Survivor Series 2020 was billed as the Undertaker’s “Final Farewell” and many legends from the past were there to help celebrate. One of The Undertaker’s longtime friends in the business, “The Godfather” Charles Wright, was amongst them. Godfather spoke to SI.com recently about the reunion Taker’s “Bone Street Krew” had at the show.

“When WWE invited me to the Survivor Series tribute for Mark, I texted him right away and said, ‘Let’s do a BSK reunion,’” said Wright. “We paid homage to Mark Calaway and the phenom that he created with The Undertaker.”

The reunion took place Saturday night before the Survivor Series. No food was served, only whiskey and beer. Other attendees included Savio Vega, Rikishi, Phineas Godwinn, and Mark Henry.

“For that one night, the past came back to life,” Wright continued. “If you didn’t know any better, it felt like it was 20 years ago. We told stories, we hugged, we cried—and we put Timmy White to bed, just like we used to back in the day.”

Godfather continued to talk about what Taker did for others during his career.

“Mark is honest, he respects the business and he never forgets about his friends,” said Wright. “He changed the business, especially for big men. He’s one of a kind.”

• The Godfather Agrees With Fan Criticism About Undertaker’s “Final Farewell”

The full interview with Charles Wright can be read here.

Following The Undertaker’s ‘Final Farewell’ at Survivor Series, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has looked back on his friendship with “The Dead Man.” 

Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T shared how, although he was a similar age to The Undertaker and both men are from Texas, he “looked at Taker a little bit different from the rest of the boys in the locker room” when he first came into the then-WWF.

He explained how he couldn’t help but look at him differently because he was The Undertaker. Booker T added how “everyone else” also looked at him differently because of who he was and what he had accomplished.

It’s a respect that Booker T was adamant he give to “The Phenom.” 

“I made sure when I came in the WWF, WWE now, that I wasn’t coming in saying, hey, I’m here. It wasn’t anything like that. I said I’m going to come in here and make this thing work out. Taker was the first guy to come up to me and say, ‘Take it all in. It’s WrestleMania. It doesn’t get any bigger than this. Just slow it down and have some fun out there.'”

Booker T revealed that The Undertaker was the first person to invite him into the TV locker room. He explained how only eight people were in there, but he was chosen to join them. Despite ‘Taker’s invitation, however, Booker T declined the offer.

“I didn’t take it upon myself to dress in the TV locker room. I made sure I dressed in the locker room with all the boys and there were probably 30 plus guys in there,” Booker T explained. “He was gracious enough to see something in me as well. I thought that was pretty cool.”

He continued, “But to watch him the way he came up and the way he did it, not just with one guy or two guys. The Undertaker did it with every guy on the roster. He put Maven over. People don’t remember that kind of stuff. People don’t see that kind of stuff. They don’t understand. It’s like the wind. They can feel it but they can’t touch it.”

Booker T then noted how fans don’t get to see many Superstars celebrate 30-year careers. He acknowledged how people may work for 20 years in the industry; however, they wouldn’t consistently perform in the way The Undertaker did.

He added how modern Superstars should “pick the brain” of The Undertaker and experienced Superstars like him. Booker T argued they should be focused on asking critical questions about longevity as wrestling “is not about how fast you do it.”

The Godfather responded to some fans who were critical of what WWE did with The Undertaker’s Final Farewell at Sunday’s pay-per-view event. 

Before Taker came out for his promo, WWE brought out Godfather and several past and present wrestlers with full entrances only to have them leave the ring. 

A fan commented on a photo of Taker and Godfather on Instagram where the person wrote, The whole ‘Farewell’ was pretty boring. You guys all came to the ring…for what?” Godfather responded, “right.”

One fan questioned why WWE brought everyone in only to have them say nothing. Godfather wrote back, “could’ve been written better.”

Another fan took shots at WWE creative and The ThunderDome. Godfather wrote back, “Well said. And you right the night before was epic.”

The fan responded by noting that the night before Survivor Series where they all reunited was what really matters. Godfather agreed, “Thats the most important.”

