Times are certainly changing for the professional wrestling world. Recently, The Undertaker joined Instagram. Now, it looks like “The Deadman” is on Twitter as well. Undertaker joined back on December 4th last month. However, his account didn’t get noticed and verified until this week. His first post read “Rest In Peace” along with a photo of himself in the ring:
Its been a few months since Undertaker appeared on WWE TV. He and his storyline brother, Kane, lost to D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) at WWE’s Crown Jewel event from Saudi Arabia in November. It remains unclear if the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion will return to compete at WrestleMania 35 in April.
Ambrose Saves Renee Young’s Phone During Match (Video)
This week, Dean Ambrose successfully defended his Intercontinental Championship on Monday Night RAW. He defeated Seth Rollins in a Falls Count Anywhere match. During the match, Ambrose and Rollins fought near the announce table. Ambrose’s wife, Renee Young, serves as one-third of RAW’s announce team.
During his brawl with Rollins, Ambrose saves his wife’s phone during the brawl, tossing it to Michael Cole for safe keeping. Check it out here:
At the height of the Monday Night War, WWE and WCW were locked in a merciless battle to secure to top wrestlers in the industry. It was a huge deal when when WCW mainstay The Giant jumped to WWE, or when Bret Hart showed up on Nitro. The Undertaker was one of the performers most synonymous with WWE and a defection to the competition would have had seismic consequences.
During a recent episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, former WCW President Eric Bischoff talked about how he would have booked The Undertaker, if they could have signed him away from Vince McMahon. Bischoff says he intended for the nWo to ultimately take over Nitro and secondary show Thunder would have been the new home of WCW. Since The Undertaker had worked for WCW as Mean Mark back 1989-1990, Bischoff envisioned The Undertaker being one of the top players in WCW.
“Hypothetically, the whole NWO/WCW storyline as I had it in my head, would have played out the way I wanted it. nWo would have officially taken over Monday Nitro, top to bottom, would have been an nWo show. WCW would have been over on Thunder, had we had it play out the way I hoped for. Because WCW and [The Undertaker] previously had a relationship, I would have probably tried to play off that. I would have probably tried to bring [him] in on the WCW side of the equation to be kind of a counter for Kevin Nash.”
Bischoff said he was never a big fan of larger wrestlers like Kevin Nash or The Giant, because it’s hard creatively to get sympathy on them.
“It’s hard for them in a believable way to sell, unless you take a chainsaw to them or a bazooka,” he explained. “It’s hard for them to be a good heel because it doesn’t make any sense for a guy that big to be a chickensh*t. It’s not believable. I just don’t know. I wouldn’t have been excited about hiring him, not because he’s not a super talented guy. But if you would have looked at our roster back then, where would he have fit?”
The Undertaker in WCW was not meant to be, but the Dead Man did eventually work with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, DDP and Booker T after WWE bought out WCW in 2001.
Listen to The Undertaker talking about how he would have booked The Undertaker in WCW:
Longtime WWE Superstar The Undertaker has been in the professional wrestling business for nearly 35 years. The 53-year-old is one of the biggest stars the professional wrestling industry has ever seen. Not only that, but he’s one of the most highly-respected stars of all time. Throughout his career with WWE, Undertaker has won seven World Championships. He also once held a legendary undefeated streak at WrestleMania, which reached up to 21-0.
However, Brock Lesnar broke that streak in 2014 when he defeated “The Deadman” at WrestleMania 30. Undertaker won two more matches at “The Show Of Shows” before being defeated by Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33. Undertaker still appears at WrestleMania to wrestle, as he competed at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans last year, defeating John Cena.
His last match took place in November at WWE Crown Jewel. He and his storyline brother, Kane, were defeated by D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H). With WrestleMania 35 right around the corner, Undertaker will likely be competing at the event yet again, but nothing is confirmed as of this writing. Recently, Undertaker joined Onnit’s “True Wrestling,” and Taker discussed several professional wrestling topics.
