Customer Reviews

Batista Unleashed

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've been a big fan of wrestling ever since I was a little kid. I grew up with characters like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and The Undertaker. When the guys I grew up with slowly started to fade away I lose my interest in the WWE. For me, the new guys just didn't have the same "it" factor as the ones I grew up with.

It wasn't until the WWE started releasing books from their stars that my interest started to build again. When I was a kid there was no difference between the character these guys played on TV, and the person they were at home. I would've never dreamed that one day I'd be watching a TV show about Hulk Hogan...his wife....AND his kids?? No way.

Now that I'm a little older and understand the difference between the characters they play in the ring, and the real person they are, I've gained a new level of respect for the men and women of the WWE.

When Batista first came to the WWE he was all but entertaining. Since then I've watched his character grow and become World champion on numerous occasions. I had no idea he was releasing a book, and at first I was a bit skeptical about reading it because in the ring Batista isn't known for his overwhelming personality.

I gave in and purchased the book on Mon 10/22, and I've already finished it. Dave Batista (or Bautista)is actually an interesting, fairly deep guy with a lot of stories to share about his less than perfect past. His stories about growing up, bodybuilding, and life on the road actually had me laugh at loud at some points.

What I really enjoyed was that while Batista obviously had help in writing the book, at no time did I feel like I was reading someone else's words. The entire book made me believe that he actually sat down and wrote this which I can't really say about a lot of other biographies I've read. The book is candid, revealing, and very interesting. Personally, I couldn't put it down, and I would highly recommended it to anyone who's looking for an interesting book they can finish in a few days.

Even if you're not a fan of wrestling, the stories of Batista's life before he entered the ring are worth the purchase alone.

Batista's book is probably one of the best bios that I have read in a long time. It is completely honest and is story that you can relate to. It is very easy to read and is highly recommended for anyone that wants the truth outside of the ring in the WWE.

This book is very interesting and informative, but it flip flops all over during the course of his life/career. Its great to read how he still loves his ex-wife and whats going on with his daughters. It'll give some guys hope that start their wrestling career late in life like he did. All in all, I'm very glad I purchased this book.

If you are looking for an honest autobiography this is the book. Batista is very open and honest about his life. From his childhood to his personal life. He leaves almost nothing out. Very easy reading. There is even some funny stories about being on the road with Triple H and Ric Flair. I highly reccomend this to anybody of any age.

This is a very straight and to-the-point telling of Batista's life and career. From childhood in America's crime-ridden capitol, to busting heads as a bouncer, to learning the ropes as a wrestler, to gaining gold and going head-to-head with The Undertaker, Batista talks about it all (and more). Also included are stories of times where the author feels he's fallen short of how he should have lived his life.

Aside from the feeling of dryness and the occasional lack of emotion portrayed, this book is filled with telling drama and sometimes-hilarious real-life experiences that make this a must-read for wrestling fans.

Overall, his experiences (both positive and negative) help to give the impression that he takes this book as an opportunity to inform people that, no matter what, there is always a better life ahead, so long as one works hard to get it.

Dave Batista, one of WWE's current big stars, while his autobiography was in the planning stages, stated that he was a pretty boring guy and was only going along with this because the WWE wanted to push a book about him. He was right - through no fault of his own, his book is not exactly must read material.

Batista Unleashed, likely as told to Jeremy Roberts by Dave Batista, is the life story of the sudden sensation of a big man who started in the industry late in life, debuting at the age of 33. As the man is only 38 when the book was released to store shelves last October, most of the book is mostly based on his personal life.

And that's kind of the problem. As a fan of a lot of wrestling autobiographies, I read mostly for the road stories and other industry workings in the strange and unique business of professional wrestling. Batista and Roberts do try to make the best of it, trying to put in as many interesting diversions as they can, since the book is an obvious cash in on Batista's current popularity.

The story follows Batista from his childhood on the rough streets of Washington D.C., into a run with a bad crowd and a brief life of crime. He spent much of his young adult life serving as a bouncer, a natural given his height and build. He goes into his time as a bodybuilder, which he credits to saving his life. He spends much time speaking of his relationships with various women, and the resulting unplanned children from those unions.

