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WWF Mag. June 2001
It's My Yard--Y'all Just Live In It In a locker room filled with the top athelets in the world, there are few standouts who can create absolute silence by their mere presence. Undertaker, however, fits that description perfectly. After an entire decade of cracking skulls and taking names, the American Bad Ass commands respect and fear like no other. On those rare occasions when someone tries to muscle in on his territory-as Triple H has recently-the repercussions are usually swift and severe. World Wrestling Federation Magazine recently stepped into the "Taker's turf (after respectfully asking permission, of course) and asked him to step down from his big Harley and talk about some of the things that make him the biggest and most feared dog in the yard. WWF: Do you think everyone respects your place as the biggest dog in the yard now, or are there still some people wh need to be smartened up? Undertaker: For the most part, people realize that, but there's always someone you have to prove it to. Right now that person is Triple H. He's pretty much had the run of the yard for the past two years, and now that I'm back and healthy, we're going to have to find out whose yard it really is. I know the answer; I'm just going to have to explain it to him. WWF: So he's the one guy who's gone out of his way to pisss in the big dogs yard? Undertaker: Yeah. Triple H blantantly disrespected me by saying that he's beaten everybody there is to beat. I've been here for the past 10 years--the "Decade of Destruction"-- and in all th ose years, I don't remember him singling me out or crippling me. So I take offense at that. When I get pissed off, somebody has to pay. This time it's Triple H. WWF: In your career, who's the toughest opponent you've ever faced? Undertaker: I would have to say Mankind. WWF: What's been the biggest highlight of the "Decade of Destruction" for you? Undertaker: That would probably be my first World Wrestling Federation Championship, beating the guy who was then known as Mr. Everything in wrestling, Hulk Hogan. It was quite on accomplishment when I kicked Hulk Hogan's ass and sent him packing. WWF: Is there another title run in your future? What would that mean to you? Undertaker: You don't do this without having aspirations of being the champion. I don't think I have anything to prove, but I don't do this for fun and games. Having the World Wrestling Federation Championship means you are the top guy in your field, and I have every intention of being World Wrestling Federation Champion again. WWF: Who's your favorite tag-team partner of all time? Undertaker: Without a doubt, my brother Kane. If my brother and I ever solely focused on tag-team wrestling, I don't believe there's any duo--or probably any trio--who would beat us. WWF: Do you prefer wrestling singles or as part of a tag-team? Undertaker: I like tagging with my brother Kane, but I'm a singles guy. When we wrestle singles, you take all of the responsibility yourself. You don't have to worry about some- body covering you or making a mistake. You win or lose on your ability and your own decisions. WWF: How many bikes do you own? What kind are they? Undertaker: I have three Harleys--one of them is totally custom built--and a Titan. WWF: Would you ever be caught dead on one of those imported bikes, the ones that are all jacked up in the back? Undertaker: (long, menacing stare) There's an old saying: "I'd rather push my Harley than ride a foreign bike." I'll stand by that until the day I die. WWF: If anyone tried to steal or damage one of your bikes, what would the consequences be? Undertaker: Death. No questions. Death. WWF: Do all your tattoos have a special meaning? Undertaker: Most of them have some type of meaning. There were a couple of hazy moments when I got tattooed and don't really remember it, but for the most part, the tattoos have significcant meaning in my life and to my soul. My favorite is either the one on my right bicep-- the thinking demon--or the one on my throat. WWF: What does "bad ass" mean to you? Can anybody be a bad ass? Undertaker: No, not everybody can be a bad ass. I used to use a line a long time ago about the phony touch and the crazy brave. Any- body can call themselves a bad ass, but you have to be able to back it up, night in and night out. If you call yourself a bad ass, people are going to want to prove that you're not. I believe over the last decade that I've pretty much proven that I'm a bad ass, and I'll probably keep on doing it for the next decade, until somebody proves me wrong. WWF: When you say you're going to make somebody famous, it usually means a pretty severe beating for that person. Is being famous worth the punishment? Undertaker: Not on my opponent's part. It's a dubious honor to be made famous for the beating you took. I'd much rather be famous for giving beatings than taking beatings. When I say I'm going to make you famous you're in for a long, long night. WWF: Since Kane found his voice, he's been more confident and powerful than ever. Does this side of your baby brother scare you? Undertaker: Does it scare me? No. It's a side he's had all along. A lot of people have looked down on me for the way I've treated him, and maybe I have been a little severe with him. But, when he truly realizes his potential and what he has inside, I don't think there's anyone who can stop him. He has all the physical and mental tools. All he has to do is realize what he truly is--and that is a killer. When he does completely realize that, you're talking about total destruction. I don't think there's anybody who could take him then. Favorites
>WWF: Will you and Kane ever be completely on the same page, or is there a part of you that will never trust him? Undertaker: Hey, we have a storied past. We're closer right now than we've ever been, but we agree to disagree on a lot of things. I believe in certain things, he believes in certain things. Our commond bond is our blood. And blood is thicker than water. We have an understanding: Anyone who jumps on Kane, they gotta jump on me. Anyone who jumps on me, they gotta jump on Kane. Not that either one of us needs the help, but it's a dog-eat-dog world out there. The Federation can only hold us back for so long. Together, we make our own rules and our own decisions. But yeah, we're as focused and together as we've been our whole lives. WWF: Are there any Superstars out there who you admire? Is there someone who you'd feel comfortable passing the torch to when your last ride is over? Undertaker: Tell you what--there's a lot of young talent out there whose futures are still completly ahead of them. I made a statement once saying Triple H might one day run the yard. Right now, he is one of the top guys out there. When the day comes that I ride off into the sunset, he's definitely going to be the guy to beat. WWF: Does anything scre you? Can the Undertaker be intimidated? Undertaker: No. I've slept through things that turn most people's hair gray. I don't believe there's a situation that can scare me. I've been beaten; I've given beatings. I don't think there's anything that can shake me up. Am I scared of anything? I'm only scared of not having anyone to beat on. WWF: How does someone earn the repect of the Undertaker? Undertaker: Be a stand up guy. Stand up for what you believe in. If you say you're something, be able to back it up. I don't like people who are phony and try to make a name for themselves by taking shortcuts. If you say you're tough, you better be tough. That's all I ask for. I ask people to be straightforward and honest. There's no reason to lie. WWF: Before you ride off for the last time, have you given any thought as to who you would like your final opponent to be? Undertaker: Who knows who's going to be around then. I know this thing keeps coming up, but Triple H has been on my mind alot. So who knows? Maybe it'll end up being him. |