WWE Latest News: The Undertaker Was Almost Not Selected By Vince McMahon For WWE
After The Undertaker’s retirement from the wrestling federation, a recent podcast suggests that there was a time in the 1990s when Vince McMahon was not at all interested in signing The Deadman. Can anyone believe what the face of WWE could have been if there was no Undertaker in the ring?
The Undertaker has remained one of the WWE’s longest in-ring performers and one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Taker’s career with the WWE began at the Survivor Series in 1990, and for over three decades, he thoroughly entertained his fans. However, there was a chance that The Undertaker wouldn’t wrestle with the WWE.
During the 14th episode of the podcast Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard, Prichard revealed that there was a time in 1990s when WWE chairman Vince McMahon was reluctant to hire Mark Calloway, better known by his ring name The Undertaker.
Taker’s manager, Paul Heyman, approached then-WWE producer and manager Bruce Prichard, telling him that Mark’s World Championship Wrestling time was soon going to end and wanted to know if WWE had any interest signing him.
According to Prichard, he passed his message to Vince who immediately rejected Paul’s offer, saying that Mark Calloway was nothing but another “redheaded basketball player.”
After Vince denied Bruce’s proposition, the former producer tried to change his mind by asking him to watch The Undertaker’s last match in WCW, in which he had to face Lex Lugar.
According to Prichard, Vince was disappointed after seeing Mark fighting Lex and even canceled the meeting they had set up for them to make a contract. Prichard further revealed that he was able to convince Vince McMahon to meet Taker during a WWE house show in New Jersey.
The first official meeting between Mark Callow and Vince was successful, as the WWE chairman instantly fell in love with him and his fighting techniques. Vince then agreed to sign The Undertaker for future WWE matches.
The Undertaker Will Be Back In The Survivor Series 2017?
During WrestleMania 33, fans of The Undertaker faced something they knew would be heartbreaking — the retirement of their favorite wrestler. After losing the match against Roman Reigns, the 52-year-old Lord of Darkness laid down his jacket, gloves, and the iconic hat in the ring before walking away.
After losing the fight with Roman Reigns, many believed that they will never see The Undertaker back in the ring. However, there are still a few fans who are still hoping that Taker will be back next year and may appear at Survivor Series 2017.
Former WWE writer Bruce Prichard revealed that because it was the first time Taker left the ring after losing a fight, many believed the legendary wrestler will soon announce his retirement. However, Bruce Prichard thinks that The Punisher will be back for few more matches at some point down the road.
During an interview on the Something to Wrestle’s podcast, Prichard stated that in future, there’s a chance that The Undertaker will come back for at least one more fight.
“The Undertaker and that character will live on forever and I think that he could still go out and have a match. It may not be what it was 25 years ago, but by God, he’ll go out and the people will be behind him just as much as they were.”
Do you think it was a wise decision by Vince McMahon to sign The Undertaker in the 1990s? Do you think the WWE Universe will witness another Taker match at this year’s Survivor Series? Share your insights in the comments below.
[Featured Image by WWE]