He was asked if he ever considered retirement at any point during his career. Here’s what “The Deadman” had to say:
“You know, at the tail-end now, I really have to put everything into perspective, and what damage I’m doing at this point, to myself, and my life after wrestling,” Taker said. “But when I was going full-time, no. Even when the business took a real nose-dive, you’re thinking, ‘OK, how are we gonna get out of this? What we gonna do?
“We can work harder.’ The one thing I was really good at, and in my mind anyway, if anybody else feels that way is another story, but in my mind, I felt like it was always where I belonged, and what I should be doing.
“Obviously there were times where money was… but instead of, ‘Man, I need to get me a job at the Jiffy Lube and figure out something else later on…’, It was, ‘What can we do to make this product where we want to see it?’”
What do you make of Undertaker’s comments on if he ever considered retirement during his career?
A number of interesting names were backstage for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live from Austin, Texas including a couple of big-time legends.
According to WrestlingInc, both the Undertaker and Ric Flair were in the arena for this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show. Not only them but Christian and Maryse were also backstage for the event.
Taker who lives in the area was apparently just visiting the arena while Maryse was there filming some stuff for the second season of Miz & Mrs. No word yet on what Christian and Flair were doing.
The Usos On Their Victory
This week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw Jay Uso defeating both Xavier Woods and Cesaro in a triple threat match ahead of their TLC bout.
After the show, the Usos were interviewed backstage where Mike Rome asked them how they would replicate this victory to grab a win at the upcoming TLC PPV.
Answering the question, the Usos said that they have been feeling this momentum from past few weeks and they have an itch which tells them they are winning that tag titles at TLC:
The Usos are scheduled to face The Bar and The New Day in a triple threat tag team match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at the upcoming PPV next Sunday.
Former WWE Champion Batista has worked with many legends of the professional wrestling industry during his time. However, nobody has ever seemed to captivate “The Animal” the way he was when he shared the ring with The Undertaker. Batista and “The Deadman” have shared the WWE ring several times before.
In fact, the pair worked together at WrestleMania 23 where Taker defeated Batista for the WWE World Heavyweight Title. To share the ring with The Undertaker is becoming more of a rarity as the years roll on. The 53-year-old is still competing semi-regularly for WWE, however, it’s clear his in-ring career is in its final stages.
Recently, on the heels of SmackDown 1000, WWE released a never before seen interview with Batista. He discussed some of his favorite moments in SmackDown history. During the interview, Batista talked about what it was like working with The Undertaker. Here’s what he had to say:
“When Undertaker decided he wanted to go, there was nobody who could do it better. He would always say for 15 minutes out of the day he was the baddest son of b—- on the planet, and I would back that up 100 percent. I mean, that dude can go.
“He’s very intimidating, you know he’s in charge, but it’s also very comforting because this dude has just seen and done it all. It’s almost like one of those things when you get in [the ring] with him you know you’re going to have a good match.”
What do you make of Batista’s comments about The Undertaker?
Triple H defeated The Undertaker in the main event of WWE Super Show-Down in Melbourne, Australia. The Deadman finally fell after two Sweet Chin Music superkicks from Shawn Michaels and a Pedigree from ‘The Game.’
After the match ‘Taker and Kane stood with their arms raised alongside Triple H and Michaels. All four men appeared to be celebrating the ‘end of an era’ (again). Fireworks going off around the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the show appeared to be over. Both Undertaker and Kane then attacked the D-Generation X founders. Michaels was taken out of the ring and thrown through the announcer’s table.
We reported back in September that Shawn Michaels was preparing for a bout at the Crown Jewel event. It now looks as though the proposed tag team bout between the Brothers of Destruction and DX will now be coming to fruition in Saudi Arabia.
As we mentioned before this will be Michael’s first bout in 8 years. HBK lost in a retirement match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26 and he has vowed to honor that stipulation. The exact monetary offer for Michael’s was not revealed however Brock Lesnar will perform at the show for a 7-figure sum, so the potential payday is lucrative. The actual revenue that WWE could be potentially gaining from the Saudi Arabia shows is huge. The exact number will not be available until the fourth quarter earnings are revealed in January/February but it is believed to be in the $40-45 million dollar range.
