The Undertaker reveals why Vince McMahon yelled at him in real life
The Undertaker and Vince McMahon have had a close relationship behind the scenes since the 1990s. In a recent podcast episode, The Deadman recalled how his long-time friend reacted angrily after he got a tattoo without permission.
The man behind the menacing persona, Mark Calaway, did not have any tattoos when he joined WWE in 1990. As The Undertaker gimmick was created by McMahon, the former WWE Chairman was hands-on with the supernatural character's presentation.
On his Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway podcast, The Undertaker spoke about McMahon's response when he saw a tattoo on his arm:
"I remember showing up and Vince seeing my arm. Oh my, he cussed me like a dog, 'Goddam, why would you do that to yourself? You can't do that. You can't mess with the gimmick without talking to me first.' I mean, he went on and on and on about it. He hated tattoos." [19:45 – 20:04]
The Deadman retired from in-ring competition in 2020 after 30 years in WWE. In 2022, McMahon inducted the legendary superstar into the WWE Hall of Fame.
The Undertaker ignored Vince McMahon's demand
As the years went on, Vince McMahon reminded his top star he was not allowed to get any more tattoos.
Despite warnings, The Undertaker risked the wrath of his boss by getting a tattoo on the inside of his right forearm:
"He's like, 'No more tattoos.' I'd already decided in my head that I was gonna get my sleeves done. It healed finally and then I was like, 'This is the inside [sleeve], he'll never notice the inside.' So I got the inside done, and he didn't, he didn't notice." [20:15 – 20:35]
The Phenom added that McMahon eventually gave up once the tattoos became part of his signature look.
What do you make of the WWE icon's tattoos? Let us know in the comments section.
Please credit Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.