Undertaker Discusses Earning Vince McMahon’s Trust

The Undertaker appeared on this morning’s WWE The Bump. Highlights are below. 

Earning Vince McMahon’s trust: 

Initially, it was obviously Vince [McMahon],” Taker said. “Talent wise, the guys that were there a little bit before me, Bret Hart, and then obviously, Hogan was there. Back then it was a really different vibe, I knew once Vince trusted me, I think everything else fell into place. Guys like Bret, who I have the upmost respect for, those guys were old school guys when I first came in with this gimmick. When they accepted me I knew we were off to the races.

Debuting the American Badass version of his character: 

As I’m sitting back there on that motorcycle — to say I was a little bit nervous is an understatement,” Undertaker said. “I was more nervous here than when I made my debut in 1990. I’d already been there for ten years, completely changing the character the way I did, you just don’t know how they’re going to take it. … I was extremely nervous, but I knew it was the right thing to do. 

Reveals Ric Flair story about restoring Flair’s confidence: 

I experienced it a little bit with Flair, and I never understood it,” Taker said. “After I worked with Flair at WrestleMania in Toronto, he came back and thanked me. It was a different kind of thank you, not a ‘Thank you, great match.’ It was such a heartfelt thank you because he had told me I was able to restore his confidence in himself because it had been so torn down in WCW. I just never understood it, I was like, ‘Dude, you’re Ric Flair. You’re the Nature Boy.’ I just didn’t grasp it, until it happened to me. It had nothing to do with the winning or losing, it was the fact I got hurt so bad and I don’t even remember that match. Still today I don’t remember it. I’ve watched it back, and it was like the first time, I’d never seen it before.