The Undertaker is one of the most loyal WWE employees in history. He joined the company in 1990 and has been a member of the WWE roster ever since. However, according to the legendary performer, he almost left the company to join World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s.
As quoted by WrestleTalk , The Undertaker opened up about the matter during a recent interview with Sam Roberts. According to “The Deadman,” he felt that WCW’s product was better than WWE’s at the time, and he’d heard stories about its financial packages.
“Yeah, there was a time I was so frustrated with our creative direction. We had a bunch of really goofy characters. They (WCW) are down there doing real angles. It was common knowledge that they opened up the checkbook. I was hearing guys talking about the money they are making. You would be able to get a good check and stay at home most of the time. Those thoughts were there. But, when it got down to it, I said I can’t. Obviously I’m not the best businessman but something inside me said you can’t leave here.”
The Undertaker went on to say that his loyalty to Vince McMahon ultimately made him stick around. He recalled his previous WCW tenure where Jim Herd, Ole Anderson, and Jim Barnett told him that he’d never be a star attraction in the company. When he joined WWE, however, McMahon turned him into a megastar, and The Undertaker felt that was more important than “short-term cash.”
The superstar made the right decision in the end. WCW went out of business in 2001 after being purchased by WWE. His loyalty has also been rewarded by McMahon, who regards the superstar as one of his big assets to this very day. He’s also regarded by many as the company’s locker room general, which shows that the chairman and his colleagues look up to him.
The Undertaker was on the show to promote his Last Ride documentary on the WWE Network. The superstar has discussed his friendship with McMahon throughout the series, and his loyalty to the WWE chairman has resulted in him staying with the company through some of its most troubled eras.
The Undertaker appears to be coming to the end of his career. As The Inquisitr previously reported, he’s been teasing retirement in recent months, and he’s told fans that they’ll have a better understanding of his future plans if they tune in to his documentary series.