Along with Godfather, Shane McMahon, Big Show, JBL, Jeff Hardy (who had Taker’s symbol painted on his face), Mick Foley, The Godwinns, Savio Vega, Rikishi, Kevin Nash, Booker T, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Triple H, and Kane were part of the segment. 

Vince McMahon did the introduction for Taker.

The Undertaker Bids His Final Farewell At WWE Survivor Series

The Final Farewell segment at Survivor Series saw The Undertaker biding his farewell to the WWE Universe saying that it’s time for him to Rest In Peace.

WWE had brought in a number of legends for this segment including the likes of Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and more and The Dead Man got an introduction from none other than the boss Vince McMahon before his entrance.

This segment got a lot of response from the WWE Universe and fans from around the world took on their social media to show their respect for the Undertaker and share their feelings.

The Last Outlaw broke his silence and made his first comment after the emotional farewell via a tweet writing ‘The final bell tolls…’ and saying thank you to the fans.

Taker also posted some behind the scene photos from the PPV event including one where he is hugging Michelle McCool and one where he is seen making his entrance in the arena:

Michelle McCool and some other members of Undertaker’s family were backstage for this sendoff according to reports but they did not make an on-screen appearance.

After the Last Ride documentary, this farewell segment is another strong indication that The Undertaker is final ready to hang his boots and it would be interesting to see if WWE solidifies his retirement with a Hall Of Fame induction this WrestleMania season.

The Undertaker made an appearance at Sunday’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view event in which was promoted by WWE as his “Final Farewell.” 

WWE had also hyped this show as being a tribute to the former WWE Champion and touted it as “capping off The Phonem’s legendary 30-year career.”

In the final segment of the show, WWE brought out various people ahead of Taker’s entrance. Those brought in for it included Shane McMahon, The Big Show, JBL, Jeff Hardy, Mick Foley, The Godfather, The Godwins, Savio Vega, Rikishi, Kevin Nash, Booker T, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Triple H, and Kane (in his full gear). 

A special video package aired. Vince McMahon gave a speech in the ring about Taker being in WWE for three decades despite injuries. He even name-dropped WWF. McMahon said tonight we say goodbye and the legacy of The Undertaker lives on for eternity. He brought out Taker. 

It was his iconic entrance as The Deadman. Taker started out by saying for 30 years he has walked to the ring to lay people to rest. He said that now his time has come to let The Undertaker rest in peace. He tossed the microphone out of the ring and did his famous pose with the ‘Oh yes!’ soundbite from Paul Bearer with a hologram of Bearer appearing on the big screen.

The reason for this show being a tribute was due to him making his promotional debut at the 1990 version of Survivor Series.

The Undertaker beat AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match, which served as the headliner of WrestleMania 36 – Night 1, in what was Taker’s most recent match. 

Chapter 5 of The Last Ride on the WWE Network ended with Taker stating that he had no desire to wrestle again, which many took as a hint at the possibility of retirement. He has since confirmed in various interviews that he’s retired. 

The Undertaker: Vince McMahon ‘Did Not Like’ Original Ending To The Last Ride

The Undertaker opened up on why he doesn’t watch WWE programming as often as he’d like to. 

He did so during an interview with USA Today. Taker had been a prominent television figure for wrestling fans worldwide, but that has changed as he has gone from full-time to part-time and now retired. 

He talked about watching sports and various TV series. He noted that he doesn’t watch much of WWE as often because he feels like he should be there. 

“I can to a certain degree. But a lot of times I catch myself talking to the TV like they can hear me. It’s hard to be just a straight fan, because I want everybody to succeed and to develop into their potential. So I’m kind of like, ‘Oh man, don’t do it. It didn’t make sense. 

Don’t do that. Why would you do that?’ You would actually laugh if there was a camera watching me watch wrestling. I have these conversations and it’s pretty amusing, I’m sure.”

The Undertaker is set to do his ‘Final Farewell’ at Survivor Series on Sunday night. He has confirmed in various interviews that he’s retired from pro wrestling. 

The Undertaker On Who Should Have Ended The Streak Instead

The Undertaker has evolved his character several times over the decades. Each change helped breathe fresh life into his “Dead Man” gimmick. Now, as ‘Taker heads towards his 30th Anniversary at Survivor Series, he has revealed which version of “The Dead Man” has been his favorite. 