The Undertaker claims to know part of the one secret that Andre The Giant took to his grave. During a recent interview with Pastor Ed Young as part of the Wrastlin’ series, “The Deadman” revealed that Andre wanted a match against him and even had an idea for the feud. However, Andre kept that idea to himself even to his last day alive on earth.
Taker signed with the WWE back in 1990 and although Andre was a huge star for Vince McMahon’s company for years, the final years of the legend were tough as he was in rough shape. The WWE Hall of Famer passed away due to congestive heart failure in 1993 and that feud never happened.
“I never got the chance to wrestle Andre. By the time that I got there, his health was really in decline. He wrestled a few times and it was funny because Andre was really old school. Andre didn’t like big guys either — he loved me, thank goodness,” Taker said (transcript courtesy of the New York Post).
Taker would continue by stating that Andre thought big guys were arrogant or a bully but he had his way with a lot of guys that were disrespectful towards him. ”Anyway, he liked me and, you know, I guess we always think we got one [match] left in us, you know.”
Undertaker recalled that Andre would come in and would always be the first guy in the locker room where he would just enjoy to sit there and play cribbage. He noted that he would go over and talk with him. Andre would tell him,’You know, one day, kid, me and you. I have this idea.’ ‘Oh really, boss? Tell me about it.’ “And he’d never tell me.”
Ultimately, Andre kept his plan for the feud a secret until he passed away and even his good friend and former WWE referee Tim White would never tell that secret even when Taker would ask. The reason for this is due to Taker believing that Andre was old school and didn’t want anyone else to do it because Andre thought that one day he could get back in the ring and they could do something that would be a big deal.
“No one knows what it was, but you know, he ended up passing away and he never let me know. I wonder to this day, ‘Man, I bet it was good.’”
The Undertaker recently participated in a rare out-of-character interview about the pro wrestling business while doing a series from Pastor Ed Young of Fellowship Church called Wrastlin. This series shows the strong connections between wrestling and the Bible. In a video that was recently released, the former WWE Champion and future Hall of Famer talked about how important the knowledge of knowing that characters not moves is in the success of a competitor in pro wrestling. “Wrestling and sports entertainment is not about the moves, it really isn’t,” said Undertaker (h/t Sky Sports). “It’s about being able to evoke emotion in one facet or another. You either have to make people love you or you have to make them hate you, it doesn’t really matter either way.”
Taker also talked about how many matches in this era of wrestling allowed the fans to take a more closer look on the moves than putting the wrestlers over. He stated that you can only see so many crazy moves so many times before you are looking for something new and that wrestler has to step up to give them just that. He added that by doing this then you increase your potential for injuries.
The Deadman would later bring up such stars as The Rock, Ric Flair, and John Cena as those who have had the ability to make people love them or hate them because he believes that the story means more than the moves.
Taker is back in action at the WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event that takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network.
Watch: The Undertaker’s “out of character” interview with Sky Sports:
Two interesting names were backstage at this week’s WWE Monday Night RAW TV event in Denver, CO at the Pepsi Center. Those stars were The Undertaker and SmackDown General Manager Paige.
Pwinsider.com is reporting that the reason Taker was backstage at the show was to be involved in a photo shoot. It should be noted that although not confirmed by WWE, Undertaker is currently scheduled to appear on next week’s episode, which marks the go-home show for WWE Super Show-Down.
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has already been confirmed for the episode. Taker is slated to have Kane in his corner when he takes on Triple H, who will have Michaels in his corner, at Super Show-Down that takes place next weekend at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network. Regarding Paige, she was said to be working on some material related to the upcoming Survivor Series PPV. It’s possible that acting RAW General Manager Baron Corbin was included in this footage but that has yet to be confirmed.
Finally, it was noted that NXT Superstars Shayna Baszler and Dakota Kai were backstage for the show. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on why they were flown in for the event.
WWE will be donating $100,000 to the Knoxville Public Safety Foundation in exchange for their newly elected mayor, Glenn Jacobs (who has a long career in the WWE as Kane) making appearances for the company this fall.
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon commented on the donation in a press release, saying, “ I appreciate his gesture to the heroes who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way and look forward to his continued progress in his mission.”
