Dave Bautista is currently making a name for himself in Hollywood, but for many he will always be known for the impact he made in professional wrestling. Along with the NWO, Bautista, known as Batista while in WWE, will be the first inductees in the Class of 2020 WWE Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 2 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Fla. It will be one of the many events that will be taking place during the week of Wrestlemania 36.
PEOPLE and ESPN were the first to report the news and the WWE announced on Monday. Bautista and the NWO were superstars that changed the direction of professional wrestling according to Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative.
“Batista was one of the fastest rising stars ever in WWE with an incredible list of accolades, and the success of the nWo changed the course of sports entertainment history,” he said. “It is only fitting that they all take their rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.”
Once Bautista heard the news, he wasn’t sure how to react.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in,” he said to PEOPLE. “And I was thinking about it because I mean, it seems like a long journey, but it also feels like yesterday when I started my career. And it also feels … because I’m still working so much, it doesn’t feel like an end of a journey.”
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