Speaking with Matt Camp on WWE’s The Bump, The Undertaker highlighted how, although he enjoyed playing the American Badass, this version wasn’t his favorite. Regardless, the American Badass still holds a special place for him. The Undertaker noted that this was mostly because he could “talk however I wanted.”

He then shared that only one version could ever be considered his favorite: the original Deadman.

“I mean the traditional Undertaker, obviously, because that’s the one that first debuted,” he said. “But probably the most fun was the American Badass because I could talk however I wanted. It was perfect for the time period that we were in. But yeah, I think the original Deadman was my favorite.”

WWE has been celebrating the legendary career of The Undertaker all throughout November. In honor of his career, WWE has been airing ’30 Days of the Deadman’ specials on the WWE Network.

All of WWE’s Undertaker celebrations culminate with this Sunday’s Survivor Series event. The pay-per-view will host a ‘Final Farewell,’ celebrating The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary.

WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22nd from the Thunderdome in Orlando, FL.

The Undertaker has reflected on his initial thoughts on WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, revealing how he “didn’t care” for Michaels at first when they first met and eventually started working together.

“Early on in my career and when Shawn was there, I didn’t care for Shawn personally,” Taker told the New York Post. “I thought he was an arrogant little s**t.”

Regardless of his initial opinions on “The Heartbreak Kid,” The Undertaker couldn’t deny Michaels’ in-ring ability. He explained how there’s “[…] still no one I would rather get in the ring with it and work [with]. That’s just how good he is.”

“The Dead Man” then reflected on how problematic Michaels used to be. He recalled the night of WrestleMania XIV, where Michaels was headlining in a matchup against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. According to The Undertaker, he wasn’t sure Michaels would go through with dropping the WWF Championship to Austin. He recalled how he was ready to make sure “business was done that night” if not.

He confessed he didn’t tell Michaels the truth of what could have erupted between them for years. ‘Taker admitted he felt bad about being willing to go to those lengths as their “relationship had changed so much.”

After finally telling Michaels, the Undertaker shared how HBK later brought it up and asked him about it. He wanted to know if Undertaker would have really gone through with it. ‘Taker denied it, claiming it was all rumors, which placated Michaels.

“The whole time in my head I’m like, ‘I was gonna smash you if you didn’t drop that belt to Steve.’ But yeah, he’s a completely different person, I love him to death now. But, yeah, that’s the story. I was sitting there hands taped ready to do whatever I needed to be done.”

WWE hosts The Undertaker’s ‘Final Farewell‘ 30th Anniversary celebrations at this Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view.

Survivor Series takes place on November 22 from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL.

The Undertaker made an appearance on today’s episode of WWE’s The Bump to discuss his 30-year career in WWE and promote his appearance at Survivor Series. 

During the interview, he reflected on the long driven ride he’s taken over the years and who he would want to face for one last match. This is where he noted that it would be Bray Wyatt’s alter-ego, The Fiend.

“At this iteration now, man, the possibilities are limitless. He’s really taken his character to the next level. It’s original and so different from what everybody else does.

I would have loved to be able to work a program with The Fiend. I mean, my goodness, there’s no telling what kind of matches we would have come up with.”

For those who are questioning this, yes, the former WWE Champion did wrestle Wyatt at WrestleMania 31 in 2015. However, Taker isn’t necessarily talking about the Wyatt character of old, but this new gimmick as Wyatt works matches differently. 

Taker has confirmed in various interviews that in his mind he is retired as an in-ring performer after being in the pro wrestling business for 34 years. 

The Undertaker Appearing On Hot Ones To Eat “Wings Of Death”

During the WWE Network’s ‘Brothers of Destruction‘ special, The Undertaker and Kane reflected on The Streak coming to an end. They also discussed who they believed should have been the Superstar to end The Streak.

Kane looked back on how he felt that day after Brock Lesnar had defeated The Undertaker, ending The Streak at WrestleMania XXX.

