The Undertaker explained how he felt when he knew he had to retire from wrestling.
The Deadman hung up his boots after WrestleMania 36, beating AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match. He has appeared since then in non-wrestling roles, including in the main event of WrestleMania 40.
His retirement was a long time coming, as he spent nearly a decade working part-time with the WWE. The Undertaker never knew exactly when he’d have to retire, having detailed his struggles with the idea in the Undertaker: The Last Ride documentary.
The Undertaker also spoke about it to Chris Van Vliet. He revealed that he knew the end of his career was near, but didn’t prepare mentally for his run to end. He discussed how he struggled with being near the business since then. The Undertaker felt anxious about not being in the ring at WWE events, and he would leave early due to the feeling.
“It’s weird, like I knew the end was going to come, but I wasn’t mentally preparing myself for it, I don’t think.” The Undertaker said. “I always just thought I was going to be able to do it. Realistically, you know, father time is undefeated. I knew early on. Even when I was still working, and I love this business so much, but I knew I was going to have a hard time. People always ask me, ‘Why don’t you go down to the PC or why don’t you be a mentor?’. When I’m around, I do that kind of stuff. But as an everyday deal, I can’t. I just can’t do it.”
“Recently, I’ve just kind of had closure at Mania. I don’t know if you heard this, but I’ve struggled—I’ve struggled since I retired at being at live events. Like, I would go. I was at the Rumble because I had a One Dead Man Show in Clearwater, and I stayed over and I was at the Rumble. By the time maybe the first match had gone out, I left. Internally, my body and my mind are saying, ‘You should be getting ready, you should be going out there.’ I get almost—I wouldn’t say anxiety—but I just get this feeling like I can’t take it, right? Because I want to be out there so bad. I wanted to continue to wrestle. Obviously, my body broke down, and father time is undefeated.”
RELATED: The Undertaker Reflects On Why His Match With Goldberg Went So Badly
