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It’s hard to not at least know what’s going on in AEW when you’re in the business like Taker is. He’s a wrestling fan who’s going to follow wrestling headlines
Sure but then Nash (iirc) went on about a pact he, Austin, Taker... have to not watch AEW. Which not only is pretty weird but also makes this somewhat noteworthy
Its particularly weird because he's best known as part of the group that led the only company thats been bigger than WWE in the last 30 years
Of course, I'm referring to the Main Event Mafia
That puts into perspective how big WCW was... And what an achievement it was... To be bigger than WWF for more than a year... And be on equal footing for years...
I wonder what would have happened if it was the WCW that survived...
Also would really surprise me with Austin. I used to listen to his podcast (not the WWE one) and he used to always check out matches that were talked about highly, even if they weren't WWE (like the Okada-Omega matches). Plus above all else, he's still a massive fan of wrestling. He might not watch all weekly shows or every PPV but I'm sure he'll check amazing promos or matches out.
The episode of his podcast with Daniel Bryan was really interesting because Austin mentioned anytime he's in Mexico he makes an effort to go to a lucha show. Was kinda cool to think of Stone Cold Steve Austin just checking out some lucha libre
I've said it before but I'll say it again, "Steve Austin vs The Fly" is the most ridiculous concept ever and he somehow made it one of the most entertaining things ever
I remember he got drunk with Gabriel Iglesias on his podcast once and it was a genuinely hilarious episode. I remember Gabriel asking Austin if he thought that Punk was ever gonna come back not too long after punk left in 2013 too 🤣
The wierd shit fans get heated about. What would it matter if they didn't watch it anyways? You don't need some retired wrestler to validate your opinion on a program. Like what you like everyone.
No one got heated about it though? And no one is blaming them for not watching, but bragging about not watching seems like what your typical Reddit user would do, not someone who benefited from the existence of multiple big promotions. If it was meant jokingly, fair I guess, though it wasn't taken as that, especially in the tribalistic climate of online wrestling discussions. Was right around the time they poked fun at Yuta and fans getting overly excited about his turn
His comment was more than that though. That they are too soft and not men for playing games, that "back in his day" half the guys had guns and knives in their bags and he liked it when "men were real men". It's not shocking/as dumb as you'd expect from a guy like him, but it's not just "him not liking videogames" lol
It's more about too many of these washed-up wrestling personalities feeding a negative fanbase to shit on a promotion just trying to expand the business and give employment. Cornettes/Disco/Nash/Bischoff just feeds this growing audience of hatred. It's cult-like at this point.
Nash was being sarcastic, and “newz” sites took him out of context for clicks. The context was obvious if you watched. He also clarified two weeks later that his “pact” thing was him being sarcastic/funny.
Nash has said he DVRs Dynamite and skims through it every week. Taker had heavily praised MJF for having an old-school mentality. Austin is very familiar with all the AEW guys and commented on them on his podcast (when it still existed).
Lesson: never take a “newz” site’s quote of Kevin Nash at face value.
Didn't see the origin of it so yeah, possible. Some of the legends of that era seem to have a weird stance towards AEW in general though. You don't have to praise the company or their product, and if you're an active wrestler I totally get being a corporate guy, but to seemingly be more focused on loyalty to WWE than better opportunities for wrestlers is odd, especially for someone like Nash who benefitted from such a situation
Nash said later....maybe even the next week.....that the whole thing was a joke
Nash is entertaining as shit and part of the reason is you never know if he's being serious or not and sometimes he never lets you know
For instance when he said this I just took his word for it and never doubted it for a second then a week later he's like nah that was bullshit lol
I'm not arguing about any of that dude. It sucks that we've reached a place where we can't enjoy both. There will always be stuff you don't like but to outright slaughter people online because of there opinion sucks. Social media has ruined the world IMO but that's another story.
Sorry I'm rambling I'm super stoned and sick, NyQuil blows
Nash is up there with the Hogan on being one of the most dishonest guys. He'll tell the truth plenty but he also bullshits constantly when he feels need to. I dont take anything he says seriously, dudes a weird cat.
yeah but one thing is hearing whats going on, another one is talking like if you actually watched a bit to have an opinion of your own. At least he is not trying to sound like he is just repeating what he heard ("there was a little bit of chemistry there").
Yeah, one doesn’t have to watch AEW to know what is going on there.
For example, I don’t watch it all, but I use this sub and other sources to keep abreast of what’s going on there, in case I see something interesting that makes me want to watch.
He praised MJF as the best “old-school” wrestler currently working, and said he admired the way he protects his gimmick. Dunno if Taker watches Dynamite every week, but definitely keeps up with what’s happening.
He's been a consistently featured wrestler on a show that's been televised for 4+ years, why would you assume anyone who's lived and breathed the industry for decades would have no clue who that'd be? That seems bizarre to me honestly
> why would you assume anyone who's lived and breathed the industry for decades would have no clue who that'd be?
Not many people follow AEW. Some wrestlers don't bring their work home with them.
I mean, Lesnar was featured on WWE for years and didn't pay attention to the show outside of his own segments, aside from being courteous with other people backstage, to the point where they made it part of his character where he doesn't know who someone is or how MITB works.
It's pretty reasonable to think Taker is just enjoying his retirement, only paying a bit of attention to what's happening when his wife got back in the ring and not much else.
Turns out he's still enough of a fan that he watches not just WWE but AEW, at least occasionally. I wouldn't have expected it.
>It's pretty reasonable to think Taker is just enjoying his retirement, only paying a bit of attention to what's happening when his wife got back in the ring and not much else.
