Folks, Dave Bautista is about to add another accolade to his already stacked Hollywood résumé—he’s officially been announced as a presenter at the 97th Academy Awards this Sunday! That’s right, while WWE stars will be fighting for survival inside the Elimination Chamber on Saturday, Big Dave will be suiting up for one of the classiest and least steel-cage-filled nights in entertainment.
Bautista joins a star-studded lineup of presenters that includes Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Andrew Garfield, and more. In other words, he’ll be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Hollywood’s finest—while resisting the urge to hit anyone with a Batista Bomb.
While Bautista himself isn’t up for any awards (Hollywood, fix this), “Dune: Part Two”, the sci-fi epic he’s a part of, is nominated for five Oscars:
🏆 Best Picture
🎥 Best Cinematography
🎧 Best Sound
👀 Best Visual Effects
🎬 Best Production Design
And let’s not forget—the first Dune already cleaned up at the 2022 Academy Awards, winning seven Oscars, proving that movies about space worms are somehow more prestigious than pro wrestling.
But here’s the thing—Bautista still owes WWE fans one last appearance. He was supposed to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2021, but due to “logistical reasons” (aka Hollywood doesn’t run on wrestling time), it never happened. Big Dave has assured fans that he will get inducted eventually, but for now, his tuxedo-wearing, award-presenting alter ego is taking center stage.
So while his wrestling days are over, one thing remains clear—whether it’s Hollywood or WWE, when Dave Bautista shows up, it’s a big deal.