dum
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I met John Cena and Rey Mysterio over the past year and they were great. Rey was a bit shy, but John Cena complimented me on my football jersey and shook my hand. I heard that at the local world of wheels show this pat feb., Batista was an hour late, was a jerk, and even left early. Batista hasnt got a good track record. Cena, while I dont like his ring personality, is a great individual in real life. Hes the greatest Ive met, and Batista sucks, from what I’ve heard EVERYWHERE!
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he aslo should of least said hi but
he was in eruop
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I really dont care about my fans.They booed my at wm23 so whatever.
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hey im sorry i was in a bad mood.. 13itch
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i am from Dublin so didn’t go to Batista autograph signing but have been to many the latest was Mick Foley i was waiting in line for nealy 5 hours and all i have to say BANG BANG well worth it Mick is a legend and always will bE who cares about BATISTA he is a nobody anyway do what every1 does too CENA and boo him that will teach him
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I met batista before and he was very nice to me and my daughter.Maybe he was having a bad day.Also i have heard he is always nice to the fans .So back off1!!!
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I liked Batista before reading this; It totally ruins my opinion of the guy. I went to a Mick foley signing at a Borders, but didn’t have enough for a ticket, although it didn’t matter. He signed my book anyway. It’s not WWE’s fault…some guys are just better people than others.
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I plan on boycotting him, I won’t cheer for him nor will I boo him.
Himself and Vince win if we do either, he’ll go from babyface to heel and they win
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i was at a batista signing once.. he also didn’t look up or make eye contact but it was okay. the line was really long and he had to sign a LOT of stuff in a short amount of time. so i really couldn’t blame him for not looking up since they’re pressed for time.
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and about the kid’s birthday card.. batista wasn’t the one who didn’t want to sign it. it was really the organizers and the bouncers who wouldn’t let you sign any other thing than the WWE merchandise you have.
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They can’t do this kind of things they disapointed everybody batista is goin down, down and down and be fired
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lets be honest, america (depending which state) is behind the uk by around 8 hrs, and being 6ft5 as i very well know and being the size he is you dont exactly get a great rest on the plane. So maybe just maybe he was bloody knackered with a long non relaxing trip together with the time difference.
yes they get paid a lot of money (around 300k a year for batista) but he is still human
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I have actually met numerous superstars outside of the ring, including Batista. When I met him he was very friendly talking to us and let us take a picture with him. Keep in mind this was at a pub after a Raw show and he seemed more relax. There is no excuse for how he acted in Wolverhampton, but no one should think he is like that all the time. The same goes for any WWE superstar.
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Guys like Batista that never had to earn the belt always have overblown egos. Look at what happened with Brock Lesner and the Ultimate Warrior. Muscles do not equal talent, they just make wrestling look like a circus on TV. Meeting guys like Foley is always lots of fun, but why would anybody even want to meet somebody like Batista? If Batista can’t comport himself publicwise then he should turn heel and then he won’t have to play different characters.
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That is such a load of bull. Batista should be nicer. I mean all the WWE is doing is making a profit off autograph signings. I mean, I went to get an autograph from RVD, and it was $35 TO GET INTO THE FREAKIN STORE!!! Not to mention another 50 for a pcture and an extra 25 for an autograph. However, If you all meet the Hardys, they are very nice and only charge 50 for both autographs and 10 for a picture. I was actually abkle to talk to them and shake their hands.
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I know that its very hard for them to tour internationally, but this guys even in a bad mood when he’s in America!! My buddy went to see him and the same thing hapened to him. It probably depends on their attitudes. I mean the Hardys were nice.
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I wasn’t there but based on that last line in the article I think folks are probably being a bit too hard on Batista. I’ve been to signings where there was a limited amount of time and for unforseen reasons the signing didn’t start on time. If he had the full two hours then he would have had plenty of time to be more cordial and outgoing for 500 people but if he was cut to an hour the only way to get everyone through and all the stuff signed would be to speed them by. Think about it, 2 hours divided by 500 people would have given him 25 seconds per person, enough to sign and take a picture and whatever. One hour divided by 500 people means he only had 12 seconds per person in order to get to everyone in line. People would have been screaming even louder if they stood in line all that time and then never even got an autograph because Batista had to leave before they got to him. The real question is who is at fault for the transportation problem because if it was Woolworth’s screw up it is them who should be taking the heat.
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Batista SUCKS! I waited in line for 3 hours. And all I get is a stupid atograph! He didn’t even smile. I don’t care if you’re having a bad day. Peaople pay a lot of money to see you.
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I was at the Mick Foley book signing at Cardiff sunday (22/4/07)
And he was a gentleman! Had time for the little kids infront of me! Shoke my hand and even had time to tell me little story after i asked him a question!
Superstars should remember who are paying there wages!!
That would be US!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I think this is a result of being upset about not Main Eventing Wrestlemania 23
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BATISTA DOESN’T HAS TO BE SUCH A JERK TO PEOPLE BECAUSE I’M A HUGE WWE WRESTLING FAN AND IF I MET BATISTA AND HE TREATED ME LIKE THAT I WOULD OF CALLED HIM A BITCH
I DON’T CARE HOW BIG HE HIS HE SHOULDN’T BE THAT WAY BATISTA SHOULD TREAT HIS FANS LIKE HE TREATS HIS FAMILY GOOD SEE BATISTA IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRESTLERS NOW AFTER READING THIS I’M NOT SO SURE I MET ROB VAN DAM BEFORE IN MY HOME TOWN OF FAIRFAX AND IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST DAYS IN MY LIVE
HE TALKED TO BE AND SIGN A AUTOGRAPH FOR ME ITS IN MY DORM HES A REALLY GOOD GUY AND A WWE WRESTLER BUT BATISTA SHOULDN’T TREAT HIS FANS LIKE THAT CAUSE HES NOT PERFECT NOBODY IS GOD IS THE ONLY ONE PERFECT I HAVE BEEN TRAINING FOR YEARS IN HOPE OF ONE DAY BEING A WWE SUPERSTAR AND I WILL NEVER TREAT MY FANS LIKE BATISTA TREATS HIS DUSTIN HARP
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That is pathetic of him, Does he not realise that the fans make him who he is today? Jesus he could of at least had the manners to say “Hello” to the fans instead of ignoring them completely, what is the point of being put in a situation of being Idolized and being a Role Model, if your not going to act like on?
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Batista is a disgrace, he went from a nobody, and thanks to the fans, he became huge!! He should be fined and booed for the rest of his career!!!!
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had the same problem last year when i met sabu he did not look at me or say anything so that does not surprise me that batista was like that its very rude when you cue for hours just to see them. however i met candice michelle and she was completly different she talked shook my hand and hugged me for a picture so they are not all like it
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Batista ‘worked’ the kids in heel mode. Ha, jk. Batista sucks. Pushed to the moon. He should thank Brock for the spot. Overhyped, ECW TV exposed Dave for the horrible worker he is.
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The Animal is down because the storyline of him losing his title.
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Batista is only in the WWE because he is HHHs “project” to secure his legacy. Batista doesn’t even want to be there but being a shy guy around women, the ease of attracting women and the money is too hard for him (Batista) to pass up. He is not a good wrestler (slow in the ring and a danger to other wrestlers). However, nobody is perfect and yes he should be polite to the fans, but let’s all look at our own hangups and bad aspects of our lives before we teardown somebody else. It makes us just as bad as that person.
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I never liked Batista anyway…he’s a jerk and a phony.http://youtube.com/watch?v=hRogGo_AlpM&mode=related&search=
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I don’t think WWE had anythang to do wit it? Batista was already mad bout the Wrestlemania match. He’s juss being a pussy.
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i think the reason he was mad because of all the stuff that th wwe is making him do and what is going to happen next….