Glenn Jacobs responded in kind, “I’m extremely proud that my career with WWE will have a positive impact on the community through my role as Knox County Mayor.”
Big Red Mayor
Jacobs won the mayoral election in Knox County, Tennessee in early August of this year. His election run didn’t stop him from appearing on WWE, however.
Just a month earlier, he would be on fans’ screens worldwide, competing with his former tag team partner, Daniel Bryan, in a losing effort against the then SmackDown tag team champions, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.
Since his election, however, he has committed himself to his mayoral duties.
That changed this past Monday on Raw.
Brothers Of Destruction
During the show, The Undertaker cut a promo on his upcoming match at WWE Super Show-Down in Australia. He stated that if Triple H will have Shawn Michaels in his corner, then “The Deadman” will have his brother, Kane, in his.
WWE Super Show-Down (Under)
Triple H (with Shawn Michaels) vs. The Undertaker (with Kane)
#1 Contender’s Match: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
John Cena and Bobby Lashley vs. Elias and Kevin Owens
The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre – Six-Man Tag Team Match
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad – Six-Woman Tag Team Match
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy
The Undertaker will be appearing on next week’s episode of WWE Raw to further hype his current program with Triple H.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in New Orleans, LA at the Smoothie King Center on the USA Network, Triple H made an appearance on the show where he cut a promo in the ring about his upcoming match against Taker at WWE Super Show-Down. He spoke about how Undertaker was upset about the comments made by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels last week on RAW to the point where he had to make an appearance. He pointed out that the reason Taker was upset was due to Michaels picking HHH over him when they meet for the last time ever.
Triple H at first wondered if Undertaker had lost respect for him and Michaels. However, he then came to the mindset that Taker had lost respect for himself. Triple H stated once Undertaker lost to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 in 2014, all he has now is his reputation. He ended his promo by vowing that he would put him down at the Super Show-Down.
The last time that Taker competed inside of a WWE ring was when he teamed up with Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman to defeat Elias, Baron Corbin, and Kevin Owens at a WWE live event at MSG in July.
The WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network.
Many believe the angle could be teasing a future match between the pair again. Ross said that the two legends put on the best segment he has seen on WWE TV in some time:
“The thing that stood out the most to me on Monday Night RAW, and I don’t know what would be second, and that sounds like I’m knocking the show, but I’m really not! I thought The Undertaker/Shawn Michaels business was so much better than anything that I have seen on television.
“I thought the Becky Lynch and Charlotte [Flair] business at times has been extremely good because it feels real; it’s organic; I get it. But, boy, this took me back.” Ross later added, “The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels stole RAW. They stole the show.
“They’re so far ahead in making an emotional attachment than some of their peers, might I say most of their peers on their team, it’s not even funny. These guys are what you would say is over. They’re really over. And it’s a lot easier to support your guy if he’s ‘over,’ either as a villain or as a hero.
“And to get over you’ve got to get on a roll. At some point, these guys have got to get on major extended rolls, R-O-L-L-S, rolls. So we’ll see how that works out for the rest of the roster. Bottom line, ‘HBK’ and Undertaker were amazing.”
Neither The Undertaker or Michaels are in the prime of their careers anymore. Their best matches are likely behind them given their ages, but Ross still thinks they can put on a quality match in WWE:
“I had the privilege of being there for WrestleMania 25, 26, and many prior to that, with those guys and Triple H, so I’ve had a lot of experience with those three men and their matches.” Ross recalled, “I think one of the best matches I ever called or ever saw was Triple H and Shawn when Shawn came back fro his four-year hiatus!
“It was awesome! I mean, it was textbook. He didn’t miss a damn beat, so anyone that thinks that Shawn and The Undertaker couldn’t have a good match, think again please. And if the glass is always going to be a half empty, they’re not in their prime. Well, no s–t. They’re not in their prime.
“Wow, what a revelation! Of course they’re not in their prime physically. Mentally, I suggest to you, they’re probably the best they’ve ever been mentally to tell a story, to bring you in, to captivate you, to capture your attention. It’s done psychologically more often than not. I just think that they can give us a great match if and when it’s going to happen.”
