Batista's battles outside the ring, by Nui Te Koha - Herald Sun - 25th May 2008

"I never want to forget what I've been through and where I came from," Batista said in Sydney last week, where he was promoting the Wrestlemania 24 DVD, out June 7.

By any standard – even the wacky melodrama of World Wrestling Entertainment's storylines – Batista's journey is surreal.

Batista – born Dave Bautista – was raised by his mother, Donna, in poverty, and in a violent part of Washington D.C.

During his childhood, three murder victims were found in, or near Batista's front yard, in separate incidents – their home was near an alleyway notorious for violent crime.

"We saw some bad things," he said.

"We saw a couple of people die. There were fights all the time, stabbings were common.

"And I hate to say this, but I was numb to it. That's all I knew."

Batista said his mother, a lesbian, moved the family to San Francisco to escape the violence.

"I never had an issue with my mother's sexuality," he said.

"She loved us, she cared for us, and that's all that mattered."

Batista said her extended family disowned her for "being a Democrat".

Batista, 39, is a divorced father with two daughters. He also has two grandchildren.

He said family forced him to quit womanising.

"I didn't drink or do drugs. Women were my drug of choice," Batista said.

"I would have 10, 20, 30 girls throwing themselves at me. I wasn't equipped to handle it. So I took advantage. "

Batista and WWE stars including Edge, The Undertaker and Big Show will visit Rod Laver Arena on June 13.

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