Undertaker talks about what went through his head during his match with Goldberg and how he was able to stay motivated during the peak of his career. Undertaker is as big of a legend of the modern age of wrestling as it gets. As Hulk Hogan’s popularity waned, The Undertaker’s rose up to being a major star.
During Undertaker’s career he faced some of the best wrestlers in North America. He took on Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. He eventually faced the next generation of stars with big matches against names like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Triple H.
Despite The Undertaker having matches with some of the biggest names in wrestling there are some names he wasn’t able to face. These include dream matches with guys in WCW like Sting and Goldberg. However, one of those dream matches did come true when he faced Goldberg in 2019.
Undertaker was recently a guest on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet and he talked about the Goldberg match. The match should have been an amazing match between two legends at the end of their careers, but the match started with Goldberg giving himself a concussion when he Speared a ring post.
“I should have picked up on the fact that he had his bell rung, and then [he] rung it again when he hit the post. I should have been sharp enough to adapt at that point and not try to get to where I was getting.
“It was a scary match to be in. It was Father Time. The worst thing as you get older are the breaks. When you have long periods of time where you don’t work. As you get older, man you lose that sharpness, the mental quickness to figure out things. That was something that I always really prided myself on; if something happened, knowing what to do. In that match I was so like ‘I’m going to make this good, I’m gonna make it good. I didn’t have enough mental acuity and the physical attributes to turn that around and just continue to go.”
Via Wrestling Inc.
It Wasn’t His Fault
Undertaker goes on to admit it was no one’s fault. It just happened. However, he did admit that he was pissed after the match. He was mad because it was his opportunity to have a first match with Goldberg and it was a stinker.
The match wasn’t just on a RAW or SmackDown or even a random premium live event. It was at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia. They were paid a lot of money to put on a good show for the royal family and he feels like he let them down.
The match was doomed from the start with Goldberg giving himself a concussion and opening a large gash on his head. Goldberg eventually picked up Undertaker for a Jackhammer which turned into a Brainbuster as he lost control and almost broke Undertaker’s neck. The match ended when Undertaker gave Goldberg a weak Chokeslam.
The match was a far cry from the matches Undertaker had a decade or two decades earlier. Undertaker was one of the big three of the Attitude Era along with Austin and Rock. During that time he could do no wrong in the ring. It would have been easy for him to coast through matches and get complacent, but he never did.
Undertaker explained how he stayed motivated when he was at his peak and it looked like he couldn’t get any higher. According to him it was because he was never content and always wanted more.
“I was never content, I was happy, obviously I was very proud of what I was able to accomplish in the business but I was never content … like even back in the middle of the Attitude Era when Rock and Austin were the top two guys, like that was a driving force for me to be better. Like, man, whether it was attainable or not, that was a goal … I was happy for all those guys ’cause we were we were killing it and business was awesome, but for me personally, like, I wanted to be that guy.
Via Wrestling Inc.
The Undertaker Rises
Eventually Rock moves on and Austin retires. However, Undertaker was still there and he continues to have great matches and further his legacy. He got to help the next generation of stars like John Cena and then Roman Reigns move into the top position of the card.
The Undertaker also stayed relevant by reinventing himself. He was an undertaker when he started his WWF career. Eventually he became more of a magical and demonic presence and The American Badass aka Biker Taker mixed in there. His longevity meant eventually he didn’t have to fall into a gimmick the last few years of his career. He was Undertaker and that was the gimmick. He wasn’t a guy who … anymore, he was The Undertaker.
Was Undertaker vs. Goldberg the worst WWE match of the last 10 years? Were you concerned for their safety during the match? Do you think the match went wrong because of poor planning or were they just too old to face each other? What do you think is the reason he has stayed relevant for so long in pro wrestling? Let us know what your favorite version of Undertaker is.
KEEP READING: Shawn Michaels Talks About Why He Joined NXT And Which Popular WWE Superstars He’d Like To Face
Sources: Wrestling Inc., INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Wrestling Inc.