Finally, if the match were to happen, Ross thinks WrestleMania 35 would be the perfect location:
“If we said Undertaker and Shawn were going to be figured in some way at WrestleMania in New York City [New York], MetLife [Stadium], whatever, New Jersey, everything, you guys know.”
“That would be huge! That’s huge! That’s huge. It’s going to sell out anyway no matter who’s wrestling. The name, the brand, the event sells out. The card sells pay-per-views and [WWE] Network subscriptions. That’s why the card [has] got to be extraordinary for these extraordinary events, these tentpole events.
“And that’s why I think that there is a better than average chance. You don’t develop this much time on television without going somewhere with it.
“Why make me think that that could happen and give me that great of a sales job to measure my level of anticipation and enthusiasm regarding the storyline without somewhere down the road being able to deliver it? So time will tell.”
No one stays retired. It’s one of the running gags that is prevalent throughout wrestling history. Ric Flair, Terry Funk, Mick Foley…they all returned. One man who has kept his word? Shawn Michaels.
HBK is arguably the greatest superstar to ever step into a WWE ring. The legendary career of Michaels and his show-stopping performances at WrestleMania events throughout history can only be matched by one man: The Undertaker. This past week on RAW featured the return of both HBK and ‘Taker to our screens, the former to cement his opinion that Triple H would defeat his longtime rival, or “cerebrally assassinate” to steal a phrase. This brought out The Deadman who brought up the WrestleMania history of all three men, confirming his dominance at the Showcase of the Immortals.
Why Tease With No Payoff?
The way that the segment ran played out like a very elaborate tease. It has been reported in the past that Vince McMahon loathes segments that tease impossible scenarios. Such as the Steve Austin podcast incident where he was goaded by Paul Heyman into seemingly challenging Brock Lesnar to a Texas Deathmatch…so would a scripted show like RAW have this ‘tease’ without merit? It’s possible, but why would you try something like this if it leads to nothing? WWE does have history in this department so it IS possible.
The question is, should HBK return to the ring? Yes and no. Yes because he is one of the greatest ever. No because it would need to be against The Undertaker. We really don’t need to see that match again do we? After two of the greatest WrestleMania matches ever do we need to retread that well worn path?
Rumors were floating that Michaels and AJ Styles could have a match for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble in 2017. It caused a huge buzz and there at least a slim chance that it could happen. The hype for this potential match was unreal and it could’ve been a real crowning moment in Styles’ career. However as Michaels stated in his RAW promo, he is a man of his word and he would not come out of retirement.
What’s The Likelihood?
Triple H and Undertaker will battle for the final time at the Showdown event in Australia in October. Michaels will probably be involved in some way but will it lead to one final HBK vs Taker match? If Undertaker truly decides that he wants to hang up his boots at next year’s WrestleMania (how many times have you seen that phrase over the years?) then could Michaels be the man to retire him? It would make for a fantastic moment to see HBK back in the ring but would this best be served for a new up and coming Superstar to give Undertaker his last hurrah?
Whatever happens, if we get one more Shawn Michaels match then it would be a spectacle we never expected. Seeing one of the greatest ever go at it one final time can’t be considered a bad thing. If Undertaker wants to retire against Shawn Michaels then they can both ride off into the sunset.
Here’s to WrestleMania 35, a decade after the greatest match in Mania history…one final time.
The Undertaker made his return to the flagship show of the WWE, Monday Night RAW, which marked his first appearance on the TV series since RAW 25 back in January.
As seen on this week’s episode of RAW in Columbus, OH at the Schottenstein Center on the USA Network, Taker interrupted WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels while he was cutting a promo to hype the upcoming match between Taker and Triple H at Superstar Show-Down. They had an exchange of words that involved Michaels explaining why he has stayed retired. Taker questioned Michaels’ explanation of having enough respect for Taker to stay retired and that’s why he hasn’t come back for one more match.
"I have stayed true to my retirement…I have stayed away and stayed retired out of respect for the system, out of respect for them…out of respect for you." – @ShawnMichaels#RAWpic.twitter.com/6pgF8o2GNh
The last time that Taker competed inside of a WWE ring was when he teamed up with Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman to defeat Elias, Baron Corbin, and Kevin Owens at a WWE live event at MSG in July. Prior to his recent RAW appearance, the Undertaker was last seen on WWE programming once he beat Rusev in a Casket Match in late April at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia.
The WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia. Here is the card: Triple H vs. The Undertaker #1 Contender’s Match: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe John Cena and Bobby Lashley vs. Elias and Kevin Owens The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre – Six-Man Tag Team Match Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad – Six-Woman Tag Team Match WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker and a few Hall Of Famers have been announced for a Texas church sermon series.
Grapevine, Texas-based pastor Ed Young of Fellowship Church will be interviewing Taker, Ric Flair, Sting and Ted DiBiase. The interviews are part of Young’s new “Wrastlin'” sermon series. The series lasts four weeks and kicks off on Sunday, September 9th.
Fellowship Church’s main stage will feature a wrestling ring where the interviews will take place. On the other side of the church a section will be available for the congregation to see the interviews. An official statement and video announcement for the series has been released. Check those out below:
Wrastlin’ – A Series by Ed Young. Beginning September 9, 2018
Over four weeks this September, Ed Young and Fellowship Church welcome four legendary guests from the world of professional wrestling – Ric Flair, The Undertaker, The Million Dollar Man, and Sting!
The Bible often compares the Christian life to that of a warrior, a wrestler. Wrestling is a metaphor commonly used in the Christian life and one that will remind us that no matter what, God is ready and able to step in between the ropes and help us overcome any challenge we face!
For more information, visit Fellowshipchurch.com/wrastlin.
One huge name is backstage for tonight’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW. PWinsider.com is reporting that The Undertaker is in town for the show and will likely appear on the show although that has yet to be confirmed.
The reason that he could appear on the show is due to WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels working the show to do a promo in the ring about the upcoming match between Taker and Triple H at the Super Show-Down event.
The pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.
The Undertaker was last seen on WWE programming once he beat Rusev in a Casket Match in late April at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. His last competed inside of a WWE ring once he teamed up with Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman to defeat Elias, Baron Corbin, and Kevin Owens.
WWE holds tonight’s show in Columbus, OH at the Schottenstein Center. As noted, WWE has already announced that The Bella Twins return to clash with The Riott Squad and The Revival challenge The B-Team for the RAW Tag Team Titles.
WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg recently spoke with the guys from Inside The Ropes after his sold-out stage show from Dublin, Ireland. Goldberg spoke about a variety of topics, including his thoughts on the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, feeling like a caged animal on RAW the night after WrestleMania and the possibility of wrestling The Undertaker. Here are the highlights
WWE’s Hall of Fame Ceremony
Bill Goldberg was the headline inductee for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class. By the time Goldberg gave his induction speech, many of the WWE Superstars had already left the arena. The ceremony lasts 3+ hours during WWE’s busiest weekend of the year. Goldberg reveals he spoke to Vince McMahon about the need to make changes to the event’s formt.
“First and foremost I went to Vince and I told him my impression of the Hall Of Fame and what should happen,” Goldberg said. “I don’t think it’s a justice to the people being inducted. I don’t think it’s a justice to the fans that sit there for four hours. I think it needs to be changed completely right up on its head.”
He continued, “It needs to be changed because it sucks … I don’t care about what other people say or how they did it, I’m telling you in my experience as a headliner in 2018 in the Hall Of Fame — it needs to be changed.”
The Possibility of Wrestling The Undertaker
The night after WrestleMania, Goldberg addressed the WWE Universe as a Hall of Famer. He thanked everyone for supporting him during his latest WWE run. He was very grateful that his son got a chance to see him be ‘Goldberg’ in person.
Goldberg also revealed that it was very difficult for him to be backstage at Raw, because he saw all the Superstars going out and doing what he loves to do. He is very competitive, and still has the itch to compete under the right circumstances. When asked about the possibility of wrestling The Undertaker, Goldberg was very specific with the wording of his answer.