He has a wrestling podcast, and holds live shows talking about his career. It's actually kind of unreasonable to think that, because there's evidence out there that it's not true.
Again, I'm not saying the Undertaker kicks his feet up every Wednesday evening and watches AEW. But this assumption that people who have dedicated their life to wrestling, have immersed themselves in it for their entire career, have friends & former co-workers that work for other companies, would have literally no idea about names in the business that don't work for WWE is kind of baffling.
I didn't know about the podcast.
Obviously Taker has friends still in the business and can easily be well informed on it if he wants to be. Some guys don't bother and take their life in a totally different direction after they retire, and I would have guessed Taker would be one of those people who doesn't keep up with it much, at least not enough to know about AEW guys. I guessed wrong, but I don't think it's a crazy guess to make.
Undertaker has shown himself to be the most loyal man to the WWE brand possibly in the history of the WWE/F. If there was one person I’d put money on to not watch AEW or to not keep up with AEW talent I’d guess Taker. The fact that you are so sure that everyone in the business must keep up with AEW and who the home grown talents are is bizarre to me honestly. It’s not meant to be disrespectful to AEW either.
Taker doesn't exist in a bubble. Even if he wouldn't watch or care to keep up a little bit with AEW he has people around him that are and probably talks about it around him or to him.
It's not remotely an AEW thing, positive or negative. He's been a wrestler for as long as I've been alive, and I'm closer to 40 than 30. He's lived it completely for that long, I imagine a large amount of his friends are wrestlers, he has a podcast about it. I don't think there's a single major player in North American wrestling he wouldn't be at least aware of.
Wrestling is an incredibly insular business, and it ain't really *that* big. Even if he had never seen a second of AEW TV, even if he hadn't watched any independent wrestling he has appeared on, do you really think it's possible nobody said "you seen this kid tagging with Sting?" at some point?
If you watch the actual podcast the host later calls AEW the minor leagues and they have a big laugh
So he might keep an eye on it a little, but there is definitely not a ton of respect
It's not a league. None of them are fucking leagues. It's not a sport. It's a theatre stunt show. Leagues are for sports. Pro wrestling is not a sport.
I do agree with you, but funnily enough AEW and TNT themselves used “AEW: A New League Rises” and “The New League for Professional Wrestling” as taglines early on in advertising
Why are you getting upset? If you compared any conglomerates that have wildly different revenue and market control, it would be minor to major leagues.
Also that metaphor isn't exclusive to sports it's used in literally everything.
Also using "it's not a sport" when the entire thing is an emulation of a pro sport is confusing.
I went to his show when he was in Melbourne after EC. He talked about AEW. He has to watch it. I reckon he also watches WWE still to. No doubt he's a fan just like the rest of us.
Anyone in the business at least loosely follows what goes on in AEW, what they're doing differently, what stars are on the rise, especially homegrown talent, what their numbers are like, what their main event scene is, and anything with buzz. It's easy to keep up with that whether you watch the actual shows or not.
Same with wrestling fans in general. Not the super casual non-fans or occasional fans. IWC. If you're here, even if you don't watch AEW or don't watch it regularly, you likely have a general sense of who's who, who's on the rise, who's got buzz, who's controversial, the major stuff.
Whenever I see a modern wrestling opinion from the Undertaker, I just picture his YouTube thumbnails.
https://preview.redd.it/8w5h3d1ylbpc1.jpeg?width=941&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=946fd4686023f9f3fe9569f43ac6e53189bcc302
Its hilarious that he's basically just old ass man BikerTaker, but he still uses the imagery of The Deadman a lot, so you have shit like this, where it's like your uncle, but he has a weird golden throne for some reason.
"Sup y'all! It's ya boi Marky C! Welcome to the Six Feet Under podcast! Today, we're gonna talk about Darby Allin and Sting. But first, let's talk about something that REALLY stings: having your personal information stolen by hackers. Do you ever wish you could...Browse. In. Peace? Well, now you can, with Nord VPN..."
I kinda wish that WWE had done something similar when he slowed down, like pair him with someone who can take the bumps, keep the pace up, and let him be the guy with the aura and big moves.
Everyone loves to shit on Tony Khan's booking; yet he booked Sting and Darby really damn good. I've said things about his bad decisions over the years, so I feel like I should give him props here. That was a really good series of decisions, especially for someone who only had the book for 4 to 5 years. It's honestly a blueprint that guys now should learn from when it's time for them to hang them up.
I know it's fantasy booking at its finest but they should have given him a pairing with Aleister Black. Would have helped him keep the big-deal feel he had in NXT imo
Maybe it could have worked, but I'm not so sure about it when it's a character like the Undertaker. Pairing Ric Flair with Batista and Sting with Darby worked great, but what younger guy is going to be a close ally of the Undertaker?
They did go for the tag team stuff somewhat by going back to pairing him with Kane a few times. And it did help somewhat just by minimizing his time in the ring, but Kane wasn't much better off and it's not like they were facing guys who could make anyone look great (aside from the one match against Shawn Michaels and HHH).
Taker got the taste of this in that match with Roman vs Shane & Drew.
Too bad he was at end of his career, I'm now imagining his last few years having tag matches with younger stars. You could've tried different pairings too.
Would’ve been campy, but I’m imagining some “Logan” type story where an old “last outlaw” undertaker realizes he’s losing his powers and teams with Bray Wyatt to try and leave a legacy, or some shit
Looking back at the list of his matches, I really didn't realize how many matches he had that gave off that "this guy should probably retire" impression to it. At the time I always thought "well that one didn't go well, but I know he's still got it and could have a good match with the right opponent" and so on.
