Ahead of tonight’s Survivor Series pay per view The Game Triple H spoke to Sports Illustrated to talk all things Undertaker as the Deadman celebrates the 30-year anniversary of his WWE debut. Highlights are below.
How he sought out Undertaker’s advice when dating Stephanie McMahon:
“When I was dating Steph, and people were just starting to find out, Taker was one of the people I saw for counsel. A lot of people were very critical of it, but he was a steady, trusted voice. That’s really what he’s always been for me.”
Talks about Undertaker being a groomsmen at his wedding:
“That’s where we always were, so it made the most sense to me to ask there. I pulled him aside and said, ‘We have a wedding coming up, and I’d be honored if you’d be one of my groomsmen.’ The only people I thought of asking were the people I thought of [as] brothers to me, and the majority of those people are from this business. This is my life, and he’s like a brother to Steph, too. The Undertaker is larger than life, and you can feel that presence in the ring. But there is also the human being, and I’ll always treasure our friendship.”
The advice he’s given to Undertaker in the past:
“How can he be inside his head? He’s The Undertaker. The same thing used to happen with Flair, and I used to say all the time to him, ‘You’re the only guy here that doesn’t know you’re Ric Flair.’ Whenever I saw that with Taker, I had only one piece of advice for him—and it was, ‘Remember who the f— you are.’”
On Undertaker possibly retiring:
“Someone asked me the other day, ‘Do I think he should retire?’ I’ve also been asked, ‘If he stays retired, shouldn’t he stay retired? Will he come back in two years? Won’t that be a mistake?’ When it comes to all that, I can only give my opinion. He represents everything amazing about our business. There is a uniqueness to it; he’s different from any other character. That’s why I think Mark Calaway should be able to do whatever the f— he wants. He’s earned that right.”