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Honestly I do not think it was Batista himself. We met him a few years ago and when he tried to talk to fans at the event or even communicate in any way security snapped at him. He had to keep signing and pushing along without getting a chance to say anything. WWE is very strict with their stupid rules and when we went Batista got up to talk to a kid in a wheelchair and three security guards yelled at him and demanded that he get back on stage or else. He still talked to the kid, but after that five security guards all circled around him and his chair so that he could not get up or talk to any fans. They took the merchandise, pushed it along and wouldn’t give him a chance to even say thanks to the fans. That is WWE’s stupid rules and unfortunately because of it the superstars look like they are jerks, but the one to blame is truly WWE.
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This sucks cheerios. Very dissapointed in Dave Bautista’s actions. Snap a slim jim on your head son and give the fans what they want. They are what got you where you are right now, not the python-like veiny muscle mass nor the sub-standard wrestling manuevers you deliver. It’s the fans interest and desire for you! So shape up Dave, by doing this you’ve shown a meek, weak and stinky personality to go along with your huge, pumped physique. Balance out sucka!
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I MET BIG DAVE LAST YEAR DOWN IN MEWPORT NEWS VA IT WAS ON A MONDAY NIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SMACKDOWN TAPING HE SIGNED MY POSTER I SAID GOOD LUCK TOMORROW NIGHT AND HE SAID VERY QUIETLY THANK YOU
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well no use complaining…. same thing happened to me when i was in a autograph session in oz ric flair was extremely rude and was not allowed a picture with him
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are you serious?! you make all that money which by the way batista, shows how smart you are, the fans are the reason you have a paycheck you dumb dork! maybe hes still mad that he doesnt have the belt and that he will never be a talent like the undertaker who is respected by fans everywhere.
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after hearing this i lost some respect for batista, about the young kid cryin and he wouldn`t sign his birthday card thats wrong.
Yea there road all the time and are tried but they should remember the fans is what keeps the wwe going.
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WOW!!!…I this reminded me what happened here in Florida. Here in Florida at the Oviedo Mall a long time ago, Lex Lugar (Sp) did the same exact thing as what Batista, but the thing was when the 2 hours was up, he left a bunch of fans hanging in discussed who was waiting for his autograph. Thats what my mom told me.
I on the other hand went to so Bill Goldberg at the fashion square mall and got his autograph. The guy was awesome. He aloud us to take picture and talked to us and everything. On top of that, after his 2 hours was up, he wasn’t a jerk and just left. All the people that was still there waiting in line, Bill Goldberg stayed a few more hours and made sure everyone was satisfied.
There some wrestlers that are A-hole, Batista, Lex Lugar and then you have others that will go the length to please such as Goldberg.
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But also this was in the UK..From the interaction I have with British ppl on Myspace, and other websites I see Brit’s as the lowest of the low, and I wouldn’t socialize with them either..They make fun of what Americans went through during Hurricane Katrina.Most Brits I’ve had encounters with have been classless, and in a way I don’t blame him for not wanting to look up at your crooked, yellow teeth anymore then he had to..Get your own wrestling promotion, and quit leeching off our culture like you try to do in every facet of your life.You should all just be glad that we toughed it out and paid a visit to your drab, 40 years behind country.
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I think Batista has been given an undeserved push and I hope he never wins the belt again. Back to the autograph signings. I met a bunch of WWE Superstars a year ago when they came to Ramstein Air Base, Germany and with the exception of a few, they were all cool. I got really good pictures with John Cena and Ric Flair and JBL was awesome to talk and joke with. On the flip side, Shawn Michaels and Carlito were arrogant asses. Don’t waste your time seeing either of these clowns.
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Well I can’t say I am suprised about Batista. I myself have met a few WWE stars and they were great. My favorite so far has been Mick Foley. He was the nicest, actually had a few minutes conversation with him and even later on in the night we got another wave and smile from him. You have to remember these guys get tired and travel soo much but at the same time they need to remember that without fans they wouldn’t be here. All it takes is a nanosecond to say hi and keep things moving, especially when it comes to the kids.
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thats messed up poor kyle i feel bad for the kid.