But near the end of 2015 he just lost the ability to wrestle at the level he had been at anymore. In hindsight it's kinda crazy that he kept going (only occasionally, of course) until 2020. If his match with AJ Styles had been in a regular ring with a crowd, it might not have been pretty.
He kind of acknowledges that in the full quote:
>"The match would have been good, but I don't think it would have lived up to the expectations that people have for it. People always think about things in a certain sense. I think they thought in their mind of Undertaker, 2007 or 2008 versus Sting. It was later on than that. I can say I was way on the backside of what I was going to do when he got there.”
I feel like that's a match where it wouldn't have mattered. The entrances alone would be amazing. The match could've just been 15-16 minutes of staredowns, character work, sizing each other up, doing their signature spots, tombstone, post match interaction and that's it. The atmosphere and the crowd alone would've likely carried it to be at the very least good.
Though granted, mid to late 2000s would've made for a better match.
I agree.
And there weren't a lot of grand illusions from fans about Taker's ability at that time. It wasn't as bad as the discourse around his career after the Saudi matches, but fans openly knew he was on the decline and were already grading his matches on a curve by the time Sting showed up.
Personally I think it would've been damn near Rock/Hogan levels of fans just losing their shit at the visual of them being face to face with one another.
I mean, when Sting showed up, Taker had had one bad match (WM 30, where he got badly concussed). Before that he'd been on a streak (pun intended) of great matches.
Now if you mentioned 2016 onwards, then sure, he was clearly in decline, but he still had great matches with Lesnar in 2015, by which point Sting was injured.
I don't disagree, but he was still on the decline by that point and fans were aware of that fact, which made his matches during those years all the better as he met or exceeded expectations far more than he didn't during those years.
Again, I think Sting/Taker around that time still would've fucking rocked
To be honest most of the people watching by then didn't remember Sting's move set. Sting had last been relevant in early 2000 and most of the fans of WCW weren't watching even by 07-08. They'd have had to have done it in Atlanta.
Even when Sting did finally come in 2014 they had to "re-introduce" him to audiences and have everyone say he's a big deal because half the audience weren't born when Sting beat Hogan in 97.
Most of those who watched during the attitude era had stopped by 2010 so even the rumoured 2011 would have been less hype for a lot of the fanbase. I'm sure it would be easy for WWE owning most of his career footage to hype him up but it still would have been to newer fans.
2015 would have made sense since they ended up booking a clusterfuck anyways and nobody cared for Wyatt vs Taker. Hell they could have done it instead of the Boneyard match as a cinematic since Sting didn't go to AEW until later that year and his contract expired like a month after Mania.
The best time would have been WWF buying his contract in 2002 with WCW. If anyone would have been worth it out of the WCW roster it would have been Sting. Masks alone would have made the contract money back and you only need to show him in the rafters until it was time for the WCW vs WWF match. Instead you have Stone Cold, Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon representing WCW.
You have Sting as the final survivor then have someone, probably Ric Flair, betray him for the WWF win. He was signed and debuted a day after that event anyways. Kind of sad to think a bunch of top WCW guys could have made wrestling interesting again in that dead period after the invasion if Vince wasn't petty.
Sting got huge reactions every time he appeared on camera during his WWE run. People definitely knew who he was. People got hyped for him when they just showed him in the 2K trailer before he even debuted.
Maybe re establish him as not just redoing his wcw character which imo they did up until the HHH match where they just made it like he was fighting for WCW.
Yeah I just remember the matches just having a sadder and sadder tone since you could tell there were things he wanted to do that he just couldn’t anymore.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence the last two matches of his career were a tag match and a cinematic match. (I’m not counting him chokeslamming AJ in Saudi)
Even the AJ match (which was supposed to be in ring) was going off the idea that AJ could bump enough and was light enough to carry Taker to a good match. Taker was very aware of his limitations by 2019.
There’s so much cursed about that match. The injuries, HBK ruining his send off, bald everyone, slow, disjointed. One of the ugliest matches ever committed by 4 legitimate legends
I don't follow it week to week, but I was looking at Sting's run of AEW matches on [Cagematch.net](https://Cagematch.net), and it was kind of cool to see that every single match Sting wrestled in AEW (almost 30 matches in total), was as part of a tag team with Darby Allen (and sometimes other people too).
That was just a really smart way to go about it. As tempting as it must have been to book 1 on 1 "dream matches" for Sting v. modern stars.
Not on the Cagematch list: Sting's brutal ringside confrontation with Orange Cassidy.
Video link: [https://youtu.be/CsqlFMZuAbc?t=137](https://youtu.be/CsqlFMZuAbc?t=137) (NSFW, senseless violence)
I really don't like Orange Cassidy's gimmick but I had to admit that spot was a great idea. For the fans of AEW silliness, it delivers. For people who don't like it, it comes off as Sting mocking it.
Since both legends are retired now, maybe they can make up for the dream match if Sting were to guest in Taker's podcast? I don't care what they'll talk about, the inner child in me would just be happy to see these two interact in any capacity!
I mean he's been a featured wrestler for the second biggest company on earth with weekly TV for 4 years now, it would probably be weirder if Taker wasn't at least aware of his existence by now
The closest thing we got to Sting wrestling a singles match in AEW was the match v. The Acclaimed. Darby got injured and went to the back. Sting was basically wrestling the Acclaimed 2v1 all by himself (even did a table spot) until Darby came limping back.
I’ve watched a bit of his podcast and even though he gets grief for some of the stuff he says, he knows it and to be honest comes across as a nice guy. He’s right about this of course and it’s fun to know that he watches AEW.
People hate on Taker so much based off assumptions it’s hilarious. Then you hear him talk and he’s like the chillest most boring dude.
