The Undertaker’s interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin was set to be an interesting one from the start. I personally watched the interview after Survivor Series and it had a lot of brilliant stories. If you’ve missed it or do not have the time to watch the entire thing, here are some of the most interesting takeaways from the interview.
The Undertaker Always Remained Loyal To Vince
When it looked like the WWE would lose the battle against WCW, The Undertaker was one of the very few people who remained loyal to Vince McMahon. His reasoning for it was quite simple: Because Vince was the man to give him a chance.
The Phenom also talked about his early career. He mentioned how Ole Anderson told him nobody would pay money to see him wrestle. How mistaken he was!
Taker Is a Very Athletic Wrestler
When we think about The Undertaker, we think about his slow and methodical way of destroying his opponent. However, I was surprised to learn that The Phenom had a much more athletic style early on than what we have seen from him over the years. He mentioned how had to think a lot about his moves before he did them, but that it finally became second nature.
Who Does The Phenom Go To For Advice?
One of the questions I was most interested in is “Where does the Undertaker go for advice?” After all, he is the Phenom. Vince McMahon is the obvious answer, but Stone Cold wanted to find out who else he might have gone to. Perhaps a fellow wrestler?
Sure enough, Mark said that there was one wrestler he used to go to for advice – Jake “The Snake” Roberts. When you look at Jake’s style, it is not a far thing to see where Taker got his inspiration.
Veteran Wrestlers Did Not Like The Undertaker
The Phenom made his debut in the 1990s in the WWE, but not everybody was happy with his presence. When he made his debut at Survivor Series, many legends did not appreciate the push he received. That being said, things fell into place when Dusty Rhodes congratulated him.
Living The Gimmick
The Undertaker says he truly lived his gimmick throughout his career. Before social media blew up, he always went out dressed in black and was a notoriously silent person.
During the interview, The Phenom’s ability not to break character was looked at and discussed. There were various clips of people trying to break his character on camera. Participants included Vince McMahon, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Booker T, and many others. Still, few have managed to break his character over the years.
Stone Cold Steve Austin managed to break The Phenom once. Unfortunately, the event where he broke character only had 800 people in attendance. So, not many people managed the view the rare occurrence.
The Egg Man?
There were plenty of funny moments during The Undertaker’s interview. Remember the giant chicken that came out of an egg and was dubbed the Gobbledy Gooker.
Before Taker was The Phenom, he was waiting for a call from the WWE, awaiting a character. For weeks, he saw the egg and prayed he would not receive a phone call. After all, he did not want to be the egg man.
The Undertaker would be called by Vince McMahon during the time where the egg still needed to hatch. Taker was convinced he would be “Egg Man.” Fortunately, Vince had other plans and The Undertaker character was born. Still, it makes for a hilarious story.
The Undertaker’s Very First Meeting With Vince McMahon
As soon as he left WCW, Mark sought to join the WWE. He had a meeting at Vince McMahon’s house and things did not go smoothly. When Vince asked him if he had any special talents, Mark replied he was a good singer in the shower. Of course, he would regret his answer soon.
Contrary to popular belief, Taker was not offered his character immediately. He left the meeting knowing the WWE did not have anything for him, but also knowing Vince could call him in the future. Fortunately he did with The Undertaker character.
WCW Did Not See His Talent
Taker did not leave WCW willingly. As he started in singles competition at WCW, he expected to sign a new contract and headed to a meeting with Jim Herd, Jim Barnett, and Ole Anderson.
During the meeting, he was told by Anderson that nobody would ever pay money to see him wrestle. Naturally, this brought an end to his wrestling career at WCW. The Undertaker did not give up though, but he never forgot the comment made by Anderson.
He’s In Pretty Good Shape… For His Age
The Undertaker’s health and possible retirement were widely discussed during the interview. Taker admits that he had the intention to retire many times, including the time where he left his jacket and hat in the ring after losing to Roman Reigns. He also admitted he keeps on being tricked into coming back. Although he does realise that his own love for the business is actually why he returns. He even admits that his own wife Michelle McCool does not believe him anymore when he says he is done with wrestling.
On the topic of his physical fitness, Taker states that he is in good shape for someone his age. He also mentioned that he made several changes to his training routine and his diet to cope with his changing body.
When asked about the Goldberg match, Taker mentioned that he has good and bad days. Some matches he feels in top physical condition. On other days, he feels worn down. When you look at the performances of The Undertaker in recent years, it does explain a lot of thing.
There were a lot more interesting topics during Stone Cold’s interview with The Undertaker. If you are a real Taker fan, I urge you to watch the entire interview on the WWE Network. It is certainly worth the watch. From his early career to his current role in the WWE and his future, The Phenom covers it all.
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