Dave Bautista and his zaddy beard share which icon’s advice brought him from foreclosure to freaking Drax

Once upon a time, Dave Bautista was breaking backs with his signature Batista Bombs. Today, he’s an integral part of the MCU’s golden age. And while he’s raked in billions at the box office, he hasn’t always made the best financial decisions.

You’d think that with all the millions he accumulated as a successful wrestler that Bautista retired from the sport with a lot of money in the bank. But no, he, like many other athletes, ended up squandering his wealth on frivolous things. Thankfully, it was some positive advice from an unlikely source that got his head back in the game!

From WrestleMania to foreclosure

In a now-viral video by The School of Hard Knocks, Bautista was briefly interviewed about his financial ups and downs over the years. The former wrestler-turned-actor revealed some important advice he received from not one, but two fellow wrestlers who debuted years before he did. 

He shared that Triple H taught him to always see himself as a business. However, it’s the advice he got from The Undertaker that he had to “learn the hard way.” Today, that advice has helped shape his mentality surrounding fame, success, and wealth. 

The best advice I ever got was actually from The Undertaker, another wrestler. He said “always live beneath your means.” I learned that the hard way. I came out of wrestling and I literally lost everything. My house got foreclosed on. But I had a second opportunity to be successful in the film industry. Now that money in the bank means more to me than something that I don’t really need. Like I don’t need a Bugatti. I’d love to have a Bugatti. But I’m not paying three to five million dollars for a car, because I don’t need one.

Bautista explained how a lot of professional athletes, especially those who grew up without having much, tend to squander a lot of the money dumped on them out of excitement. This is quite popular in the world of sports, where athletes end up bankrupt merely a few years after they retire. Although Bautista’s passion for entertainment gave him a second opportunity to achieve financial freedom, not every former athlete is as lucky,

In 2007, at WrestleMania 23, Batista lost to The Undertaker in an attempt to claim the World Heavyweight Championship. But it looks like The Undertaker ended up saving his life where it counted the most.

Becoming a financial heavyweight

A recurring social media debate revolved around who the best wrestler turned actor is. More often than not, Bautista leads the polls. Over the years, he’s carved out a unique path for himself, where he refuses to be typecast as a brute strongman.

Bautista retired from the role of Drax in 2023 and believes his talent can speak for itself. In 2024 alone he’s been in four movies, the most successful being Dune: Part Two. Bautista will also star in multiple films currently in production, including lending his voice to the upcoming Aang: The Last Airbender theatrical film. 

Evidently, The Undertaker’s advice has paid off. Dave Bautista’s money in the bank won’t be diminishing anytime soon.