He explained how he initially believed that the finish to the match “got messed up.” Kane explained how he thought the match would restart as something had to have gone wrong. After the realization sunk in, Kane shared how he walked out of the room as he was so angry.

“I know that the streak wasn’t something that anybody had ever planned and it was just something that had kind of organically evolved, but it had become a part of WrestleMania lore at that point.”

The Undertaker shared his memory of that day. He discussed how he had been under the impression he would be beating Lesnar. It wasn’t until later that Vince McMahon told him otherwise.

“I got to the arena that day and I was going over. I mean, we had gone back and forth and when I showed up, I was going over,” The Undertaker recalled. “Through the course of the day, Vince would come to me and say that he’s changed his mind. man, I was like, ‘Okay, I don’t think Brock needs it, but at the end of the day, it’s your show, it’s your call. If you’re sure about it, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Undertaker & Kane Name Who Should Have Ended The Streak

Turning their attention to who they did think should have ended the legendary Streak, both Undertaker and Kane pointed to the same Superstar: Roman Reigns.

Undertaker noted how, “I thought there would be somebody, like Roman Roman would have been, I think Roman would have been fine.”

Kane agreed, adding how defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania and ending The Streak would have “made” Roman Reigns and “put even more luster” on the decision.

Three years later, Roman Reigns would face The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. Reigns defeated “The Dead Man.”

This Sunday’s Survivor Series event also acts as a ‘Final Farewell,’ celebrating The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary in WWE.

WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22nd from the Thunderdome in Orlando, FL.

The WWE Network docuseries, Undertaker: The Last Ride, ended with the Legend saying “never say never” when it came to a return to the ring. However, in a new interview with The Wrap, The Undertaker confessed how, in his eyes, he is officially retired.

When asked if it’s fair for people to assume he is retired, The Undertaker explained, “I’m going with it, but I work for a man by the name of Vince McMahon, whose motto is ‘Never say never.’ And I’ll kind of leave that there. In my eyes, yeah, I am officially retired.”

Looking towards this Sunday’s “Final Farewell” at Survivor Series, The Undertaker teased how “what I do there, there’s no telling. But I will be live at Survivor Series. You never know what will happen […]”

The Undertaker has previously admitted how outside influences affected his personal feelings on retirement.

He acknowledged how “I had a group of people telling me stuff like, ‘You can still go out to the ring and people will go crazy.’ On the inside, I’m thinking, ‘I don’t move the way I used to, and this is a watered down version of The Undertaker.’ I needed to get a point where [Undertaker: The Last Ride] will solidify [my retirement] and I wouldn’t have a choice. It was almost like I needed somebody to put the bullet in there and stop it.”

This year’s Survivor Series also acts as a “Final Farewell” celebration, honoring The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary in WWE.

Survivor Series takes place on November 22nd from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL.

The Undertaker has defended WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, explaining how he’s “not the monster that people think he is.”

Undertaker shared his thoughts on Vince McMahon while speaking with The New York Post to promote this Sunday’s “Final Farewell” at Survivor Series.

According to The Undertaker, Vince McMahon is a “caring human being, not the monster that people think that he is.”

He explained how “I’ve never taken for granted the special opportunity he gave me. If Vince feels like there’s still something there, I have a place on the roster, then I had no problem doing it.”

Undertaker then acknowledged how fans were voicing their opinions about his retirement online. He noted he saw people debating what Vince McMahon should or shouldn’t do concerning his in-ring career. Undertaker stressed how he’s a “[…] grown man” before noting he could “walk away anytime I want.”

This Sunday’s Survivor Series event also acts as a celebration for The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary in WWE.

Throughout November, WWE has been celebrating and honoring The Undertaker and his historic career. Alongside the “Final Farewell” celebrations, WWE has been airing ’30 Days of the Deadman’ specials on the WWE Network.

WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22nd from the Thunderdome in Orlando, FL.

Kane was asked a question that is on the minds of all fans these days when it comes to The Undertaker. 

During an interview with Ryan Satin for WWE on FOX, “The Big Red Machine” commented on whether he thinks Taker is actually retired for good from in-ring action or if he thinks WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon can confince “The Phenom” to come back one more time. 

