When The Undertaker first appeared in WWE in 1990, he quickly became one of the most intriguing characters on the roster, with fans wanting to know the man behind “The Phenom.” However, The Undertaker was determined to keep his character alive both in and outside of the ring, as he didn’t want the mystique of his persona to be lost if fans saw him in public. Since retiring, the 60-year-old has been more open than ever before about his career and personal life, but during a recent appearance on “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” with Cody Rhodes, he explained how never breaking kayfabe led to his success in WWE.
“As corny as it may sound, you have to believe to a certain degree that you are that gimmick … It helped me when I was in the airport and I was all in black and people like, ‘Oh crap, you know who that is?’ Like, although I wasn’t in my ring gear, it was obvious like, ‘Dude, that’s The Undertaker’ Right? And although it was different, but it was the same. And my interactions we’re always very calculated with people,” he explained. “You have to believe in what you’re doing right? … You have to find something that resonates with you, right? You have to have that, sometimes it could be, it is even luck sometimes. Whether you find it or whether you don’t find it but you have to commit.”
The Undertaker explained that he knew people didn’t actually believe he was dead, but it didn’t stop him from staying true to his persona in public. That said, he admitted that doing talk shows was the most difficult, as he chose to stay in character instead of being conversational, and questioned why WWE made him appear on certain programs.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
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