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this is just sad. i’ve never met a wrestler or had this experience but i am not suprised. wwe is all about money. thats it. merchandise, ticket sales. we spend our hard earned money to buy their stuff so they can get pushes and be champs, and this is how they thank us? mcmahon should get rid of batista but wait no he cant, batista is his meal ticket (like he needs one) little kids idolize these guys look up to them and this is what they get in return? now me i am a big hulk hogan fan, and always have been, and ive never met him, but i read where he charges over a 100 bucks for an autograph, like its that freaking hard to sign something, hey hulk u should remember u wouldnt tbe the ico u are today with out us buying ur stuff, and since reading that i could care less about hogan, always wanted to meet the guy but not now. i never wanted to meet batista and sure dont now. hes nothing special in the ring but to little kids he is and this is the thanks those kids get, not even a hand shake or a picture? thats a shame, i know batista is nothing special cause 5yrs ago when wwe finally came to my town i saw him and he sucked! and if others do this like cena or lashley i wont be suprised. i heard a guy yelled at lashley to get his attention for an autograph and the guy ignored him! didn look his way or anything. i hear cena is a hard worker but to me its all bs. and yeah women are attracted to muscled up guys and hey his wife did leave him (batista) and frankly i dont blame her. and i hope rebecca gets smart and does the same, cause batista is a real jerk, i hear edge is too and not suprising i mean look at what he did to matt. all these main even guys like batista are overrated especially cena and batista. they are nothing special in the ring. idk if kennedy is like this but i hope not and if so i will be upset cause that guy is my all time fav now and want to meet him really bad. and also if kennedy is like this i will quit watching wwe, matter of fact i think thats what we should do, quit watching wwe all the time and see where they get without us maybe then theyd appreciate us more.
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To say the guy has steroid rage is an insult to the hard working athletes that work for WWE. You can’t condone his behaviour, I don’t like the guy anyway, but he was obviously burned out. The Wolves players don’t work anywhere near as hard so there’s no comparison
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I have found some photos of batista at woolworths, and it does not seem that he is having issues to me!!!!!!
Copy this link, then after that press the view pic links, you have to sign in to view the photos http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=77054923
He didn’t seem to have a problem with interacting with the kid on those photos, as a matter of fact,
he was holding this kids hand and smiling at him, also i’ve seen picture of him in italy to, and he’s interacting with fans. So i’ve meet him 3 times, and he was tired, but really cool. we held a really long conversations. If he really did this, I’m surprised. Dave is a really shy, and quiet person, he doesn’t show alot of emotion, but he’s very kind.
People say Melina is a real mean person, some have had bad experiences with her, I haven’t, she was signing autographs with dave when I meet her, but when she is with Nitro she different. Give him a chance, just look at the photos, and judge for yourself.
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Hey Mike we havent got crooked yellow teeth, half of Americans are obese with a low IQ and have never left their own state…want facts and figures of people per capita with tooth decay? Keep your roided up primadonna…
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ha! That’s exactly what he did to us during his visit here in the Philippines where he is half native.
I have a video in youtube. Search for Batista in Ali Mall. You can see how the fans were anticipating him there and he does the exact same thing. Since we don’t have WWE merchandise here he can only sign some stupid WWE placemats given to us. He never said a word and only posed for pictures half-assedly. Then again, I wasn’t the biggest batista fan so I expected him to be an ass.
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Unfortunately, this is no real surprise. As an older fan who follows the ‘behind the scenes’ aspect of WWE as much as the storylines that the younger fans enjoy, this just confirms what I’ve read many times on http://www.rajah.com and British wrestling magazine Power Slam. Dave Bautista’s rep is simply shocking, and well deserved as he regularly pulls stunts like this.
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Yeah he was like that too when he came to Australia a few years back.
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yea if i had the chance i would get my favorite!!!!!! wrestlers all to gangup on him (batista) this is my statment “you are a digrase and u dont deserve the title” my new fav wrestlers are
shawn mickles undertaker triple H!!! bobby lashly and jeff hardy i wish all of the would gang up on him tonite on smackdown!!!
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lol he’s a half filipino but even many of the filipino wwe fans are actually disappointed w/ him.
..maybe it’s because he’s also a former bouncer lol!
