The Undertaker retired on The last ride

[Norrin Radd]

https://www.si.com/wrestling/2020/06/22/wwe-undertaker-documentary-retirement-tease

The Undertaker (real name Mark Calaway) announced his retirement from professional wrestling during the series finale of the Undertaker: The Last Ride documentary on Sunday. However many fans struggled to believe that "The Deadman" was really gone, given that Calaway had recently signed a new 15-year contract with the company. Calaway explained in an interview with Sports Illustrated on Monday that the contract doesn't actually mean he'll be wrestling that long, if at all.

"That extended contract is obviously not a contract that keeps me in the ring for 15 years," Calaway 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."

He also addressed the possibility of popping up in squash matches, something he's not a fan of.

"I have people in my ear all the time saying, 'Dude, all you need to do is make your entrance, go chokeslam and Tombstone somebody, and people are going to love that,'" he said. "Maybe they're right to an extent, but I hold myself to a very high standard. If I can't go out and have the matches I used to and contribute the way I did, then I don't think it's fair to the talent busting their ass year-round."

 

[HipHopStan]

 

[White City Black]

“dead man talking” podcast and YouTube.



he protected that gimmick for 30 years, the right team around him would know how to cash in on nostalgia.

He has a ton of it on his side

most of the hiphop kids that love what Ric Flair did in the 80’s never saw him wrestle.

Taker has the fact kids saw him work and the fact a lot of his stuff works with the Instagram etc aesthetic

That’s a LOT of material to talk about and people he could talk with and interview without exposing
folks or ending his marriage.


Merch, advertisers etc


If he gets the right team of young creators etc around he should easily be able to cash in on the mystique.

...and if we were to throw autograph signings in the mix, he’d clean up at comic and horror cons not just the wrestling ones.

More than anything tho, it might still be jarring for some die bards to see Mark “everywhere” trying to catch up on money he potentially left on the table by keeping kayfabe for so long.

 

[stro]

Yeah that might be the weirdest part, that he's so open about trying to cash in on all this stuff

 

[No Ma’am]

Thought it was nikka Taker

 

[Stop_It_5]

“dead man talking” podcast and YouTube.

he protected that gimmick for 30 years, the right team around him would know how to cash in on nostalgia.

He has a ton of it on his side

most of the hiphop kids that love what Ric Flair did in the 80’s never saw him wrestle.

Taker has the fact kids saw him work and the fact a lot of his stuff works with the Instagram etc aesthetic

That’s a LOT of material to talk about and people he could talk with and interview without exposing
folks or ending his marriage.


Merch, advertisers etc

If he gets the right team of young creators etc around he should easily be able to cash in on the mystique.

There's no excuse for him to get back in the ring for an official match and sacrifice his dignity again, especially after BoneYard + Last Ride.

Financially everything you alluded to is on the table and easy to attain. Emotionally there's enough of a new age old guard in place that Vince doesn't need him. Between Cena, DBry, Styles, Orton, Edge, etc - those old timer mania slots are covered.

The extent of his appearances moving forward should be of the Austin variety - pull up for an anniversary episode, do your entrance and lay someone out.

 

[tremonthustler1]

Watching this now. Yeah, I can totally see why Taker was always in character til social media killed kayfabe.


The outtakes during early Taker days are funny as hell and we need a compilation of that shyt from other superstars

 

[HipHopStan]

Xavier gave Undertaker a gavel.

Foley doesn't see the problem in leaving a fellow wrestler/car buddy behind.

 

[Vice Queen]

kevonstage on Instagram: When she asks for round 2 and you gotta see what’s left in the tank.