WWE Nearly Cut Batista Before Breaking Out

TLDR

According to D-Von Dudley on his podcast "Devon & The Duke," WWE management was considering releasing Dave Bautista in 2002 shortly after his SmackDown debut because they felt he was too reserved and wasn't developing as expected. D-Von intervened by encouraging Bautista to be more aggressive in the ring, even telling him to "hit me for real" during their matches to help him break out of his shell. This turning point helped Bautista gain confidence and eventually led to his successful WWE career as "The Animal" Batista.