Dave Bautista Explains Why He "Would Never" Replicate John Cena's WWE Retirement Tour

The formerly illustrious Ohio Valley Wrestling Class of 2002 has become considerably smaller. Only Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, and Dave Bautista remain active wrestlers. Lesnar hasn't competed in the ring in over a year, and his return intentions are currently unknown. With a retirement tour set for 2025, Cena is getting ready for his last run. But only Bautista, who formally retired in April 2019, has closed the book on his professional wrestling career. In sharp contrast to Cena's lavish year-long goodbye, Batista, who wrestled full-time for the WWE from 2002 to 2010, quietly left the sport following his final match against mentor Triple H at WrestleMania 35.During an appearance on "Insight" with Chris Van Vliet, Dave Bautista expressed his admiration for John Cena, making it clear that there is no real-life animosity between them, despite what some fans may believe. "I get along with John. I respect John a lot, [and] a lot more than people think I do for some reason," Bautista stated, addressing the misconception of a feud. He went on to explain, "I think the internet and fans have built this rivalry between us, which there really isn't."When discussing the idea of retirement in wrestling, Bautista, known for being more low-key off-camera, admitted he "couldn't do" a farewell tour like Cena is planning. "This is how we're different: I would never do this. I couldn't. I wouldn't," Bautista said. "I feel it would feel disingenuous to me to go around, but I see his point, where he wants to go around and he wants to personally thank all the fans. There's just something in me where I couldn't do it. I would feel uncomfortable."He elaborated further, explaining his discomfort with public recognition. "To me, accolades feel uncomfortable," Bautista continued. "I could never be the type of babyface who was saying good stuff because I wanted to get the crowd to cheer for me. I couldn't be that guy. I love and respect what he's doing with his whole tour, but we're just different that way."Also read: What is the reason behind Dave Bautista's weight loss? Exploring the current physique condition of the former WWE World ChampionBautista officially ended his wrestling career in April 2019, announcing on social media that his match against Triple H at WWE WrestleMania 35 was his final bout, shortly after the event concluded. He is scheduled to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at a future date, though the timing will depend on how his filming commitments align with the ceremony's schedule."I went out the way I wanted. I retired the way I wanted. I don't want to make a big deal out of it," Bautista reflected. "I announced my retirement on Instagram, and I knew I was going to do it. I just didn't want to tell anybody I was going to do it because I didn't want anybody to say, 'No, no, you got to come in. You have to give a speech to the fans.' I don't know, just something about it would have felt false to me. I couldn't do it."