WWE Daily

OKLAHOMA CITY – Before Batista decimated former World Heavyweight Champion Edge and saw CM Punk cash in his “Money in the Bank� contract to become the World Champion, Batista put a handful of smiles on the face of Marquet Bell, 6, of Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I like Batista because he does the Batista Bomb. No matter what I will always like him,� said Bell, describing his admiration for The Animal.

The New Haven, Conn., native was accompanied by his mother, Idella, father, Willie and two older brothers, Maurice and Marcus, to watch Monday Night Raw live for the first time. In the luxury suite of Oklahoma City’s Ford Center, the “True Champ� joked and laughed with his family minutes before the three-time World Heavyweight Champion walked into the room.

After Marquet and the Animal greeted each other and spoke for a few moments, the enthusiastic Circle of Champions honoree told Batista that despite his loss to Edge at Night of Champions, he was still the boy’s favorite WWE Superstar. That brought a huge smile to Batista’s face.

The Animal gave Marquet his signature merchandise, posed for photos with him and his family, and signed autographs, including Marquet’s handcrafted “Batista ‘Unleash the Animal’� poster. Batista also took time out to answer Marquet’s questions, and talk about football and the SmackDown vs. Raw video game.

“Which brand do you think is better, SmackDown or Raw?� Batista, who was drafted last week to Raw from SmackDown, asked the True Champ.

Marquet paused, turned to his left and then to his right and pointed at Batista.

“I like you,� Marquet told his favorite Superstar before receiving a huge hug from The Animal.

An excited Batista said he was “very impressed with how intelligent Marquet is at such a young age.

“It’s always so awesome to see a kid like that, who’s so well-mannered and respectful. Marquet is such a good-spirited kid who has everything going for him. He’s athletic and smart. He’s so positive and full of energy. I had such a good feeling after meeting him,� Batista said.

Although Batista is his favorite, Marquet also received a surprise visit from one of Raw’s newest Superstars thanks to the 2008 WWE Draft, Rey Mysterio. The Master of the 619 and the Circle of Champions honoree spoke in-depth about the Marquet’s grades and his favorite books, Scooby Doo and The Cat in the Hat. The former World Champion encouraged the True Champ to continue to read, which left a good impression on Marquet’s mom, Idella.

“Marquet loves to read. For somebody he looks up to telling him to read will only motivate him to do it more often in the years to come, which I think will benefit him a great deal in the future,� Idella said.

Marquet Family with Dave Batista