Undertaker Explains the Real Reason WWE Wrestlers Gargled Whiskey at the Bar

For years, the legend of WWE rookies being forced to gargle whiskey in front of The Undertaker has lived on through backstage stories and locker room whispers. But now, the Deadman himself is setting the record straight—and the truth is more about accountability than hazing.

Speaking with Cody Rhodes on What Do You Want To Talk About?, Undertaker cleared the air about what actually went down during those infamous bar nights. According to him, the ritual wasn’t some twisted initiation—it was a response to younger talent trying to fake their way into the circle.

“So you may be a little disappointed in all this. I’m not one to make someone gargle. That’s not my deal. I take the shot. I drink the shot—in fairness.”

He made it crystal clear that no one was ever forced to drink and revealed where the whole “gargle the whiskey” thing came from.

“You’re invited over. It is a welcome. But that’s a big misnomer, like, ‘Taker told me to come over and drink. I had to drink.’ No, it’s not that. I don’t ever make anybody do anything they don’t want to do.”

“Back when business wasn’t quite so good… people would quick-shot it or pour it on the floor and act like they drank it. That’s money, right? That’s someone else’s money you’re wasting.”

“So it kind of became a deal—‘Alright, you gotta gargle it.’ So people knew you actually drank the shot. That was the original origin of it. And I think it just carried on through the years.”

Undertaker mentioned the culture was more about respect and mutual choice than intimidation. Still, hearing this now shines a light on just how intense—and expensive—the behind-the-scenes bonding could get.

In an era where wrestling culture continues to evolve, Undertaker’s breakdown of this long-standing tradition offers an inside look at how accountability, peer pressure, and locker room respect once played out after the cameras stopped rolling. Whether you see it as bonding or unnecessary pressure, the ritual clearly left its mark—and not just in shot glasses.

Are backstage traditions like this just part of the business, or is it time wrestling moves on from these old-school rites of passage? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear from you.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.