"That was not supposed to happen" - Reason why The Undertaker spot went wrong in 2008 (Exclusive)
Former WWE referee Nick Patrick has confirmed that The Undertaker was not supposed to fall through the Elimination Chamber door at No Way Out 2008.
In the early stages of the match, Big Daddy V launched The Undertaker against the door of the structure. The Undertaker expected to land against the steel and continue the match as normal. However, the door was not closed properly, which meant he stumbled awkwardly out of the Elimination Chamber and onto the floor at ringside.
As Patrick and Jimmy Korderas refereed the match from inside the Elimination Chamber, they were not responsible for locking the door. Patrick said on SK Wrestling’s Inside SKoop with Dr. Chris Featherstone that WWE official John Laurinaitis still blamed them for the unscripted incident.
“The whole cage deal, that was not at all supposed to happen. Any time something happens, especially with The Undertaker or somebody big, heads were gonna roll. They were gonna try to roll the wrong heads, in my opinion. There was nothing Jimmy Korderas or I could have done from inside that ring to the latch, so how’s that gonna be my responsibility?”
Watch the video above to find out more information on Nick Patrick’s WWE exit and the spot involving The Undertaker.
Backstage details on why The Undertaker fell
Vince McMahon decided he wanted two referees inside the Elimination Chamber at No Way Out 2008. Nick Patrick volunteered to be one of the two officials, with Jimmy Korderas being the other. Prior to the event, another referee had trouble with the latch on the door during rehearsals. Patrick thought the issue had been dealt with after he saw the official practising the lock with someone who set up the Chamber structure.
Unfortunately, the door did not close properly after the match began. This caused John Laurinaitis to blame Patrick and Korderas for The Undertaker's fall, even though both men were inside the Chamber when the door was locked. Patrick said the argument with Laurinaitis was “the beginning of the end” for him in WWE. He left the company six months later.
Please credit SK Wrestling’s Inside SKoop and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.