“No, don’t put words in my mouth,” Goldberg said when asked if he ‘would like’ to have a match against The Undertaker. I wouldn’t like to have it. If it became available and it was right and people wanted it, I’m still capable of doing it. Because once I sit here and say, ‘It’s a match I’d like to have,’ it means that I’m asking for it. I’m not asking for anything. i’m just saying, if the cards fell right, I wouldn’t say no.”
Watch Bill Goldberg talk about WWE’s HOF Ceremony, The Undertaker: & More
The Undertaker is slated to make his return to WWE television next week on the flagship show of the company, Monday Night RAW, in Columbus, OH at the Schottenstein Center.
PWinsider.com is reporting that “The Deadman” will be backstage at the TV event presented by the WWE. However, as of this writing, there’s no word yet on if Taker will be appearing on TV or just for the live crowd.
It should be noted that WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has already been confirmed to appear on the show to talk about the upcoming match between Taker and Triple H at the WWE Super Show-Down event.
The Undertaker was last seen on WWE programming once he beat Rusev in a Casket Match in late April at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. His last competed inside of a WWE ring once he teamed up with Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman to defeat Elias, Baron Corbin, and Kevin Owens.
The WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.
The Undertaker has teased a rematch with John Cena on Instagram.
“The Deadman” joined the social media world not too long ago, and its been entertaining to say the least. Undertaker has shared photos of himself at concerts, vacations and even showed off his new gun safe.
He also posts a lot of old photos from his career with people such as The Rock and Paul Bearer. Undertaker’s latest picture was a shot from his WrestleMania 34 meeting with John Cena.
Undertaker defeated “The Leader Of The Cenation” in New Orleans in a squash match. Cena has expressed interest in a rematch since the defeat.
Many have speculated that the match could take place at SummerSlam. However, there are currently no indications that Cena or Undertaker are booked for the show.
The WWE’s Super Show-Down in Australia on October 6th has also been suggested. The only issue with that is Undertaker is slated to face Triple H on that show.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter has since reported that there have been talks “around in certain circles including insider circles.”
Undertaker Teases Rematch With John Cena
All rumors aside, Undertaker now seems to be getting in on the fun. He posted the following photo from he and Cena’s match in April:
In an interview with Sports Illustrated earlier this year, Cena talked about his WrestleMania loss to Undertaker and said it was an honor to bring back a WWE icon:
“I did not do well in this match. My ‘WrestleMania Moment’ was to spend the time in the crowd and not do well in a very short performance, but I loved it because it got the job done.
“The focus was not me, the focus was someone else. Often times, we look at things so selfishly, asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ Well, what was in it for me was the chance to reintroduce a WWE icon.
“I had to stretch the suspension of disbelief to its breaking point to do it, but it was awesome.
“Every single week, the crowd would chant at the top of its lungs and no one thought I would be sitting in the crowd at WrestleMania, but I was able to do that. I was able to go out and be handily defeated in three minutes and bring back an icon.
Since joining Instagram, The Undertaker has been revealing a lot more about his real personality. It turns out “The Dead Man” is actually a pretty big gun enthusiast. He took to his Instagram and revealed a gift his wife, former WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, got him for Father’s Day.
Taker showed off a new custom safe, with one of his guns, for his “2a toys” (second amendment toys). The safe reads “Deadman Inc.” and also has Taker’s logo under it:
Carmella Reacts To Charlotte’s Addition To SummerSlam Title Match
On this week’s episode of SmackDown Live, Charlotte Flair was added to the SmackDown Live Women’s Title match at SummerSlam. Carmella will now defend her strap in a Triple Threat match against Flair and Becky Lynch at “The Biggest Party Of The Summer.”
Carmella took to Twitter and voiced her displeasure for Charlotte’s addition to the match:
Former NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura returned to in-ring action during yesterday’s (Mon. July 9, 2018) WWE live event in Augusta, Maine. Nakamura suffered a defeat to AJ Styles for the WWE Championship in a No Disqualification main event match.
This was the Japanese star’s first match since being bitten by a dog a few weeks ago. The belief is that Nakamura was re-evaluated yesterday and then cleared. Nakamura will take on Styles in a non-title match tonight on SmackDown Live.
