The WWE Network series chronicling his last few years in previously unimaginable detail has been very well received for the level of access alone. It's apparent that The Undertaker carefully considered the point he was prepared to lift the lid on his life beyond those annual WrestleMania appearances, perhaps subconsciously in order to highlight just how much physical sacrifice he was going through just to make them.
It felt like a sweetheart deal until 2014 when a concussion sent him off to hospital within minutes of sacrificing a 23-year streak with Vince McMahon along for the ride. Two ageing men had made an awful lot of money for each other, but it's harder to imagine a more crystallised shared realisation about the passage of time than the one between them in the back of that ambulance.
For the entire duration of his career, The Undertaker had worked smart and hard. For critically acclaimed periods during his run, he'd favoured the latter over the former and his body was wearing the scars of the bangers. That he let cameras in was bold but savvy - it was a way to enhance his legacy without falling on his back.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
