The Undertaker admits his previous comments about the current WWE roster were wrong
WWE legend The Undertaker recently expressed regret over his past comments about the roster being 'soft.'
Professional wrestling has evolved over the years as there is a lot of focus on the well-being of a performer. Iconic wrestlers from the good old days would sometimes not stop their matches even after getting hurt. While speaking on the Six Feet Under podcast, The Undertaker felt it was a 'badge of honor' and a sign of the toughness of pro wrestlers.
However, The Phenom has now accepted that the current WWE roster has not become soft but smarter.
He explained:
"I have to be honest, for me, it was hard to accept that at first because it was 'ah man, everything is getting soft now.' I appreciated that badge of honor, as silly as that sounds. It was hard for me to accept that. 'Man, our business is getting soft.' It wasn't getting soft. It was getting smarter," The Undertaker said. [H/T Fightful]
The Undertaker was happy that new protocols were in place to ensure talents do not worsen their injuries. The WWE Hall of Famer pointed out that, these days, referees do not hesitate to put up the 'X' sign if a superstar is involved in an unfortunate in-ring mishap.
Wrestling fans, especially the ones who mostly follow WWE, are also not used to seeing blood in matches, as The Undertaker noted:
"You're not going to get a bunch of blood in the ring. If someone is concussed or injured to a point, the match is going to stop, and the athletes are going to be treated the way they need to be. Even with all that going on, the wear and tear and the risk of injury is crazy." [H/T Fightful]
"Back in the day, we didn't have trainers that traveled with us" – The Undertaker
The Undertaker is from an era that was dominated by larger-than-life characters, and there are many stories that showcased their mind-boggling resilience. The Phenom was part of a golden period during which WWE popularized pro wrestling across the world.
However, from a medical standpoint, The Undertaker revealed how things were entirely different decades back, as they did not even travel with trainers. The growth of the pro wrestling industry and more awareness about the physical risks have resulted in positive changes, as The Deadman highlighted below:
"Back in the day, we didn't have trainers that traveled with us. If somebody had a roll of white athletic tape, that was the trainer because he had something that you could possibly use. Nowadays, we have two or three trainers that travel, we have doctors that travel, concussion protocols." [H/T Fightful]
Did you know the five WWE Superstars who earned The Undertaker's respect in real life? Read more about that here.
What are your thoughts on The Undertaker's statement? Sound off in the comments section below!