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This does not really surprise me… My Husband and I waited 4 hours once to see Chyna when she was at an opening.. we had just gotten in the door and making our way to the signing table when she got up and Left.. I mean she had only been at the signing for maybe 30 minutes.. but that’s the company as well as the Stars.. They have To keep them moving .. To say we were disappointed is an understatement.. Batista this is just Bad Form.. Your fans are there for You.. You should be there for your Fans like you always Say you are
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I am reading this article and eventhough I am from montreal canada,I feel for sll of these people. I foind this to be a dispicable act ,since we are the ones paying his salary. I have two kids and if this happened to them I know they would feel very upset. WWE is a form of entertainment and I belive that this wrestlers should show more to there fans no matter what type of mood they are in . If they can play a character on tv then be that person when your fans come out and see you.
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Batista’s actions are not a reflection on WWE but on the individual wrestler. Plenty of WWE wrestlers are happy to meet with their fans and appreciate their support. Batista is not one of them. He reportedly is not popular even within WWE circles.
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batista is an asshole
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Some of you are idiots. Wrestlers spend 300+ days on the road a year away from their family. No matter how much money they get, from time to time they may not be in the best frame of mind whether its from being tired or jetlagged etc. Its not like he was rude, it was because he was not over enthusiastic and greeting. Big deal, im sure alot of you are like this in your jobs most of the time. Just because you are a role model does not mean you can never have a lapse.
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Dave has been very nice the three times I’ve seen him- One time was in a club and he laughed and joked and carried on a conversation– The wwe policy is strick on them signing only wwe merchandise…… I think Dave is getting a bad rap here !!!
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I’ve met Batista in person outside of the WWE arena. He was nice and respectable to my kids and I. He only gets a little while to sign autographs at WWE autograph sessions. If he (or any other wrestler) takes too much time they are penalized. I know they are hulked up and could easily ignore or slap the security guys but they will take a hit in their wallet, so they can’t really argue with their security people. In retrospect, an exception should have been made for the children. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, but I’m sure little Kyle will heal and he can cheer for the Undertaker (also a cool guy). Bisping ruled @ UFC 70.
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i feel so bad for the people that went to see batista. but this disappointment is bownd to happen. i am from yhr united states and go to all the wwe signings when i can and this happens to me as well. i will stand in line for long hours and just get up to the superstar and they would not even look up to the fan. these people would not be where they are if it was not for the fans who spend money on the tickets and their merchandise.
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lord jumpins by’.who the hell stays in line for hours and hours and hours to see someone.maybe he is looking up and thinking what a pathetic bunch and then keeping his head down so he can laugh to his self.your all a strange bunch……
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Once this family know what traveling 11 cities in 11 days and having to do a signing autograph session is, they will be allowed to cry all they want, but the fact is Batista was kind enough just to be there in such a busy schedule. Some kids today are way to spoiled and yet, they just want more and more!! If they say he will only sign WWE merchandise, don’t bring a birthday card! If you want Batista to talk just ask him questions, don’t just put your stuff on the table and wait for him to say “HI! How are you doing? Do you want lemonade?”
Batista has done so many great things for kids/fans before and will continue to do so. He is allowed to be tired at some point.
If some people can’t understand that, well it’s their problem.
I support Batista in every way.
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What a stupid story. The headline should read ‘Ungrateful truant kid gets a book signed by a wrestler, then complains’ I’m afraid this is typical of people today. Little (truant) Kyle had his merchandise signed, then refused to leave, demanding he be treated better than everyone else – Who does Batista think he is? More like who do (truant) Kyle and his lawbreaking parents think they are? Do they not know it is the law to ensure their (truant) kid goes to school, even if it means he can’t attend a signing session? These people make me sick.
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I went to see Eddie in Nottingham and he was the most amazing person. The people at the door before you entered told us we could ask him only one question, but Eddie didn’t care what they said, he was just interested in meeting the fans, asking us questions and taking photos and shaking our hands. A woman infront of us went on behalf of her son (who died the year before) and Eddie gave her a hug and he even announced about the woman after the show to the entire audience.
