WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker recently opened up about his current role in the company, sharing the most challenging aspect of mentoring the new generation of talent. The legend explained his philosophy on what makes a truly great wrestling match.
The Challenge Of Teaching Storytelling
Speaking on the Mic Check podcast with Mr. Anderson, The Undertaker used his classic WrestleMania 25 match against Shawn Michaels as an example of character and storytelling taking precedence over athletic moves. He noted that trying to impart this lesson to the current main roster talent can be difficult because he is not around on a weekly basis.
“It’s hard now, man. Because I am not hands-on every day, so I am not around people so it gets very difficult with the guys and girls on the main roster,” The Undertaker stated. “They are there every week and then I come in and say, ‘Hey, ever thought about this?’ and they are like, ‘No, I don’t want any part of that.’”
Mentoring The Next Generation On ‘WWE LFG’
The Phenom explained that he is able to apply his philosophy more directly in his role as a mentor and judge on the WWE reality competition series, WWE LFG. He works with the young prospects on the show to instill the importance of emotional connection in their performances.
“That’s one of the best things about working on LFG. With these young kids, I can kind of start to get that ingrained in their heads a bit,” he said. “I am constantly saying, ‘I don’t care. I don’t want flippy dudes, what I need you to do is tell me a story.’ And you could tell in their head they are thinking, ‘Okay, this is what I am watching the main roster people do,’ and….I constantly say, ‘Go out there and feel this. Feel like you’re kicking somebody’s a*s. Feel like you’re getting your ass kicked. And make it organic. And just and they, I’m finally starting to, you know, especially with the kids down at the PC, they’re kind of going, ‘Oh, okay, now I see,’ I had one of the kids the other day. He goes, he comes up to him, he wasn’t one of mine. He was on another team. And he was like, ‘You know what? You kind of know a little bit about this business. Yeah.”
He added, “The business has evolved, and it’s always going to continue to evolve, and the pace and speed of matches and all that’s going to, you know, that’s always going to evolve and get faster and quicker. But there’s elements to what we do that will never change.”
The second season of WWE LFG is currently airing, with the season finale just a few weeks away. The show has generated buzz among WWE fans, particularly around contestants Zena Sterling and Elijah Holyfield, who recently confirmed they are in a relationship. The winners of the competition will earn a WWE NXT contract.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Mic Check podcast with Mr. Anderson with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
