That Time The Undertaker ALMOST Walked Out On WWE

The Undertaker Last Ride
WWE Network

"If it were me, Cole, I'd simply create a lightning effect to intimidate my opponent."

"Not sure how Angel Garza is going to do that, Dead Man, but nevertheless..."

He was much too big a star to become a Performance Center coach, and in NXT, he'd probably get horrific flashbacks of not being caught on dives. He didn't fit into any traditional post-retirement roles, and perhaps that is why he made a shocking deal to do something at Starrcast, in Las Vegas, in 2019: the sister event of AEW Double Or Nothing. This, one of few times 'Taker had threatened to break character, incensed Vince McMahon. He didn't care so much about the sanctity of his creation, but rather the idea, no matter how far-fetched, that the man who played the Undertaker might shore up in the competition.

In a conversation, 'Taker convinced McMahon that this absolutely was not the case; he just wanted to make a few extra bob. Vince almost "fell out" with 'Taker, per the Last Ride documentary, at the mere thought of fans thinking that the Undertaker might be AEW-bound. That's how gotten-to Vince was about the promotion in 2019: he almost fell out with the Undertaker, who at that point was the talent he had shared the most loyal and tenured business relationship with.

Instead, once tensions eased and the Starrcast thing didn't happen, the Undertaker signed a 15 year deal with WWE in order to, per an interview with Sports Illustrated, "keep the brand at home".

The Undertaker is probably not stepping foot in the ring - it's wrestling, so never say never - and so the agreement is basically a glorified Legends contract, a way to monetise the Undertaker IP. As part of it, WWE produced the 'Last Ride' documentary, which was something of a disaster. It was pitched to humanise the Undertaker, and explore his dismally bleak last run. WWE seemed to want to create a documentary for the purposes of critical acclaim. The Last Ride was meant to be their candid, Netflix-tier gambit for prestige, with its drone shots and everything, but that was rather difficult to make a reality.

CONT'D...(3 of 5)

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!