The Undertaker Once Stated That Hulk Hogan Went Too Far to Portray the Former as an Unsafe Wrestler

In wrestling, what happens in the ring can be just as important as what happens backstage. This is one of the reasons why The Undertaker was so successful. He was not only an icon in the ring, but also a leader in the locker room. Although a titan among WWE superstars, this wasn’t always easy for this powerhouse of a man. 

In a resurfaced interview, Mark Calaway talks about how he thinks Hogan tried to portray him as an unsafe wrestler during his early years and how it affected him. As someone who would later turn into a leader in the locker room, Calaway reflects in the interview on how he dealt with the situation and his professional relationship with Hogan. 

An explosive Survivor Series collision – Hogan and The Tombstone

Rewind the clock to 1991, when The Undertaker was carving his path as a rookie. The arena was charged as The Undertaker faced off against none other than Hulk Hogan in the WWE Survivor Series. 

Before the match, Hogan had told The Undertaker that he had a neck injury and that Calaway should be careful when executing his moves. The latter promised to keep a good grip on Hogan and make sure nothing happens to him. But after the match, it seemed like Calaway had failed to keep Hogan safe.

A pivotal moment in that clash remains when the Tombstone Piledriver took place on a steel chair. It sent shockwaves through the wrestling world. After the match, Hogan claimed that The Undertaker had injured his neck during the move. As a rookie in the industry, this terrified Calaway. He was horrified at the possibility that he had injured such an iconic wrestler.

But the drama didn’t end there. In an eye-opening interview with ESPN in 2020, Mark Calaway, the man behind The Undertaker, revealed how the events unfolded. 

Read more: WWE Legend Hulk Hogan Sends a Heartfelt Message to The Undertaker After Retirement

Behind the curtain: The Undertaker confronts Hulk Hogan

Hogan’s claim was that The Tombstone had made his injury worse. The backstage grapevine also confirmed that Hogan was truly hurting, his pain so palpable that he asked an agent to call his family as if preparing for the worst. Calaway, driven by curiosity and concern, dug deeper into the Tombstone moment to figure out if he had actually injured Hogan. In a fascinating twist covered in The Sportster, The Undertaker started wondering if it was all a setup, an attempt by Hogan to portray him as an unsafe wrestler.

After he watched the footage later on the following Tuesday in 1991, The Undertaker came to the conclusion that he had done nothing wrong. He then approached Hogan, choosing his words carefully for a soft confrontation. Hogan replied, “Well brother, what it was was you had me so tight that I had nowhere to move, and that’s what jammed my neck cause I couldn’t move at all.”

The Undertaker, it seems, didn’t buy Hogan’s explanation. However, he maintained a professional relationship with the latter throughout his career. Regardless of whether his theory is right or wrong, this shows The Undertaker’s strength as a locker room leader.

Did The Undertaker inadvertently cross the line, or did Hogan craft an intricate storyline of his own? The arena is peaceful, and the comments section awaits your verdict.

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