10 Cringe-Worthy Interviews With The Undertaker
Some interviews with The Undertaker do anything but provoke fear of The Deadman.
Remaining a man of unspoken gravitas served The Undertaker well over the years, and it was because Mark Calloway was the perfect man to play the role. At nearly 7 feet tall and 300 lbs (billed), he could have tried to win wrestling fans over with his sheer size alone, but it was the character juxtaposition, of a quiet western mortician and a zombie impervious to pain, that sent him to unparalleled heights.
The Deadman remained stoic both inside and outside of the squared circle. He didn’t walk to the ring. He slowly stalked his opponent. When he took a power move, he jerked upright without the slightest glimpse of pain on his face. His few drawn out words captivated audiences, as they often involved severe circumstances. This verbal scarcity helped maintained the mystique of The Phenom, too. The few occasions fans spotted him outside of McMahon's yard, they tuned in closely.
But while Mean Mark was the right man for the job when it came to playing The Demon of Death Valley, he wasn't always the best at playing interviewee. Unfortunate timing, breaking kayfabe, horse playing: these were just a few of the ways an interview went awry.
However, they don't nearly cover every time one of his appearances made the WWE Universe shudder in repulsion, rather than fear...
10. Watering Down The Origins Of His Character – 2002
On the fourth anniversary of the infamous Hell In A Cell match with Mick Foley, The Undertaker made a rare out-of-character appearance on TSN’s Off The Record, on which he discussed a wide array of topics in addition to the legendary match itself. While The Demon of Death Valley managed to provide his thoughts during the Hell In A Cell match - and revealed his genuine relief in playing the American Badass character over The Deadman - there was one answer to a particular question that fell flat.
When the host of Off The Record asked about the origins of his original character, many fans watching at home might have expected some aggrandized story, but in essence, all Mark Calloway had to say was Vince McMahon called him and asked, “Is this The Undertaker?”
Despite the fact Mean Mark mentioned how he felt as though he was out of work in the U.S. before WWE, there was a lot less behind the origins of his character than any fan would have hoped. For all of the work he placed into the role over the years, it was a wonder Calloway did not respond in a way that did his time as The Deadman justice.