WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker was not satisfied with his one-man show performance during Survivor Series Weekend back in November, but he’s adjusting to this new part of his career.
Taker held his fifth “UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW” back in Boston during Survivor Series Weekend in November, at the Big Night Live venue. It was noted by Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso that after a string of four highly successful one-man shows by Taker, where he left the crowd inspired and hungry for more, the Boston show failed to hit the mark.
Taker recently spoke with Barrasso and confirmed that he was not happy with the performance.
“I went too long in the beginning,” Taker said. “Part of the show dragged on too long. The first few shows almost came too easy. I wasn’t happy with parts of this one.”
While the show was not considered a bust, Taker admitted he was going to lose sleep over the performance, until he has a chance to redeem himself at the next show, which will be held tonight at the Tech Port Center & Arena in San Antonio, one night before the WWE Royal Rumble.
It was noted that the “disappointing outing” in Boston included a few patrons who repeatedly shouted out their opinions from the crowd. Taker vowed to be better in San Antonio, and he reflected on what happened, and what went awry.
“I’m trying to give people the layers and stages of my life that brought me to where I am now,” Taker said. “It’s a very limited audience, and I want to make it special. I want people to leave being blown away. Especially with my character, who hardly said a word for 30 years, I want people to think, ‘I can’t believe all that was going on.’
“I want to make people think. I want them to believe in themselves. I want to entertain, but also use my experience to show that anything is possible. My story exemplifies that. I was told, at every turn, I wasn’t good enough. Yet look at the final product. Hopefully that gives people inspiration to battle through in their own lives. The tricky part is telling the right stories in the right manner. It’s just like putting together a match.”
Barrasso pointed to how Taker mastered the art of story-telling during his career, and he was able to flourish in practically any setting. Now he’s performing in a different forum, and a man whose character was largely built around stoic silence is now onstage telling stories for a living. There was bound to be a learning curve, despite his passion and charisma, and that lack of seasoning was clear in Boston. The 57-year-old Taker commented on being a rookie once again.
“It’s all new again,” Taker said. “By the end of my career, I had an answer for everything. There was nothing that could happen I didn’t have an answer for. People could ask me questions, and I’d have an answer for them, too. Now it’s starting all over again. It makes it a new challenge. I’m a greenhorn again.”
Taker returned to WWE TV this past Monday for the RAW 30th Anniversary show, working an in-ring segment with LA Knight and Bray Wyatt, who he shared a private-but-very-public in-ring moment with. This was another reminder that the wrestling ring is a second home for Taker, and while that is not yet the case for his one-man show, history strongly suggests that he will not be remotely content until it is. Taker commented on his process behind the one-man show, and said he won’t make the same mistakes tonight.
“I have a new way of ‘putting my match together,’ a whole new kind of deal,” Taker said. “I know I need to involve the layers that led me to where I am, but I also understand people want to hear about wrestling. The show in Boston was a learning-curve experience. I can’t wait for San Antonio. It’s all about storytelling. That show wasn’t my best, but I’ll learn from it, and I won’t make the same mistakes in San Antonio. People deserve my very best. I’ll always strive to be better.”
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