Batista Proud to be a Filipino
Everyone who follows the World Wrestling Entertainment is surely familiar with Dave “The Animal” Batista. Batista is actually a Filipino-Greek and is a big fan of Manny Pacquiao. In case you haven’t heard yet, Manny “The Pacman” Pacquiao put a lid on Briton Ricky Hatton’s mouth when he knocked him out cold in the second round of their fight last May 3.
Batista was included in Pacquiao’s entourage, carrying one of the many belts that he has. But the real story is that Batista has never met Manny Pacquiao and once he was asked to carry the belt of the Pacman for the bout, he immediately obliged.
When he was contacted to join Pacquiao’s marching entourage, Batista was ecstatic. He initially thought he would hold up the Philippine flag or one of Pacquiao’s championship belts. But when told he would simply march alongside Pacquiao, Batista said just to be close to the world’s pound-for-pound boxing king was like being on Cloud Nine.
“It’s a big deal for me,” said Batista whose father David Bautista is Filipino and mother Donna Raye, Greek. “I’m proud of my roots. My two daughters from my first wife, who’s 100 percent Filipina, have gone home more than me. When I visited in 2006, I couldn’t believe so many fans knew me. I didn’t realize I had so many Filipino relatives from my wife’s and my side of the family. I didn’t expect such a warm welcome. I was mobbed everywhere. I was overwhelmed.”
(Source) Philippine Star
Tags: boxing, Dave Batista, Filipino, Greek, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton