WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker has recently revealed how he managed to sustain 30 years of relevancy in the pro wrestling industry.
The Deadman's WWE career started with Survivor Series 1990. He was the mystery partner of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Team at the event. Thirty years later, Taker hung up his boots on Survivor Series 2020.
In a recent interview on ESPN with Joe Tessitore, The Phenom revealed the strategies that helped him get attention and be relevant for 30 long years.
He mentioned that during his initial days, it was his instincts that helped him. The Phenom said that he always maintained his character of The Undertaker, even in public. He added that his character was one of the most interesting ones, and he wanted to do justice to it.
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“I made a decision really early on to only give people The Undertaker even when I was in public. Although I wasn’t dressed like I was on TV, there was no doubt that, that was the same guy. So, there was never really a variance, like I’ve been in the airport and people are like, 'That’s The Undertaker.' So, I always felt because my character was so over the top, that if I didn’t give it that air of legitimacy, then people wouldn’t accept it and people wouldn’t buy it," Taker said. (2:02-2:53)
In continuation of the interview, the WWE Hall of Famer said that after several years in the industry, he realized that he needed to keep a finger on the WWE Universe’s pulse to understand how to adapt to the audience.
"And then just through the years, it goes back to instincts as well as if I felt still, like if what I was doing started to feel like it was getting still in my head, then the audience probably is way ahead of me. So, I always tried to keep a finger on the pulse of my audience and then tried to figure out how to take this character and move it into our current audiences out. That was a vital part, trying to keep a finger on the pulse of our audience," Undertaker said. (2:54-3:46)
The Undertaker hinted on returning to WWE
The Undertaker was officially inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2022. WWE personalities such as Vader, The Steiner Brothers, and Queen Sharmell were also inducted into the hallowed halls this year.
The Deadman gave a heartfelt speech about his career and thanked his family, fans, and friends.
The Phenom added that he would finally be at peace after getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Famer. However, following his speech, The Deadman wore his classic coat and hat and said, "Never say never," thus hinting at a possible return to the squared circle.
Do you think The Deadman will rise again? Sound off in the comments below.
If you want to use any of the above quotes, please credit ESPN and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.