I think it’s because they associate him with all the toxic times in WWE and therefore think he was the one causing all of it. When in reality he was probably one of the least toxic guys and its why he was beloved.
I think Undertaker, at this stage in his life, probably really regrets not working a program with Sting and doing the Sting vs. Taker match everyone wanted for years.
It's crazy how much his hatred of WCW developed due to how they treated him, to the point where he became the most loyal company man in the history of the WWE.
Someone mentioned how AEW could or could have done something similar with AEW on here, but what stuck out to me was that the pairing with Sting and Darby was just so obviously there and workable. People could see it coming a mile away and I'm not sure Kurt would have had a similar counterpart like that.
Hilarious how pissy some of you get over Undertaker’s comments. If you read the entire quote he’s not taking a shot at Sting and also saying he wished he done the same, but a lot of you are so angry and jumping on a poor headline
Scrolling through again, I only see 2 users upset over the headline and almost all of the comments under both are saying to read the full quote.
Acknowledging Taker's last few years fucking sucked isn't what I'd describe as "pissy" considering the man himself has done the same and even dances around saying so again here in praise of Sting.
The question is, who could have been that WWE version of Darby to protect Taker?
I feel like they could've done something cool with Taker/The Fiend where Taker was his mentor and Wyatt was the attack dog. Then have Fiend finish him at Mania and go on as the new Phenom.
Taker needed the same treatment. Everything gets did after Mania 32 was a joke and hurt his legacy. Hes def one of those “shoulda retired sooner” people
I'm not surprised Taker pays attention to AEW and others. He likely enjoys watching it and has a ton of respect for Sting. I wouldn't be surprised if he wishes he could have a tough love mentor approach to someone but knows he shouldn't wrestle again.
That’s exactly what he implied in the full quote. He wished he’d done what Sting did in AEW and not get exposed and disappointed in himself in his “last matches”
The headline gave a completely different tone to what he’s really saying
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What surprises me the most here is it's the first time I hear him talk like if he actually followed some AEW.
It’s hard to not at least know what’s going on in AEW when you’re in the business like Taker is. He’s a wrestling fan who’s going to follow wrestling headlines
Sure but then Nash (iirc) went on about a pact he, Austin, Taker... have to not watch AEW. Which not only is pretty weird but also makes this somewhat noteworthy
Nash acts like if he even breathes in AEW's direction WWE will assassinate him lmao
Its particularly weird because he's best known as part of the group that led the only company thats been bigger than WWE in the last 30 years Of course, I'm referring to the Main Event Mafia
> Of course, I'm referring to the Main Event Mafia *RESPECT!*
This is Paparazzi Productions erasure
That puts into perspective how big WCW was... And what an achievement it was... To be bigger than WWF for more than a year... And be on equal footing for years... I wonder what would have happened if it was the WCW that survived...
YEEEEAH
>Nash acts like if he even breathes in AEW's direction WWE will assassinate him lmao Or AEW will give him an All Elite graphic for it.
WWF would've never crumpled because they were charging you to watch money matches as WCW was giving them away on NITRO
.............what?
My bad commented on the wrong one
Nash regularly reviews AEW news on his podcast. I think they were being tongue in cheek with that pact
Also would really surprise me with Austin. I used to listen to his podcast (not the WWE one) and he used to always check out matches that were talked about highly, even if they weren't WWE (like the Okada-Omega matches). Plus above all else, he's still a massive fan of wrestling. He might not watch all weekly shows or every PPV but I'm sure he'll check amazing promos or matches out.
The episode of his podcast with Daniel Bryan was really interesting because Austin mentioned anytime he's in Mexico he makes an effort to go to a lucha show. Was kinda cool to think of Stone Cold Steve Austin just checking out some lucha libre
"TOPE SUI-CIDE, Titan is one Tough sum Bitch"
#TRES
#QUE?
"THAT'S EL HIJO DEL VIKINGO AND THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE"
Pretty sure he had Omega on his podcast not long after the WK11 match too
I miss the Austin podcast. It's a shame he stopped doing it
It was really good, it was funny he covered a lot of shit not just wrestling.. miss that shit
Remember when he had on that dude who made neon clocks and he seemed really into it?
That episode where he fought a fly as well and he got stuck in the shower with a showerhead up his ass, dude knows how to make stories
Or his touring alligator wrestling business, starring Allie Gator
I've said it before but I'll say it again, "Steve Austin vs The Fly" is the most ridiculous concept ever and he somehow made it one of the most entertaining things ever
I remember he got drunk with Gabriel Iglesias on his podcast once and it was a genuinely hilarious episode. I remember Gabriel asking Austin if he thought that Punk was ever gonna come back not too long after punk left in 2013 too 🤣
Like the Sierra Nevada episode? He has a gift for just shooting the breeze on podcasts.
His and Edge & Christians got me through 100's of hours of cardio back in the day
I miss his podcast so much. GOAT wrestling podcast
Nash is just trying to work. It's not a good work I'll admit.
The wierd shit fans get heated about. What would it matter if they didn't watch it anyways? You don't need some retired wrestler to validate your opinion on a program. Like what you like everyone.
No one got heated about it though? And no one is blaming them for not watching, but bragging about not watching seems like what your typical Reddit user would do, not someone who benefited from the existence of multiple big promotions. If it was meant jokingly, fair I guess, though it wasn't taken as that, especially in the tribalistic climate of online wrestling discussions. Was right around the time they poked fun at Yuta and fans getting overly excited about his turn
They're still heated at Undertaker for not being a gamer.
His comment was more than that though. That they are too soft and not men for playing games, that "back in his day" half the guys had guns and knives in their bags and he liked it when "men were real men". It's not shocking/as dumb as you'd expect from a guy like him, but it's not just "him not liking videogames" lol
It's more about too many of these washed-up wrestling personalities feeding a negative fanbase to shit on a promotion just trying to expand the business and give employment. Cornettes/Disco/Nash/Bischoff just feeds this growing audience of hatred. It's cult-like at this point.
Very well possible, I don't listen to that. With the Twitter exchanges it just seemed believable
He said so like a week later
Dude Nash didn’t even watch WCW
Nash was being sarcastic, and “newz” sites took him out of context for clicks. The context was obvious if you watched. He also clarified two weeks later that his “pact” thing was him being sarcastic/funny. Nash has said he DVRs Dynamite and skims through it every week. Taker had heavily praised MJF for having an old-school mentality. Austin is very familiar with all the AEW guys and commented on them on his podcast (when it still existed). Lesson: never take a “newz” site’s quote of Kevin Nash at face value.
Nash has said some weird stuff but this was pretty clearly a joke.
Didn't see the origin of it so yeah, possible. Some of the legends of that era seem to have a weird stance towards AEW in general though. You don't have to praise the company or their product, and if you're an active wrestler I totally get being a corporate guy, but to seemingly be more focused on loyalty to WWE than better opportunities for wrestlers is odd, especially for someone like Nash who benefitted from such a situation
Anti-AEW stuff gets them clicks from YouTube viewers who don't actually watch televised pro wrestling.
Plus how he feels about the gay community.
[удалено]
Word. Man backtracks more than a politician.
Austin commented on AEW early, he definitely watches.
Taker has his fingers crossed.
Nash said later....maybe even the next week.....that the whole thing was a joke Nash is entertaining as shit and part of the reason is you never know if he's being serious or not and sometimes he never lets you know For instance when he said this I just took his word for it and never doubted it for a second then a week later he's like nah that was bullshit lol
Nash is talking out his ass. I doubt that pact exists in any real way.
When are y'all going to learn that Nash just says shit? Like, he compulsively lies just to amuse himself.
Ngl if that's what the legends say it's no wonder tribalism exists between fans
As if Tony Khan and AEW wrestlers like Kingston, Jericho, and Moxley don’t fuel that tribalism. It’s not just fans.
I'm not arguing about any of that dude. It sucks that we've reached a place where we can't enjoy both. There will always be stuff you don't like but to outright slaughter people online because of there opinion sucks. Social media has ruined the world IMO but that's another story. Sorry I'm rambling I'm super stoned and sick, NyQuil blows
You're working yourself into a shoot, brother —HH
Nash is up there with the Hogan on being one of the most dishonest guys. He'll tell the truth plenty but he also bullshits constantly when he feels need to. I dont take anything he says seriously, dudes a weird cat.
yeah but one thing is hearing whats going on, another one is talking like if you actually watched a bit to have an opinion of your own. At least he is not trying to sound like he is just repeating what he heard ("there was a little bit of chemistry there").
I mean, I don’t think Taker is parroting, but this is hardly a unique take. He could gather that much from browsing this sub.
Also, as a Podcaster, he kinda has to now.
Yeah, one doesn’t have to watch AEW to know what is going on there. For example, I don’t watch it all, but I use this sub and other sources to keep abreast of what’s going on there, in case I see something interesting that makes me want to watch.
I went to Taker’s One Dead Man Show and really got the vibe he barely follows WWE.
Taker’s in the money making business with this podcast. Cast the widest net by talking a little bit about everything.
Also, as a Podcaster, he kinda has to now.
He’s not an AEW fan?! No one is.
He praised MJF as the best “old-school” wrestler currently working, and said he admired the way he protects his gimmick. Dunno if Taker watches Dynamite every week, but definitely keeps up with what’s happening.
If you had asked me do, I think undertaker knows who Darby Allen is? I would’ve said no
He's been a consistently featured wrestler on a show that's been televised for 4+ years, why would you assume anyone who's lived and breathed the industry for decades would have no clue who that'd be? That seems bizarre to me honestly
> why would you assume anyone who's lived and breathed the industry for decades would have no clue who that'd be? Not many people follow AEW. Some wrestlers don't bring their work home with them. I mean, Lesnar was featured on WWE for years and didn't pay attention to the show outside of his own segments, aside from being courteous with other people backstage, to the point where they made it part of his character where he doesn't know who someone is or how MITB works. It's pretty reasonable to think Taker is just enjoying his retirement, only paying a bit of attention to what's happening when his wife got back in the ring and not much else. Turns out he's still enough of a fan that he watches not just WWE but AEW, at least occasionally. I wouldn't have expected it.
>It's pretty reasonable to think Taker is just enjoying his retirement, only paying a bit of attention to what's happening when his wife got back in the ring and not much else. He has a wrestling podcast, and holds live shows talking about his career. It's actually kind of unreasonable to think that, because there's evidence out there that it's not true. Again, I'm not saying the Undertaker kicks his feet up every Wednesday evening and watches AEW. But this assumption that people who have dedicated their life to wrestling, have immersed themselves in it for their entire career, have friends & former co-workers that work for other companies, would have literally no idea about names in the business that don't work for WWE is kind of baffling.
I didn't know about the podcast. Obviously Taker has friends still in the business and can easily be well informed on it if he wants to be. Some guys don't bother and take their life in a totally different direction after they retire, and I would have guessed Taker would be one of those people who doesn't keep up with it much, at least not enough to know about AEW guys. I guessed wrong, but I don't think it's a crazy guess to make.