Undertaker Receives Custom Sneakers
The Undertaker recently took part in WWE’s live event from Madison Square Garden this past weekend (Sat. July 7, 2018). “The Deadman” teamed up with Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman to defeat the team of Kevin Owens, Elias & Baron Corbin.
While visiting MSG, Taker apparently received some custom sneakers from Mache Custom Kicks. The design is actually pretty cool, and you can see a picture of them being presented to Taker via Mache Custom Kicks’ Twitter account:
WWE is scheduled to hold a live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City this Saturday night (July 7th, 2018). The sports entertainment company is promoting three big matches for this event.
One of those matches includes The Undertaker as he will returning to in-ring action when he teams up with Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman to take on Elias, Baron Corbin, and Kevin Owens in a six-man tag team match. This marks the first time in eight years that Taker will be competing in the arena. He returned to in-ring action earlier this year as took on John Cena at WrestleMania 34 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Then the future WWE Hall of Famer beat Rusev in a Casket Match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event back in April in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah International Stadium.
The Card
– The Undertaker & Roman Reigns & Braun Strowman vs. Elias & Baron Corbin & Kevin Owens.
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins.
– Nia Jax vs. Ronda Rousey with WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss as the guest referee in Rousey’s WWE debut in MSG.
WWE RAW Tag Team Champions Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt, Bayley, Natalya, and Bobby Roode are also advertised for the show.
What are your thoughts on this card for the show? Sound off in the comment section.
WWE’s YouTube channel has posted the following video from the latest episode of Something Else to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard that has been released in the on-demand section of their streaming service, WWE Network. The episode looks at The Undertaker‘s shocking character change in 2000 where he went from his deadman gimmick to his biker gimmick.
Prichard noted that McMahon and Taker disagreed on the gimmick as McMahon believed you don’t change or fix something that isn’t broken while Taker pushed for a character change. The longtime former WWE employee added that WWE was always planning to go back to the deadman gimmick while Taker thought that once they made the gimmick change that he could never go back to the deadman character.
Mick Foley Remembers
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley took to his official Facebook page to remember his legendary Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker at the sixth annual King of the Ring pay-per-view event on June 28, 1998, at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He wrote the following:
When Corey Graves and Byron Saxton shared the WWE commentary booth on Monday Night RAW, the former NXT star loved to burn his colleague. Now, of course, they work together on SmackDown Live after some things were moved around for the Superstar Shake-Up.
Despite the move to Tuesday nights, Graves’ love for burning Saxton remains the same. He recently showed his support for a “Shut Up Saxton” t-shirt idea on WWE Shop which was suggested by a fan:
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker and former WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool recently celebrated eight years of marriage. She shared some photos from the occasion on Instagram:
Ember Moon Has Bank Account Shut Down Without Notice
RAW Superstar Ember Moon took to social media to call out Chase bank for closing her bank account unexpectedly and without explanation after seven years of business. She posted the following:
WWE Hall Of Famer Edge and Christian discussed exchanging ring gear in a recent episode of their podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness. Christian first started things off by confessing that he never has been good at keeping memorabilia from his matches, and knows he’ll probably regret that one day:
“I have talked about this before, I have always been bad at saving memorabilia. I tried to get better at it my last two years, have done it on a couple of occasions, but I know for you [Edge], like when you had your match against Undertaker, you were better at exchanging things and doing things like that than I have.
“I wished for some of the bigger moments and matches, looking back now someday I am going to regret not doing more of that.”
Edge then revealed that the only time he ever swapped gear with someone was after WrestleMania 24 with The Undertaker. Edge lost the World Heavyweight Championship to The Undertaker. Edge gave Taker his kick-pads and tights, while Undertaker gave him his gloves:
“The only time I have exchanged gear with someone was with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 24. I gave him my kick-pads and my tights from that and I got his gloves. It is pretty cool. I am glad I got that memory. I saved everything; all my gear over the years; my trench coats and stuff that I have saved.
“It is all packed away nicely and neatly in vacuum-sealed bags and all that stuff. One day if the girls decide they want to do something with it—whether they want to give it away to charity, or buy a slushy with it, I don’t know, but it’ll be there.”
You can listen to E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.