There's a terrific bit in the first episode of "The Last Ride" where he recoils at the 80-yard length of the WrestleMania 33 aisle. He's been in every match imaginable and put through the physical and mental ringer along the way, but this was the reality of the once-beloved fantasy - The Undertaker is now a wrestler that fears a long walk and doesn't mind admitting so on camera.
But this mattered more to him than ever before - it became clear in that split second tell, he loves this sh*t as much as the rest of us. As much as the fan that gets to experience it for the first time in adulthood and pops with the same enthusiasm as a child in 1993 when they first ingeniously shut the lights off, 'The Deadman' is a guy that still understands the value of that entrance.
The man takes his time getting to the ring, and this was going to take a f*cking age. It was in reconciling the scale of his task that time stood still and remembered when this was a stylistic choice rather than an enforced one.
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
