Which WWE Star Did The Undertaker Want To Put Over Clean?
The company wouldn't let it happen...
Bruce Prichard's 'Something To Wrestle With' podcast is a treasure trove of wrestling insight, and the gold just keeps on coming.
On a recent episode, Bruce recalled a conversation he had with The Undertaker about SummerSlam 2004. There, on one of WWE's biggest pay-per-views, 'Taker wanted to put emerging heel act JBL over clean as a whistle. He even argued that it was best for business.
Vince McMahon and virtually everyone else backstage disagreed.
They were worried that a clean loss would damage The Undertaker's aura so soon after he'd returned under the supernatural gimmick at WrestleMania XX. Definitive defeats were off the table, so 'Taker lost to JBL via disqualification instead and hit a Chokeslam on the Stan Hansen-meets-Million Dollar Man character through his own limousine's roof.
That hasty rewrite came because 'The Deadman' refused to beat Layfield by pinfall or submission. He believed such a result would also damage JBL's viability as a top heel on SmackDown, and he didn't want to derail someone who was finally getting a serious singles run.
'Taker wanted to help establish JBL as a top star, not another wannabe who didn't deserve to be WWE Champion.