I think you’ll find it’s not WWE code but more of the person you’re going to see. In my opinion, Batista’s just a grumpy old git anyway.
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Here is what I think on this. I understand that they are on the road 300+ days and don’t get to see there family. I would be mad and upset too. That is the life they chose.I’m pretty sure that siting down and signing autograph and taking pictures is not hard. Like everybody in this world they have bad day. I don’t think they should take it out on there fans that spend there money to see them.
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Please don’t let one idiot American reflect the rest of us. Actually, make that two: Batista and the guy who posted insults about dental hygiene. Glad most of you ignored them. Britian is our best friend, if any of ya’ll made fun of us for Katrina (and I live in New Orleans so I’d take that personally) I’m sure it’s the vocal minority and not reflective of the whole, just like the “Americans” above.
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not all WWE superstars are as bad as Batista. i’ve meet Shawn Michaels, Booker T and Edge before and they were all very nice. They shook hands and at least said Hi and thanks for coming. But i’ve gone to a autograph thing with lita and she just looked at me then signed my item. but there no excuse for not looking or talikng with fans. okay if there in the streets and in a rush they might not be able to but when you,ve waited to meet them its terrible
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This is very disappointing.
Cena is much better.
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Batista didn’t say a word at an autograph sighting? Geez… What a surprise, given the fact he is so entertaining on the microphone.
It’s amazing how Cena, Flair & Kane are so accomodating and caring to the fans. Batista & Orton could learn a thing or two.
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the fans should be BOOING Batista NOT john cena batista is a animal alrite i dont tink fans should follow him hes nuttin and he cant wrestle hes trys to be like The Rock and ultimate warrior..
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I met William Regal in Birmingham & he was really excellent he really seemed interested in everyone who had come to see him, Torrie Wilson was sitting next to him and just couldn’t be bothered.
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Look for everyone that’s said that Batista and WWE suck are right.TNA is alot better and the fans are more then happy to sign autographs but also TNA cares about the fans and happy to give back to them unlike the WWE superstars
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I have met a few WWE wrestlers and have nothing but good experiences. I met Lashely last year at a pay-per-view in my area. I saw him coming out of a bathroom and he was soooooooooo nice. He gave me a hug and took a picture, even though the security guard was trying to escort me out of the area, he even had the security guard take the picture and later in the week at the pay-per-view he came over and said hello because I was ringside. Maybe Batista was tired and having a bad day, maybe he’s just a jerk, who knows? But I can say from expereince that not all WWE wrestlers are like that. I’ve also met Cena, the Hardys and the Undertaker and they were very nice.
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woops I meant wrestlers not fans that sign autographs
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look I don’t mind you having a bad day i don’t mind you being late but then don’t do a thing for the people that gave you a home is bull you might as well just ignore the former young members of evoultion
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youll wanna know why he did this?
well the reason is he found out hell be losing the title match at backlash , and the one with bret hart mentioned he too lost his title days after he did some autograph signing .
thats why batista is acting like a jerk and all.
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Batista seems to have gotten out of the wrong side of the bed.
I come from Hull, and only found out about this by accident from rajah.com.
Batista ought to come to a 1PW event in Doncaster, where the majority of the wrestlers there sign autographs and sell their own merchandise before, during and after each shows. They are more than glad to sign anything that is put in front of them, take pictures, answer questions. Guys like Blue Meany, Al Snow, Juvi, Heidenrich, Romeo (all ex WWE stars) glad to meet their fans.
Maybe Batista ought to remember who pays their money to see him perform. If it wasn’t for us wanting to see him perform, he’d still be working the doors of nightclubs in Washinton DC.
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I am not lost for words at this. I remember when i went out of my way to see King of the Ring in New York a few years ago. I heard that Big Show, Billy Gunn and Taker were going to be there for autograph sessons. I managed to get Shows’s and Billy Gunns but waited 3 hours to get Takers. When i finaly got there Takers Bodyguards said that he was only signing papers.
I dont think its WWE’s Fault but just the fact that superstars would not be who they are unless (WE) fans stood by them.
