The Undertaker's first WWE opponent recently retired aged 55
Mario Mancini, the first person to face The Undertaker in WWE, recently announced his retirement from wrestling at the age of 55.
Mancini owns the Paradise Alley Pro Wrestling (PAPW) company with former WWE co-worker Paul Roma. On November 13, 2021, his in-ring career ended after he lost a Career vs. Title match against Dustin “Flash” Waller in Woodbridge, Connecticut.
Speaking to the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast’s Maurice Shortall, Mancini explained that he knew the time had come to hang up his wrestling boots:
“It was nice. I left my boots in the middle, the whole dressing room emptied out and came out. One of my daughters was there. I had her come into the ring, I gave her a hug, and it was just really nice. A lot of guys cry [when they retire], and I was just glad it was over because, Maurice, I really had my fill.” [7:16-7:39]
Watch the video above from the 5:00 mark to hear the whole story surrounding Mancini’s retirement match. He also gave an in-depth summary of the creative finish he came up with for his final in-ring encounter.
What happened when Mario Mancini faced The Undertaker?
11/19/1990
The Undertaker (in his actual WWF debut) defeated Mario Mancini on Superstars Of Wrestling from the War Memorial in #WWERochester, New York.
#TheUndertaker #Undertaker #ThePhenom #TheDeadMan #LordOfDarkness #ReaperOfSouls #AmericanBadass #DeadManInc #WWE #WWEHistory https://t.co/GYiPbVu07j
Mario Mancini worked for WWE between 1984 and 1991. He competed in several superstars’ first matches for the company, including The Undertaker’s official in-ring debut.
The match was filmed on November 19, 1990, three days before Undertaker’s televised debut at Survivor Series. However, it did not air on television until the December 15, 1990 episode of WWE Superstars.
The 81-second contest took place in Rochester, New York, and ended with The Deadman picking up the win with his legendary Tombstone Piledriver.
Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.