“Whether you can actually say this is gonna be it, it … I don’t know. WWE is one of those deals where it’s a little bit like the mafia, in that you never get to quite leave. I’m sure with someone whose been as important as The Undertaker, that he will be around in some form or fashion for quite some time.”

“Hotel California. You can check out, but you can never leave. That’s kind of the way it goes. It’s always the one more that gets you, right? Just one more. Then there’s always just one more after the just one more it seems like.”

The Undertaker originally debuted for WWE at Survivor Series 1990 so WWE officials decided to do a tribute to the legendary pro wrestler at next Sunday’s event, which is being 

Kane Reveals His Top Three Undertaker Matches Of All Time

With WWE celebrating The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary throughout November, many are reminiscing on the matches and memories The Undertaker has provided during his historic career. During an interview with Ryan Satin for WWE on FOX, ‘Taker’s on-screen brother, Kane, revealed his top three Undertaker matches of all time.

Kane’s Favorite Undertaker Matches

One of the bouts Kane mentioned was The Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels match at WrestleMania 25. He explained how this match is “[…] one of the greatest wrestling matches in history.”

Kane added how, if he had to show someone what he did for a living as a pro wrestler, he would want to show them this match as he believes it embodies everything about pro wrestling.

Kane’s Inferno Match against The Undertaker from Unforgiven 1998 also made the list. He shared how it holds a special place for him because of how unique it was. As far as he’s concerned, it helped to take their feud to “another level.”

“The WrestleMania match [we had] a month before was pretty important since it was the first time Taker and Kane locked horns inside the ring. However, the Inferno Match took our rivalry to another level. It gave fans a spectacular visual experience with a ring surrounded by flames leaping up.”

Lastly, Kane pointed to The Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell match against Shawn Michaels at 1997’s Badd Blood. He stressed its importance as the first-ever Hell in a Cell match but also noted how it’s also a “[…] fantastic match and will go down in WWE history.”

“Also, because the match ended with what I believe is the greatest debut in WWE history. Not because it was my debut but because the table was set up so well for me, for Kane, to finally arrive in WWE.” 

The Undertaker: 30 Year Anniversary

This month’s Survivor Series pay-per-view is also being used as a ‘Final Farewell’ event for “The Dead Man.” 

The Undertaker originally debuted for WWE at Survivor Series 1990. The promotion has recently been promoting a ’30 Year Anniversary’ for The Undertaker alongside its ’30 Days of the Deadman’ specials on the WWE Network.

WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22nd from the Thunderdome in Orlando, FL.

Despite receiving positive feedback to his cinematic Boneyard Match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36, The Undertaker has revealed he has some problems with cinematic matches.

“It really doesn’t appeal to me because basically what it is, is working around my limitations,” The Undertaker informed NYPost. “It’s capitalizing on some of my ability and some of my creative ability to tell a story but basically it’s trying to mask some of the lack of my physical abilities at this point.” 

He explained how he came to the realization that he had “taken every physical gift, tool that I have and have used it up.”

Undertaker then used water and a sponge as an analogy for how he currently feels. He shared how he had “rung everything I could get out of that sponge.”

When asked if he’s still training, The Undertaker shared that he continues to do so. However, he stressed that he’s not training in preparation for a matchup. Instead, he’s training and working out in an effort to stay healthy. 

This month’s Survivor Series pay-per-view is also being used as a ‘Final Farewell’ event for “The Dead Man.”

Originally making his WWE debut at Survivor Series 1990, WWE has recently been promoting a ’30 Year Anniversary’ for The Undertaker alongside its ’30 Days of the Deadman’ specials on the WWE Network.

WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22nd from the Thunderdome in Orlando, FL.

Big E recently shared a personal story regarding a conversation between himself and WWE Legend The Undertaker.

Whereas the WWE Universe remembers what they see on-screen, Big E explained that Superstars tend to remember what takes place backstage—like the special Undertaker conversation that saw “The Dead Man” praise Big E, making his day.

“Most people will remember the on-screen stuff but for us, as performers, getting those backstage conversations [with The Undertaker] was like gold,” Big E told SportsKeeda.

