“He looks like David” - The Undertaker discloses strange reason he was booked for first wrestling match
The Undertaker recalls the strange reason behind the booking of his first wrestling match in Dallas.
The Phenom is synonymous with his legendary streak at WrestleMania, having been in the wrestling industry for over two decades. He reached legendary heights as The Deadman when he began working for Vince McMahon.
Before making it big in WWE, he struggled to receive an opportunity to wrestle and spent his early days waiting for an opportunity at the Sportatorium in Dallas. On the latest episode of A&E Legends, The Undertaker recalls the strange reason on why he was booked for his first wrestling match:
"So every Wednesday for nearly eight months, I would go up there and I said, ‘Well, if someone doesn’t speak to me or acknowledge me, in some positive sense, I’m gonna, you know, I’m gonna have to stop coming,’ because I couldn’t afford the gas to drive out there. Lo and behold, who walks in the office is Fritz Von Erich."
Fritz Von Erich was a wrestling promoter and a member of the legendary 'Von Erich Family'. The Deadman opened up on Von Erich giving him his first break:
“He goes, ‘Who’s that kid out there?’ The next thing I heard was probably what changed everything for me. He goes, ‘Let’s book him Friday night. He looks like David.’ David being one of his sons that he had just lost in Japan, that I happened to resemble, and that’s what it took. Next thing you know that Friday, I’m working in the Sportatorium on their TV show.” [H/T - ITR]
Success in @WWE is underscored by those you work with. Means the world to have had so many “dancing partners” in my career and participants in this @WWEonAE documentary!
Unfortunately, Von Erich passed away in 1984. Calaway would move on to other promotions including WCW and WWE.
The Undertaker opens up on WCW being disrespectful to him
The Undertaker was called 'Mean' Mark Callous and managed by Paul Heyman during his days with Ted Turner's company. However, his time with WCW didn't go well as the booker at the time disrespected him.
In the same episode of A&E Legends, the 57-year-old talks about working in WCW and being disrespected by Ole Anderson:
"So I got called in and Ole Anderson was there, who was booking territory at the time. They basically offered me the exact same deal that I'd just worked on. And I was like, 'Okay, I was hoping for just a little bit of a bump.' Ole looks right at me and he goes, 'Mark, you're a great athlete, but no one's ever gonna pay money to watch you wrestle."
Fortunately, Anderson was proved wrong as The Deadman became one of the biggest stars of his generation and superstars of the future looked up to him.