Even “The Deadman” can cry, according to the man behind the legendary character, Mark Calaway.
On April 1, The Undertaker will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame; this special ceremony will offer the wrestling world the chance to give “The Phenom” a proper send-off after he previously bid the WWE Universe farewell from an empty arena in 2020.
In an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, The Undertaker admitted that he’ll be quite nervous on Friday night because telling stories from Mark Calaway’s point of view, rather than that of “The Deadman” will be new for him. He also quipped that any critics of the way he’s been doing interviews can consider his emotional Hall of Fame speech “the nail in the coffin” for those who would say seeing Calaway, not The Undertaker, ruined their childhood.
“I’m going to be as honest as I can, I’m going to be a nervous wreck out there because I can share stories of things that have happened from Mark Calaway’s perspective, but actually, to share the things that I’m feeling, that’s going to be a first for me,” Undertaker told CBS Sports. “That’s really going to be new. I can tell stories of things that me and Godfather did years ago and laugh about it.
“There are a few stories, some that we could actually say in public. But when you pull the curtain back and you start unraveling the emotions that come with it, it’s going to be a very interesting night for sure. I don’t know how well I’m going to do. When I first started doing this media over the last year or so, I got all the hate from like, ‘Well, there goes my childhood. There goes my childhood.’ Well, what happens when The Undertaker is a babbling, blubbering mess on stage and can’t get a sentence out? You know, that’ll put the nail in the casket, for sure.”
Later in the interview, The Undertaker joked that he could just do his typical taunts (the throat slash and the eye roll) and wrap it up if he forgets his planned speech. In all seriousness, he stated that the ceremony will be an “extremely emotional, special night” and he’s very thankful that he’ll have the opportunity to have it surrounded by people.
“[Maybe] I get stage fright and forget everything that I was going to say that might be it. I might have to do a throat slash, eye-roll and call it a day,” he teased. “I know for me it’s going to be an extremely emotional, special night. Deep down, I’m very thankful that there will be an arena full of people there to see it, and I get to share that with them.”
Vince McMahon will officially induct The Undertaker into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1.
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