I just hope this will all get noticed before another kid gets hurt by a hero they adore….
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I spoke to a mate who went there and he said Batista didn’t seemed bothered.
I met Victoria just over a year ago in Birmingham and she spent time and effort talking to as many as she could. Going from my name, where travelled from, favourite wrestler(s) that sort of thing, and was delighted to have pictures taken. We must have had the conversation for over half an hour.
So not all WWE superstars are like BBatista – I think some don’t realise how lucky they really are.
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You wanna know what the problem is, its the same that other stars have (not all, just a few). They want the money and the fame, but not the attention that goes hand-in-hand.
You know what would have happened if someone had got pictures of him in a bad mood and posted on the ‘net.
He’d have raised hell and made claims of ‘defamation of character’ and other such nonsense.
Out of all the stars of sport and tv I have met, by far the best natured has got to have been the acteor who played Bib Fortuna from Return of the Jedi… he was drawing glasses and ‘taches on the pics he was signing at the time. And did it all with a smile and a joke or two.
maybe the amount of money batista is earning is making him grumpy… Well, share the wealth, dave, thats what I say…
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It happens to everyone .at some point of life a person gets bit tensed. I thing it happened with batista too ater all he is a human he might have been going through some problems. He rocks and entertain us after all.
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this incident is a shame for wwe they know who pay their wages man utd arsenal chelsea or liverpool players would not disrespect their fans in this manner and tehy are more better athletes with a better attitude towards fans on the other hand austin rock hhh and bret hart would never behave this way
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ok for all you guyz bad mouthin batista watch it this business is really tough to live with sure some of it’s fake but it is still a really tough thing to do he’s probably dealing with stress at the moment hell i’d be dealing with stress if I wrestled everyday of the week
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nobody is perfect we all have our bad days
but that is no excuse to treat fans like crap, even if the wwe personel or security try to inforce us to be snobs
i try to treat my fans as best as i can regardless of how i feel
i am a true christian who trys the best i can to practice what i preach
god bless all my fans
?
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Why were Kyle’s parents allowed to take him out of school, he got his Merchandise signed so he shouldn’t have a problem. WWE Superstars are in a different league to Championship footballers
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I met Batista atWrestlemania and he was having pictures taken with fans and talking to them and everyhing, so I presume it was just jet-lag, but still it is no excuse for his apparent rudeness.
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For Batista to treat his fans poorly is horrible, no matter what his personal situation he is a public figure, if he is at an autograph signing he is there for his fans. The children should be his #1 priority. This is unforgivable. People should be able to forgive him if he was having a bad day and he was on his own time on the street. (Everyone should be entitled to a private life). I have met John Cena many times and he has always been great every single time he has signed autographs for my children talked to all the fans, he even took down the security gate in the parking lot and stayed for well over one hour after the event talking and signing autographs, posing for pictures. He is great with the kids but he really cares about all his fans. You can tell it is from the heart, he is a great person. I live in the states in Massachusetts to be exact, and just wanted to add a comment in response too an item written above, Bisping stole the show at UFC 70. Bisping Rules the UFC!
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TNA IS SOOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN THE wwe BECAUSE THEY GO BETTER WRESTLER WHICH GREET THE FANS WITH RESPECT AND I PERSONALLY JUST DISLIKE THE WEE WITH THERE ACTIONS TOWARD THERE FANS
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yo, guys, im sorry about the problem i caused, but i was in a hurry, on that very night i flew to la and back, hey fans, next time im in town ill be better with you, do you no, sheffield hallam arena, i will be at the meadowhall shopping centre on the 18th of september or october one of them, at the oasis, id really apreciate it if you were their, my colege, mark, will be there as you no as undertaker, and ken anderson, mr kenedy will be there, pleas go ill show you that i respect all the wwe fans who spend there hard earned dollars and pounds and euros, and again im sorry!!!!!!!!