“I remember one such conversation when he told me, ‘Man, I watched you when you first came up [to the main roster], and I had no idea you had as much personality as you showed. When I heard that, it really made my day.”

Big E stressed how that kind of acknowledgment from the Legend more than made his day. It remains a conversation he remains appreciative of to this day.

Although there is an aura surrounding The Undertaker, Big E shared that he isn’t too difficult to approach backstage. He noted how he’s “fortunate” to have been able to call him a co-worker.

“I think back to all those times when I could just talk to him, meet his kids, who are big fans of The New Day, and those are the moments I’ll never forget,” Big E said. “It’s remarkable that he’s been around for 30 years and still going strong. He’s on that Mt. Rushmore of Wrestling.”

WWE will be celebrating 30 years of The Undertaker at this year’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. In the run-up to the event, the WWE Network is hosting “30 Days of the Deadman,” a weekly docuseries focusing on different aspects of The Undertaker’s historic career.

WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22. from the ThunderDome in Orlando, FL.

Beginning October 25th, 2020, the WWE Network will air a new documentary on the Undertaker every Sunday for 5 straight weeks.

In an effort to build upon the success of “The Last Ride” docs-series, WWE has announced “30 Days of the Deadman.” You can see a trailer for ’30 Days of the Deadman’ in the video player embedded below:

The first documentary on the Undertaker will be an episode of “WWE Untold” titled “The Phenom and the Legend Killer”. The episode will focus on classic matches between the Undertaker and Randy Orton.

The second documentary in the series is titled “Meeting Mark Calaway” and will air on Sunday, November 1st. This documentary will focus on interviews with WWE Superstars as they tell stories about the first time they were introduced to the Undertaker.

The 3rd documentary will air on November 8th. It is titled “The Mortician: The Story of Paul Bearer”. This documentary will focus on the life and career of Taker’s long-time manager William Moody, aka Paul Bearer.

The 4th documentary is titled “Brothers of Destruction” and will air on Sunday, November 15th. This episode will focus on the longtime rivalry and alliance between Kane and the Undertaker.

Finally, the 5th instalment of the “30 Days of the Deadman” will air on Sunday, November 22nd. The Undertaker will return to 3:16 Gimmick street for another session on “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s Broken Scull Sessions for this episode.

• The Undertaker: Vince McMahon ‘Did Not Like’ Original Ending To The Last Ride

The Undertaker has divulged that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon did not approve the original ending to his recent WWE Network docuseries, The Last Ride.

According to Undertaker, Vince McMahon was behind the “never say never” line. The intentional addition of this line teased that the door was always open to a potential return for “The Dead Man.”

“I had to send the last 15 minutes of the final episode [The Revelation] to the Chairman [for approval],” The Undertaker informed Barstool Sports. “Needless to say, he did not like the ending. That’s why we had to put the “Never Say Never” line back in there, just to leave the door open.”

When filming first began for the documentary, The Undertaker confessed how he remained conflicted over his career. He admitted how outside influences mixed with his internal thoughts, creating a lot of pressure for his decision. 

“I had a group of people telling me stuff like, ‘You can still go out to the ring and people will go crazy.’ On the inside, I’m thinking, ‘I don’t move the way I used to, and this is a watered down version of The Undertaker.’ I needed to get a point where this documentary will solidify [my retirement] and I wouldn’t have a choice. It was almost like I needed somebody to put the bullet in there and stop it.” 

He admitted that when WWE begins heading towards WrestleMania season, he will start to have an “internal feeling” that he should be preparing for a match. However, he believes once he gets past that time period, he’ll be able to breathe a little easier once more.

The Undertaker has addressed why he brought back the ‘American Badass’ for his Boneyard Match against AJ Styles. The two clashed in a cinematic matchup at this year’s WrestleMania 36. 

Speaking with Barstool Sports, “The Dead Man” explained how AJ Styles’ promos leading to their ‘Mania bout made their feud far too personal. According to Undertaker, these personal attacks made the ‘American Badass’ a perfect gimmick to bring back. 

