70-year-old legend takes credit for bringing The Undertaker to WWE
WWE Hall of Famer recently claimed that it was he who brought Mark Calaway aka The Undertaker to the Stamford-based promotion.
The legend being discussed here is none other than Hulk Hogan. Speaking in a video on his official website, The Hulkster mentioned that he met Mark Calaway for the first time on the set of the 1991 film, Suburban Commando. Since Hulk Hogan was impressed with the 59-year-old's size and physique, Calaway played the role of bounty hunter in the movie.
"I was doing a movie called Suburban Commando and we needed a couple of really big aliens, we had one actor and we couldn’t find another guy, big enough. So I remembered Mean Mark Calaway... from the NWA, he was working in Atlanta Georgia for [Jim] Barnett at the time, so I had somebody hunt him down and we brought him to Hollywood and The Undertaker, Mark Calaway was one of the bounty hunters in the movie Suburban Commando," he said.
The six-time WWE Champion went on to say that after becoming good friends with 'Taker, he introduced him to Vince McMahon. The former CEO came up with the iconic "Undertaker" name for Mark Calaway, despite Hogan's initial skepticism.
"We became really good friends and once we were done I said ‘Man you should come to New York.’ So I brought Mark Calaway in to meet Vince [McMahon] and Vince took a long look at him, he was a monster at six foot ten and in really good shape and Vince goes ‘I’m gonna call you The Undertaker.’ I just said ‘Oh my god, this will never work with the bodybags and dead people’ but I was wrong on that one, so The Undertaker was born," Hulk Hogan added.
Check out the video below:
The Undertaker got closure after his appearance at WWE WrestleMania 40
With a loud pop, The Deadman made a last-minute cameo at WrestleMania XL to help Cody Rhodes win the Undisputed WWE Championship against Roman Reigns. He confronted The Rock and delivered a massive chokeslam before disappearing into the darkness.
Speaking on his Six Feet Under podcast, The Undertaker mentioned that his appearance at The Showcase of the Immortals in 2024 gave him closure, which was something missing from his final match against AJ Styles in 2020.
"Something happened this weekend, and I’ve been struggling with it since I retired. But this weekend gave me closure. It really did. It was fun, obviously, it was fun. I mean, doing this for as long as I have and being involved in that, and how important that storyline was and is, but when it was over, and I’m running out of the building, I’m like, I’m good now... My last match was in the Boneyard, there’s nobody there, cinematic. It was like a moment of clarity, like, I’m okay now," he said.
Watch the full episode below:
Fans will have to wait for The Phenom's comment on Hulk Hogan's story about bringing him into WWE. The reason for the same is that if we check the dates closely, things don't quite add up because Suburban Commando came out in October 1991, and The Undertaker had already signed with the company a whole year before that.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Hulk Hogan's official website, with an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.