When Diamond Dallas Page arrived in WWE in 2001 after the purchase of WCW, fans anticipated a main event run for the former three-time world champion. Instead, he was famously booked in a storyline as a stalker obsessed with The Undertaker’s wife, Sara. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Page reflected on the angle, his initial interaction with Vince McMahon, and why he ultimately went along with the gimmick.
Page recalled his very first meeting with Vince McMahon, which happened hours after he was scheduled to arrive due to traffic. “When I walk in, Vince of course sticks out his hand, I go, ‘I’m not shaking your hand, bro. I’ve waited my whole life to meet you. I’m hugging you,'” Page said. He noted it was the first time he ever interacted with McMahon. Immediately after, the creative direction was pitched. “They told me they wanted me to stalk Taker’s wife. And I’m married at the time. Yes. And Vince is there, Shane’s there, and Kimberly’s there,” he explained, noting his then-wife was present for the meeting.
A Different Mindset
Page admitted that had he been presented with the same storyline in WCW, where he was an established main event star with significant creative input, his reaction would have been completely different. He stated he would have refused to do it.
“If I was in WCW, if they told me that bullsh**Â angle, I’d go, ‘f*ck you,'” Page stated emphatically. “Seriously? I’m going to be stalking somebody else’s wife?”. However, as a new talent coming into a different company, he felt he did not have the leverage to refuse and didn’t fully realize the negative impact it would have on his character. “I didn’t realize…there was no reason for me to think that they were going to, you know, not even give me an opportunity,” he said.
The Lesson Learned
The stalker storyline is widely regarded by fans and critics as one of the biggest missed opportunities of the Invasion era, effectively neutralizing a top-tier star from the rival promotion. In retrospect, Page sees the experience as a crucial business lesson. He noted that he took a significant pay cut to join WWE, leaving a guaranteed multi-million dollar WCW contract on the table to make the jump.
“The thing that it taught me was you can’t be afraid to walk away from the table when you have something that you know they want,” Page reflected. “What I should have done when he said that, I should have just done my inner voice, which would have laughed out loud and said, ‘Vince, are you looking at my wife? Seriously? Of all people, I’m going to go after Taker’s wife? Like, no. It’s a horrible idea'”.
What DDP Is Doing Today
These days, Diamond Dallas Page has dedicated his life to helping others through his highly successful DDP Yoga program. He is currently promoting his new show on the Tubi streaming service, titled “Change or Die”. The program documents his efforts to help change the lives of several individuals, including former wrestling star Buff Bagwell and former boxer Butterbean, through his unique approach to fitness and accountability.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Ariel Helwani Show with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