As far as he was concerned, one he transitioned away from the ‘American Badass’ character, “everyone was really content with the hybrid version of The Undertaker.” He pointed to his in-ring work and how he fused that version of his gimmick with the origins of The Undertaker.

The Undertaker explained how, prior to the Boneyard Match, there was no backstage discussion about bringing the character back. He noted how it “dawned” on him that with Styles’ personal attacks, “there’s really no way that I can bring the original Undertaker to this.”

This lead to ‘Taker to introduce the WWE Universe to the “American Badass 2.0” at WrestleMania 36. He described this evolved version as “all grown up” but with an undeniably “evil side” still present.

The Undertaker defeated AJ Styles in their Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36. Their match took place during Night One of WrestleMania 36’s two-day event.

This Friday night’s episode of SmackDown Live will now be a special Tribute to The Undertaker episode. This news comes in the wake of multiple confirmed COVID-19 cases within the WWE Performance Center. These cases prompted WWE to re-write this week’s SmackDown, turning it into an impromptu tribute show.

The decision to dedicate the show to The Undertaker follows the success of the WWE Network documentary series, Undertaker: The Last Ride.

This tribute show was not the original plan for this week’s episode of WWE’s blue brand. Instead, it was a late decision based on the positive tests impacting on Superstar availability. The tribute show will see WWE air the popular Boneyard Match from this year’s WrestleMania 36 event.

The pre-recorded match saw The Undertaker take on “The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles. It is the first time the match will be aired on regular television.

WWE’s initial plans were to tape tonight’s show last week. However, its COVID-19 tests reportedly arrived late, and so the company was forced to change its plans. An unnamed NXT developmental talent also tested positive for COVID-19 last week prior to the new confirmed cases.

Undertaker: The Last Ride is currently available to stream in its entirety on the WWE Network.

The Undertaker signed a 15-year contract extension with WWE last year.

The Undertaker recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated about the deal. While it’s a long deal, he made it known that it won’t keep him in the ring for 15 more years.

“That extended contract is obviously not a contract that keeps me in the ring for 15 years,” Taker said. “It keeps the brand at home, and there are a lot of ways that Vince thinks I can contribute to the company after my days in the ring are done.”

Sunday’s Chapter 5 of The Last Ride on the WWE Network ended with Taker stating that he had no desire to wrestle again, which many took as a hint at the possibility of retirement.

The Undertaker will be 70-years-old the next time that his contract with WWE expires.

Going back to 2018, it was reported that Taker was charging $25,000 per hour for non-WWE signing appearances. This new deal came after the non-WWE dates Taker was booking, which upset WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. 

It’s been reported McMahon made an offer to Taker that couldn’t refuse financially in August that led to him signing the deal. 

• The Undertaker Says He Has “No Desire To Return To The Ring”

AJ Styles is open to having a rematch with The Undertaker at WrestleMania despite the recent comments made by the legendary pro wrestler. 

The former WWE Champion revealed during the fifth and final episode of his WWE Network docuseries that he has no desire to return to the ring again. This has caused many fans to think that he is retired. 

Styles, who lost to Taker in a Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36, did an interview with Sports Illustrated where he was asked whether a singles match against Taker is still in his mind. 

He stated once they were told they were doing a Boneyard match, all the ideas that they had were thrown out the window because they weren’t going to work the same as the Boneyard Match was a fight. 

“There is still hope The Undertaker is going to have one more match. You can’t blame him if he decides that this is it. I don’t know how he feels about it. I still have ideas of what we’d do in the ring. I’m going to keep them, I’m going to save them if he ever wants us to have that opportunity together in the ring. It’s all up to Taker, but I’m holding onto those spots.”

Styles was then asked whether the end goal of the story would be to have a rematch at WrestleMania 37. He responded with, “it would be ideal.”

Styles noted that they need to figure out if Taker wants to do one more because he doesn’t know. However, if Taker does then Styles would be willing to take that ride with him.

• The Undertaker Says He Has “No Desire To Return To The Ring”

Legendary WWE Superstar The Undertaker recently appeared on the After The Bell podcast w/Corey Graves. ‘Taker tackled a number of topics during the episode, including the evolution of his character in WWE and the biggest regret that he has in terms of a tweak he made for the ‘Deadman’ character.