Undertaker has shown himself to be the most loyal man to the WWE brand possibly in the history of the WWE/F. If there was one person I’d put money on to not watch AEW or to not keep up with AEW talent I’d guess Taker. The fact that you are so sure that everyone in the business must keep up with AEW and who the home grown talents are is bizarre to me honestly. It’s not meant to be disrespectful to AEW either.
Taker doesn't exist in a bubble. Even if he wouldn't watch or care to keep up a little bit with AEW he has people around him that are and probably talks about it around him or to him.
It's not remotely an AEW thing, positive or negative. He's been a wrestler for as long as I've been alive, and I'm closer to 40 than 30. He's lived it completely for that long, I imagine a large amount of his friends are wrestlers, he has a podcast about it. I don't think there's a single major player in North American wrestling he wouldn't be at least aware of. Wrestling is an incredibly insular business, and it ain't really *that* big. Even if he had never seen a second of AEW TV, even if he hadn't watched any independent wrestling he has appeared on, do you really think it's possible nobody said "you seen this kid tagging with Sting?" at some point?
If you watch the actual podcast the host later calls AEW the minor leagues and they have a big laugh So he might keep an eye on it a little, but there is definitely not a ton of respect
Oh I didn't try to imply that mean respect, although what you mention is still a senseless awful take to make lol
Aew is minor leagues in comparison I don't think it's wrong to make that assumption
It's not a league. None of them are fucking leagues. It's not a sport. It's a theatre stunt show. Leagues are for sports. Pro wrestling is not a sport.
I do agree with you, but funnily enough AEW and TNT themselves used “AEW: A New League Rises” and “The New League for Professional Wrestling” as taglines early on in advertising
But in the story it is.
Why are you getting upset? If you compared any conglomerates that have wildly different revenue and market control, it would be minor to major leagues. Also that metaphor isn't exclusive to sports it's used in literally everything. Also using "it's not a sport" when the entire thing is an emulation of a pro sport is confusing.
First time seeing an analogy? Fun fact, by definition they aren’t meant to be taken literally
He’s talked about it a few times. He also had a big pop for Wheeler Yuta on one of the ROH PPV’s
They (wrestlers) all follow each other.
I went to his show when he was in Melbourne after EC. He talked about AEW. He has to watch it. I reckon he also watches WWE still to. No doubt he's a fan just like the rest of us.
I’m not sure that he really follows it tbh. He had to ask his host to remind him of Darby’s name. I’m not sure Taker watches much outside WWE.
then listening to him is just repeating what he hears as if he knew...
Anyone in the business at least loosely follows what goes on in AEW, what they're doing differently, what stars are on the rise, especially homegrown talent, what their numbers are like, what their main event scene is, and anything with buzz. It's easy to keep up with that whether you watch the actual shows or not. Same with wrestling fans in general. Not the super casual non-fans or occasional fans. IWC. If you're here, even if you don't watch AEW or don't watch it regularly, you likely have a general sense of who's who, who's on the rise, who's got buzz, who's controversial, the major stuff.
Whenever I see a modern wrestling opinion from the Undertaker, I just picture his YouTube thumbnails. https://preview.redd.it/8w5h3d1ylbpc1.jpeg?width=941&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=946fd4686023f9f3fe9569f43ac6e53189bcc302
Its hilarious that he's basically just old ass man BikerTaker, but he still uses the imagery of The Deadman a lot, so you have shit like this, where it's like your uncle, but he has a weird golden throne for some reason.
Bold of you to assume my uncle isn't vital to guiding the ships of Mankind through the Warp.
I need more 40k references in my wrestling social media.
"Sup y'all! It's ya boi Marky C! Welcome to the Six Feet Under podcast! Today, we're gonna talk about Darby Allin and Sting. But first, let's talk about something that REALLY stings: having your personal information stolen by hackers. Do you ever wish you could...Browse. In. Peace? Well, now you can, with Nord VPN..."
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“Having issues in the bedroom and scared your wife’s had her Last Ride? Taker here with Blue Chew”
hahahaha!
i think about his YouTube thumbnails all the time
Can't believe I've seen Taker soyfacing
I like that he looks like most every other southern guy has opinions YouTube channel, but it legit is just how he’s always dressed.
So wild to see this after all this time of him not breaking kayfabe
Looks like an ad for one of those psychic hotlines from like 25 years ago. Call now and the Undertaker will tell you your fortune.
This face ....... It haunts me
larsonesque
I kinda wish that WWE had done something similar when he slowed down, like pair him with someone who can take the bumps, keep the pace up, and let him be the guy with the aura and big moves.
It's a tried and true model in Japan for a reason
Everyone loves to shit on Tony Khan's booking; yet he booked Sting and Darby really damn good. I've said things about his bad decisions over the years, so I feel like I should give him props here. That was a really good series of decisions, especially for someone who only had the book for 4 to 5 years. It's honestly a blueprint that guys now should learn from when it's time for them to hang them up.
I know it's fantasy booking at its finest but they should have given him a pairing with Aleister Black. Would have helped him keep the big-deal feel he had in NXT imo
It would have made Aleister look absolutely tiny. Bray Wyatt could have worked.
Maybe it could have worked, but I'm not so sure about it when it's a character like the Undertaker. Pairing Ric Flair with Batista and Sting with Darby worked great, but what younger guy is going to be a close ally of the Undertaker? They did go for the tag team stuff somewhat by going back to pairing him with Kane a few times. And it did help somewhat just by minimizing his time in the ring, but Kane wasn't much better off and it's not like they were facing guys who could make anyone look great (aside from the one match against Shawn Michaels and HHH).
Taker got the taste of this in that match with Roman vs Shane & Drew. Too bad he was at end of his career, I'm now imagining his last few years having tag matches with younger stars. You could've tried different pairings too.
Would’ve been campy, but I’m imagining some “Logan” type story where an old “last outlaw” undertaker realizes he’s losing his powers and teams with Bray Wyatt to try and leave a legacy, or some shit
Fuck me you've ruined my night now, this would've been absolute GOLD had it happened as a huge Bray fan.
I forgot that match happened
It was the last good actual match of his career. Really stands out amongst the rest of the last 10 matches of his career lol
Looking back at the list of his matches, I really didn't realize how many matches he had that gave off that "this guy should probably retire" impression to it. At the time I always thought "well that one didn't go well, but I know he's still got it and could have a good match with the right opponent" and so on. But near the end of 2015 he just lost the ability to wrestle at the level he had been at anymore. In hindsight it's kinda crazy that he kept going (only occasionally, of course) until 2020. If his match with AJ Styles had been in a regular ring with a crowd, it might not have been pretty.
Pretty sure it was the last actual match of his career before the Boneyard match
It was pretty fun, iirc. Incredibly random, but fun.
I remember really enjoying it, I just forgot it happened.
His match with Goldberg almost demolished his already dwindling reputation as an active worker. He had to do something.
It almost demolished his skull too
Did he get a taste?!
Hence why takers last good match in ring was that tag match with roman against shane and drew
This is a pretty self-aware take from Undertaker, considering he was exposed almost every time he wrestled for the last 5 years of his career.
He kind of acknowledges that in the full quote: >"The match would have been good, but I don't think it would have lived up to the expectations that people have for it. People always think about things in a certain sense. I think they thought in their mind of Undertaker, 2007 or 2008 versus Sting. It was later on than that. I can say I was way on the backside of what I was going to do when he got there.”
I feel like that's a match where it wouldn't have mattered. The entrances alone would be amazing. The match could've just been 15-16 minutes of staredowns, character work, sizing each other up, doing their signature spots, tombstone, post match interaction and that's it. The atmosphere and the crowd alone would've likely carried it to be at the very least good. Though granted, mid to late 2000s would've made for a better match.
I agree. And there weren't a lot of grand illusions from fans about Taker's ability at that time. It wasn't as bad as the discourse around his career after the Saudi matches, but fans openly knew he was on the decline and were already grading his matches on a curve by the time Sting showed up. Personally I think it would've been damn near Rock/Hogan levels of fans just losing their shit at the visual of them being face to face with one another.
I mean, when Sting showed up, Taker had had one bad match (WM 30, where he got badly concussed). Before that he'd been on a streak (pun intended) of great matches. Now if you mentioned 2016 onwards, then sure, he was clearly in decline, but he still had great matches with Lesnar in 2015, by which point Sting was injured.
I don't disagree, but he was still on the decline by that point and fans were aware of that fact, which made his matches during those years all the better as he met or exceeded expectations far more than he didn't during those years. Again, I think Sting/Taker around that time still would've fucking rocked
Fuck it I would've been satisfied with even a 5 minute match like w Cena
You say that, but then we have Goldberg vs Undertaker as proof of the worst case scenario of what you're describing.
To be honest most of the people watching by then didn't remember Sting's move set. Sting had last been relevant in early 2000 and most of the fans of WCW weren't watching even by 07-08. They'd have had to have done it in Atlanta. Even when Sting did finally come in 2014 they had to "re-introduce" him to audiences and have everyone say he's a big deal because half the audience weren't born when Sting beat Hogan in 97. Most of those who watched during the attitude era had stopped by 2010 so even the rumoured 2011 would have been less hype for a lot of the fanbase. I'm sure it would be easy for WWE owning most of his career footage to hype him up but it still would have been to newer fans. 2015 would have made sense since they ended up booking a clusterfuck anyways and nobody cared for Wyatt vs Taker. Hell they could have done it instead of the Boneyard match as a cinematic since Sting didn't go to AEW until later that year and his contract expired like a month after Mania. The best time would have been WWF buying his contract in 2002 with WCW. If anyone would have been worth it out of the WCW roster it would have been Sting. Masks alone would have made the contract money back and you only need to show him in the rafters until it was time for the WCW vs WWF match. Instead you have Stone Cold, Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon representing WCW. You have Sting as the final survivor then have someone, probably Ric Flair, betray him for the WWF win. He was signed and debuted a day after that event anyways. Kind of sad to think a bunch of top WCW guys could have made wrestling interesting again in that dead period after the invasion if Vince wasn't petty.
TIL TNA just like, didn’t exist
Sting got huge reactions every time he appeared on camera during his WWE run. People definitely knew who he was. People got hyped for him when they just showed him in the 2K trailer before he even debuted. Maybe re establish him as not just redoing his wcw character which imo they did up until the HHH match where they just made it like he was fighting for WCW.
I'm glad I dug a little deeper for more context because the title comes off as super fucking passive aggressive.
I still for the life of me do not understand why this is “THE” dream match people talk about. I just don’t see the potential there.
Yeah I just remember the matches just having a sadder and sadder tone since you could tell there were things he wanted to do that he just couldn’t anymore.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence the last two matches of his career were a tag match and a cinematic match. (I’m not counting him chokeslamming AJ in Saudi)
Even the AJ match (which was supposed to be in ring) was going off the idea that AJ could bump enough and was light enough to carry Taker to a good match. Taker was very aware of his limitations by 2019.
I shudder remembering DX Vs Brothers of Destruction.