As expected, he doesn't actually start to speak of the wrestling industry until he's a good ways into the book. For what's there, he makes it entertaining and is seemingly not afraid to throw mud, which can be a positive or negative depending on one's opinion on the maturity of that. There are some fine gems of passages in the book, such as Batista's altercation in the WCW Power Plant with a small pasty white career jobber/trainer by the name of Sergeant Buddy Lee Parker saying that the future Wrestlemania Main Eventer would never make it in the industry.

Another plus I'll hand the book is that Batista actually reflects on his past and is actually regretful of some of his past screw ups, such as the aforementioned delving into a life of crime, and even in the wrestling industry such as his known backstage brawl with fellow star Booker T. This is a nice change of pace to other books in the genre, where the author was always in the right and everyone else has no idea what they're talking about.

On the flip side, as a duality, he still comes up as bullheaded a lot of the time, almost to the point of comicality. As an example, are his claims to be sleeping around with many of the WWE's Divas - women wrestlers. The need to promote this fact(if it is a fact) is a strange one to stick in one's book, especially given it's talking about a relatively current time of not even a year ago. One would think you'd keep your current sexual exploits to yourself until a later date, not publish them all for the world to see.

It's by no means the worst wrestling autobiography you could buy. But you could do better. If you're a big Batista fan, it's probably worth a read. A general wrestling fan? I'd place it low on your list behind A Lion's Tale, Have a Nice Day, To Be The Man..., Etc. For a non-wrestling fan? I wouldn't even bother, as I do not see much universal appeal here in this obvious WWE Cash-in.

Batista Unleashed... the story so far of WWE star Dave Batista. This ranks along the lines of Adam Copeland On Edge. Not really sure why there's a book on someone this early in their career other than as money potential for the WWE. Edge's was written while on injury. Jericho's A Lion's Tale was written at a turning point in his life when it was uncertain he would be returning to wrestling. Batista's book is simply here for the money machine for the company.

As for the book itself, the strong point of this story is that it feels like how you would hear it if you were actually sitting there talking to the man. Tom Billington does this with Pure Dynamite effectively and Batista's works just as well. Unfortunately, he skips back and forth between the short time span of events it seems more like random thoughts and afterthoughts. He gives his opinions on his peers, thanking many of them for helping him along or influencing him. He likes D-von but doesn't care for Bubba Dudley. He, of course, spends a lot of time seemingly sucking up to Flair and Triple H but these are they guys he travelled with and who he hangs out with.

For the most part, he seems to be truthful throughout, covering lightly some of his personal life and family. Some of the language is harsh for young readers. He actually admits he's not the strongest in terms of performances or ability in the ring but he's also a bit egotistical of his position in the company. He did rise to the top almost as quickly as Brock Lesnar did and he puts more emphasis on himself then maybe he deserves. Overall, this is far from the best wrestling biographies but it is certainly readable. It was interesting but is obvious that it was only brought about for the money aspect for the company. Batista put a lot of stock in his rivalry with the Undertaker but it's funny that his co-writer, Jeremy Roberts, didn't include it in his solo book Showdowns: The 20 Greatest Wrestling Rivalries of the Last Two Decades (WWE).

I never would have bought this hardcover version except it now shows up in the bargain / remainder book stacks for $6 now.

This book is not meant for younger kids its for a much older crowd. This book brings out his true identity and lays out his life for everyone to see. If you didnt like batista before you will now after you read this book. A great read for batista fans!!

I am a new WWE fan, in fact you can call me a closet fan. I bought Batista's book and could not put it down. I read it over the weekend and was really surprised how entertaining it was. Not only did it give you information about his family life but it also gave you an insight on other wrestlers and what they go through. I found myself laughing out loud when reading some parts like Ric Flair's driving habits and how they treat the Red Hat fan. Also, it was comforting to read how fondly Dave talked about other wrestlers and the respect they share for one another. I would highly recommend this easy read to anyone who is slighly interested in pro-wrestling.

~Debbie Wood
Mechanicsville, VA

its so good its hard for me to put it down at night i love bios on a wrestling superstar