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THE WWE IS NOTHING LIKE THE PAST, IT IS GO,GO,GO.AND FOR WHAT? I CAN REMEMBER WHEN THE PAST SUPERSTARS
WERE IN THEY WERE SOMETHING, AND TRUELY THE ONLY SUPERSTAR THAT IS
STILL GOING IS THE UNDERTAKER, THE
WWE NEEDS TO SHOW MORE RESPECT TO
THE FANS FOR IF IT WAS NOT FOR THEM
BYE,BYE WWE. SO ALL I CAN SAY IS
WHAT’S YOU GONNA DO WHEN THE DR. OF THURTH COMES YOUR WAY BROTHER:
I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE A WRESTLEING FAN. SO VINCE BETTER TAKE NOTE. P.S. VINCE DO THE RIGHT
THING AND BRING BACK ALL OF YOUR
PAST SUPERSTARS OF YESTERDAY TODAY
FOR I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU GETTING
YOUR BUTT KICKED ANY MORE, THAT’S
NOT COOL” AND WHILE I’M AT IT GIVE THE BELT BACK TO LASHLEY, HE IS BY
FAR A BETTER MAN THAN YOU ARE.
YOU WANT SOME” COME GET SOME” OLD MAN.
THE DR. HAS SPOKE,
DR.CRIP-O-NIGHT, SAYS GOOD NIGHT!!
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ya know I have flown to various places. I`ve gone from Boston to lasvegas on the redeye. I`ve had jetlag.Even though I`ve been tired after flying all night, I have never been that mean as Batista was to those fans. It sounded to me as if he was bothered that he had to show up at all. Ok so your tired, I understand but you let down those fans who were excited to see you. Next time i hope everyone stays home.
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Batista and Rey mysterio are the best wrestlers ever well that is just me i hate john cena he sucks and a lot of other people the Batista Bomb and the 619 would hurt more than any other of the other wrestlers moves tottaly awesome curt good bye
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I would really like my Daughter Amanda’s 12th Birthday to be very special for the first time she is getting bored with just a regular party she would really like john cena at her birthday party so if you would have John Cena at her birthday party she would really be happy. Her birthday is June 12th and we are having it Saturday the 16th
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I have never met a WWE star before
but my dad has met the Big Show
before when the WE stars were in Sacramento,CA. He said he was really nice and they had along
conversation.
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Why don’t you all give Batista a break and stop going on and on and on about Batista being the bad one in all of this!! He’s fantastic!! There’s only a limited time for WWE superstars to do these signings!!! If i was rushed through a queue but still got to see him and to be beside him even for a second plus a signature i would be very pleased!!!
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Wow, I had a completley different experience with Batista just a few days ago. The man was awesome to me and my little brother. He talked with us and even laughed. But I could tell he is a shy guy. Thats just his nature. Dont mix up Shyness and Jerk. We were told one book and one other thing is all he could sign, but he signed more for us and was realyl cool about it. Posed for a picture and everything. As for you guys that had the bad experience, first off let me say Im sorry he didnt live up to your expectations. But the man has a busy schedule. He also is pressed for time, I knew this because we were told only the first 100 people were guarenteed an autograph. But batista was very gracious and at the live event that night he stayed for the longest time signing stuff and talking with fans(along with rey).
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I can’t believe some people are supporting Batista. Manners cost nothing. I know they work stupidly hard, i know they have loads of people to get through in a short space of time, but eye contact and a smile and a hello are simple things that make a big difference.Having said all of that, wwe dont help things, the bouncers are rude and the superstars ALWAYS turn up late, schedules need sorting out. My advice would be dont bother going to offical wwe signings they are a waste of time. Wait till the wrestler is having time out of wwe or has left then you will get to see the real side of them. i met RVD recently and i have met loads and loads of famous people and he tops my list. Great guy esp with the kids, got loads of ace photos and chatted to him for ages and ages and ages. He believes wwe didnt treat him right and they didnt treat the fans right. RVD RULES!
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ok all of u need to shut up…….first off batista dont take steriods..secondly he does care about his fans……maybe he was orderd to only sign wwe merchandise and if he didnt do so and signed other stuff like birthday cards and what have u he probably would have got in trouble
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