It’s arguable that The Undertaker is the greatest character in the history of WWE, and the man behind the Phenom, Mark Calloway; would change the style and presentation of the character when he felt it was getting too ‘stale.’

Undertaker on ‘Evolving’

“If I started to feel like it was becoming monotonous or stale? Then I would really kind of go into the think tank and figure out ‘okay what can I present?'” Undertaker began on the podcast. “What…what’s a different angle on this thing? Our business, as you will know, it’s a flavor of the week business.”

Undertaker would elaborate further, saying “especially now, because there’s so much exposure, guys get so much [screen time] you know? Even back then it was like that. I was really cognizant of that, I want to keep this…I want to keep this character fresh.”

‘Taker would then state that he would consider a change of pace for the Undertaker character whenever he felt it was necessary. “If I started feeling stale? Then in my head I would start thinking like, ‘okay, my audience must be feeling this too.'”

Whats your favourite iteration of The Undertaker? The original, Phenom, Booger Red or American Badass? Let us know in the comments

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Michelle McCool sides with WWE fans over the belief that The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania shouldn’t have ended.

Of course, Taker suffered his first loss at the event in 2014 at WrestleMania 30 to Brock Lesnar, which at the time had shocked the world. 

While doing an interview with Digital Spy, McCool noted that she didn’t want the streak to end, but understands that it was a business decision. Despite this, she was shocked that it was decided upon by WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. 

“The streak is just so big to me and as a fan being selfish, I didn’t want the streak to end like a lot of other people. Obviously, it’s business. There were no questions asked when they asked Mark to do it and obviously he’s a consummate professional. But it was shocking. I think I was just as shocked as a lot of people, it was so crazy.”

The Undertaker’s most recent contest and possible last bout came at this year’s WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view event in a Boneyard Match against AJ Styles. The legendary pro wrestler went over the former WWE Champion. 

Since that time, there’s been speculation as to whether this was the retirement match for “The Deadman.” Time will tell, but we could get that answer when the fifth and final episode of Taker’s docuseries on the WWE Network airs this Sunday. 

• The Undertaker Reveals His Reaction To Learning About The Ending Of The Streak

Rusev told a great story in a recent video that was posted on his Youtube channel involving Vince McMahon and The Undertaker. 

The former WWE star took on the legendary pro wrestler in a Casket Match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in 2018.

Originally, WWE had wanted Rusev to face Taker at this show. However, plans changed with Chris Jericho being Taker’s opponent and then a third change was made with Rusev finally being booked against “The Deadman.”

After putting over Taker and stating that not only was it great to wrestle Taker, but it was a dream come true, he recalled Vince McMahon telling him about the match. 

“I thought it was a rib. I got called in the office by Vince. He said ‘Miro, I got you working with The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia’. I’m like (laughs) and ‘I’m winning right?’ That’s exactly what I said, that’s what exactly my reaction was. Because I thought he was joking.”

Rusev noted that he knew at that time he was nowhere near the level of being able to work with such a legendary star. While he had his Rusev Day gimmick going on at the time, he never thought he would wrestle Taker in Saudi Arabia in such a large crowd. 

“So I said and ‘I’m going over, right?’ He was like ‘hahaha.’ He looked at me kind of weird. I’m like ‘Alright sir, I’ll see you next time'”

“Then I went out and Road Dogg goes, ‘why did you act like this?’ I’m like ‘what do you mean?’ He’s like ‘why would you say that?’ I’m like ‘well, he’s joking with me, I would joke back with him, I’m not gonna just sit there.’ He’s like ‘no that’s not a joke, you are actually working Taker.’ I was like, ‘no freaking way! I’m such an a**hole’ Yeah, it was a funny story.”

Rusev then brought up why he was pulled from the match. WWE wanted to turn him babyface and not have him drop a loss to Taker.

Thus, he was pulled, but when the Crown Prince asked why Rusev wasn’t wrestling Taker, McMahon changed the plans for the third time. 

• Rusev On Speculations Of Him Making Appearance At Slammiversary