10 Things We Learned From The Undertaker On Stone Cold's Sessions Podcast

3. He Found The 'American Badass' Change Scary

Even though turning into a more realistic biker character was 'Taker's idea, it was one he found terrifying.

As footage rolled of his reintroduction at Judgment Day 2000, the icon told Steve Austin that he was mega-nervous before entering the ring. He was opening up for the first time and giving fans a look into the real man behind the supernatural character. That, if it was poorly received, would destroy almost a decade of hard work.

Becoming the 'American Badass' wasn't simply a case of chewing tobacco, cutting more promos and wearing denim shirts. It was a metamorphic change that could've easily shattered years of dedication to a character people adored. 'Taker knew that, and so he wasn't going to f*ck around with a half-baked tweak.

He wanted to meet the challenge head-on, evolve the gimmick and extend his career. It worked, and it slowly-but-surely created anticipation and longing amongst fans for the original 'Deadman' character. It's fascinating to hear the man himself explain this.