WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker recently opened up about how the 'American Bada**' character changed his career trajectory in the company.
The Deadman recently spoke about his backstage chat with Vince McMahon before the 2020 Survivor Series Premium Live Event event. He asserted that McMahon didn't want him to mention a specific line during his farewell speech.
On his Six Feet Under podcast, the Hall of Famer revealed that McMahon convinced him to say, 'It's time for The Undertaker to rest in peace' rather than the retirement term. The reason behind the strange request was his unmatched legacy in WWE and the fans' love for him.
During the same chat, The Undertaker discussed his 'American Bada**' character. According to the former World Champion, the biker-inspired gimmick prolonged his career and iconic WrestleMania streak.
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“I would have to think the percentages would be pretty high that the streak would have gotten broken sooner. I don’t know that for certain, but the percentages and my understanding of our business tell me that [it] would have been a nice checkmark on somebody that was coming up. Little did we know that Steve’s [Austin] career would be cut short. Little did we know that [The] Rock was going to come off and become a big movie star. I would have gotten fed to one of them, and it would have been the right thing to do.” (H/T- Ringside News)
Jim Ross details The Undertaker's input in shaping Kane's WWE career
Former WWE commentator Jim Ross has worked with several legends of the industry, including The Brothers of Destruction. He recently discussed how The Undertaker influenced Kane's career in the promotion.
On a recent episode of his Grillin' JR podcast, Ross revealed that The Undertaker played a crucial role in Kane's debut at Badd Blood: In Your House 1997. He added that The Deadman ensured The Big Red Machine was portrayed as a larger-than-life character on television.
"A lot of 'Taker's fingerprints were all over this storyline. He had a vested interest in it. He knew where it was going, and he knew what he needed to do to make it happen — and he did everything he needed to do. Undertaker was very, very (...) he had the ability to share. A lot of the top talents would not give so much of themselves because they were insecure. 'Taker was not insecure, and he knew that Glenn [Jacobs] was a keeper of this deal." [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]
It would be interesting to see if The Undertaker and Kane will make more appearances on WWE TV in the coming months.
What are your thoughts on The Deadman's 'American Bada**' character? Sound off in the comments section below.