"Rumor that's been floating around" - Vince McMahon allegedly based iconic WWE character on himself (Exclusive)
Dutch Mantell has heard that Vince McMahon views The Undertaker’s WWE character as a fictional version of how he feels in real life.
McMahon created the dark Deadman persona in 1990 and gave it to Mark Calaway, better known as The Undertaker. The WWE Chairman will induct his close friend into the Hall of Fame in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, April 1.
It is well known that McMahon saw a lot of himself in Steve Austin’s anti-authority Stone Cold character. However, Sportskeeda Wrestling Awards panelist Dutch Mantell told Riju Dasgupta that The Undertaker may also be based on the 76-year-old:
“There is a rumor that’s been floating around wrestling circles for years that said Vince, when he invented The Undertaker, through Mark, he invented a self-image of himself. The guy doesn’t feel pain, he’s never gonna die, always coming back through the worst things you can give him. That was almost a self-image of what Vince saw himself.” [17:57-18:31]
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Dutch Mantell gave The Undertaker advice about working for Vince McMahon
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Mark Calaway performed as “Mean” Mark Callous in WCW before debuting in WWE as The Undertaker in November 1990.
Dutch Mantell, a respected wrestling booker and manager, advised Calaway to make a good impression in WCW to catch Vince McMahon’s eye:
“I mean, he wanted to go to WWE/WWF before he went to WCW, and I advised him to go to WCW first, let Vince see you, because he watches that TV, and let him think about if he had you what he could do. I think he was in WCW maybe a year and then Vince called him up.” [19:38-20:04]
It was not uncommon in the 1990s for new WWE Superstars to meet Vince McMahon at his house to discuss character ideas and contracts. In Calaway’s case, he was invited to the WWE Chairman’s summer home.
“Mark didn’t go to Stamford to meet Vince. He went to Boca Raton, Florida, to Vince’s summer home, and that’s where they talked it over and that’s where it was all done. I think Vince looks back and says, ‘You know, that was one of my greatest inventions,’” Mantell added. [20:04-20:23]
Vince McMahon previously inducted James Dudley (1994), Steve Austin (2009), and Donald Trump (2013) into the WWE Hall of Fame. He recently said his induction speech for The Undertaker will be “one of the most difficult things” he has ever done.
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