The Undertaker ruined WWE with a single speech, says veteran (Exclusive)

The Undertaker is considered to be one of the most respected names in WWE history. However, some of his words have apparently hurt the wrestling business, according to veteran journalist Bill Apter.

The Undertaker had some strong words when he gave his speech during his Hall of Fame induction in 2022. He did not appear in his Undertaker outfit, instead choosing to speak in a suit and bringing forth his real persona, Mark Calaway. This, according to Bill Apter, was a mistake since it killed kayfabe in the wrestling world.

Speaking on UnSKripted, Bill Apter talked about how stars these days hardly ever own their in-ring character outside the arena.

"When Undertaker did that Hall of Fame speech. To me, that killed the whole kayfabe thing because he was Mark Calaway. And he said, 'I play a character.' Now they all say they play characters. Actually, I am not really me. I am William Stanley Apter." [18:08 onwards]

As of now, it remains to be seen how this evolution in the wrestling business will unfold and whether it will benefit WWE or have a negative impact in the longer run.

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About the author

Shubhajit is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda, reporting on WWE news. He has a Master's degree in English and has been working in his current role for over 2 years.

A fan of pro wrestling since childhood, Shubhajit decided to start creating content on the sport out of passion. Before covering a piece of news or rumor, he conducts thorough research, ensuring information in his work is reliable and completely accurate.

Although Shubhajit admires numerous pro wrestlers, his current favorite is WWE superstar Drew McIntyre. He is fond of The Scottish Warrior’s character work and innovative quips.

If there is one storyline he can work on in WWE, Shubhajit would book Roman Reigns’ future with The Bloodline following WrestleMania XL, where he lost to Cody Rhodes. He would have Reigns’ stablemates excommunicate him, laying the foundation for a gimmick change for the former. After Reigns’ exit from the faction, Shubhajit would portray him as an anti-hero trying hard to claw his way back up to the top.

Apart from reporting on pro wrestling, Shubhajit enjoys competitive gaming and reading.

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Edited by Angana Roy