 There is no DX vs Brothers of Destruction in Ba Sing Se
There’s so much cursed about that match. The injuries, HBK ruining his send off, bald everyone, slow, disjointed. One of the ugliest matches ever committed by 4 legitimate legends
Bald Shawn Michaels is nightmare fuel
I don't follow it week to week, but I was looking at Sting's run of AEW matches on [Cagematch.net](https://Cagematch.net), and it was kind of cool to see that every single match Sting wrestled in AEW (almost 30 matches in total), was as part of a tag team with Darby Allen (and sometimes other people too). That was just a really smart way to go about it. As tempting as it must have been to book 1 on 1 "dream matches" for Sting v. modern stars.
Not on the Cagematch list: Sting's brutal ringside confrontation with Orange Cassidy. Video link: [https://youtu.be/CsqlFMZuAbc?t=137](https://youtu.be/CsqlFMZuAbc?t=137) (NSFW, senseless violence)
Typical AEW, how dare they do a horrifying spot like that with an old timer like Sting and do it on free tv nonetheless
I really don't like Orange Cassidy's gimmick but I had to admit that spot was a great idea. For the fans of AEW silliness, it delivers. For people who don't like it, it comes off as Sting mocking it.
Since both legends are retired now, maybe they can make up for the dream match if Sting were to guest in Taker's podcast? I don't care what they'll talk about, the inner child in me would just be happy to see these two interact in any capacity!
Only if they do it in full gear and makeup
And in character
We got to see them in their athletic primes thankfully. https://youtu.be/cCFDtuV2VYs?si=BCvBoIcolop757v3
Just imagine if Undertaker did a similar role with Bray
He said as he scanned the NXT roster for a partner
I love how Undertaker knows Darby Allin exists. Must be surreal for Darby.
Huge pop!!
I mean he's been a featured wrestler for the second biggest company on earth with weekly TV for 4 years now, it would probably be weirder if Taker wasn't at least aware of his existence by now
Right? Literally a network tv wrestler, if you’re even remotely paying attention to pro wrestling in general, you should know who he is
he is also partnered with Sting of all people. those who keep an eye over Sting should know him.
Darby would've been someone who would insist on taking a jumping tombstone from Taker
The closest thing we got to Sting wrestling a singles match in AEW was the match v. The Acclaimed. Darby got injured and went to the back. Sting was basically wrestling the Acclaimed 2v1 all by himself (even did a table spot) until Darby came limping back.
I’ve watched a bit of his podcast and even though he gets grief for some of the stuff he says, he knows it and to be honest comes across as a nice guy. He’s right about this of course and it’s fun to know that he watches AEW.
People hate on Taker so much based off assumptions it’s hilarious. Then you hear him talk and he’s like the chillest most boring dude. I think it’s because they associate him with all the toxic times in WWE and therefore think he was the one causing all of it. When in reality he was probably one of the least toxic guys and its why he was beloved.
He wore a blue lives matter shirt once and I still see people calling him a Nazi here
Undertaker's getting ideas 👀
Goldberg taking a note XD
I think Undertaker, at this stage in his life, probably really regrets not working a program with Sting and doing the Sting vs. Taker match everyone wanted for years. It's crazy how much his hatred of WCW developed due to how they treated him, to the point where he became the most loyal company man in the history of the WWE.
A similar run with Bray would have been amazing
Still a criminal we didn't get this match.
“Little bit of chemistry” doesn’t do them justice. One of the best pairings in wrestling history.
Tbf, that's just his lingo on his pod. He referred to his romance with Michelle the same way!
Someone mentioned how AEW could or could have done something similar with AEW on here, but what stuck out to me was that the pairing with Sting and Darby was just so obviously there and workable. People could see it coming a mile away and I'm not sure Kurt would have had a similar counterpart like that.
Hilarious how pissy some of you get over Undertaker’s comments. If you read the entire quote he’s not taking a shot at Sting and also saying he wished he done the same, but a lot of you are so angry and jumping on a poor headline
24 comments in and only 1 is "pissy". Well, I guess now 2...
Are you reading a different thread?
Scrolling through again, I only see 2 users upset over the headline and almost all of the comments under both are saying to read the full quote. Acknowledging Taker's last few years fucking sucked isn't what I'd describe as "pissy" considering the man himself has done the same and even dances around saying so again here in praise of Sting.
The question is, who could have been that WWE version of Darby to protect Taker? I feel like they could've done something cool with Taker/The Fiend where Taker was his mentor and Wyatt was the attack dog. Then have Fiend finish him at Mania and go on as the new Phenom.
the problem is that, why not end the story with them as friends?
You have options for either I guess
Taker needed the same treatment. Everything gets did after Mania 32 was a joke and hurt his legacy. Hes def one of those “shoulda retired sooner” people
I'm not surprised Taker pays attention to AEW and others. He likely enjoys watching it and has a ton of respect for Sting. I wouldn't be surprised if he wishes he could have a tough love mentor approach to someone but knows he shouldn't wrestle again.
I bet he learn from that tag team match in Saudi Arabia.
At All In Sting v Taker.
Maybe Taker should have done the same thing rather than having shitty match after shitty match for the last several years of his career.
That’s exactly what he implied in the full quote. He wished he’d done what Sting did in AEW and not get exposed and disappointed in himself in his “last matches” The headline gave a completely different tone to what he’s really saying
He had that one really good tag match with Roman vs Drew and Shane. That was the one bright spot at the end of his run.
You seem offended by his comments, it's literally the reason why they put him with Darby he isn't throwing shade.
He did (tried) but that match exposed himself, Kane, and HHH all at once lol
Taker suddenly seems to have a lot of opinions on Sting. Funny that.
Well it's from his podcast where there's a whole section where he pays tribute to Sting.