The Undertaker Discloses How He Defied Vince McMahon’s Authority

The Undertaker’s legendary status in the wrestling world stems from his unwavering commitment to entertaining fans, often at the expense of his own well-being. He has plenty of stories to share and this includes the time he defied Vince McMahon in a big way.

The Undertaker and Vince McMahon have shared a close relationship behind the scenes since the 1990s. The man behind the menacing persona, Mark Calaway, had no tattoos when he joined WWE in 1990. The Undertaker gimmick, created by McMahon, saw the former WWE Chairman being hands-on with the supernatural character’s presentation.

While speaking on his Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway podcast, The Undertaker talked about McMahon’s response when he saw a tattoo on his arm, revealing that McMahon was absolutely furious as he hated tattoos.

“I remember showing up and Vince seeing my arm. Oh my, he cussed me like a dog, ‘Goddam, why would you do that to yourself? You can’t do that. You can’t mess with the gimmick without talking to me first.’ I mean, he went on and on and on about it. He hated tattoos.” 

Advertising

Advertising

As the years passed, Vince McMahon repeatedly emphasized to his top star that he was not permitted to get any more tattoos. Despite the warnings, The Undertaker defied his boss’s directive by getting a tattoo on the inside of his right forearm. The Deadman would reflect on the situation and note how he managed to ensure Vince McMahon didn’t notice his tattoos.

“He’s like, ‘No more tattoos.’ I’d already decided in my head that I was gonna get my sleeves done. It healed finally, and then I was like, ‘This is the inside [sleeve], he’ll never notice the inside.’ So I got the inside done, and he didn’t, he didn’t notice.”

The Phenom added that Vince McMahon eventually relented once the tattoos became an integral part of his signature look. Nonetheless, fans simply can’t imagine The Undertaker without tattoos and thus they are glad he defied Vince McMahon.

Are you surprised by this revelation made by The Undertaker? Let us know in the comments section below!