The Undertaker says he knew he’d had his last ride right before the Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36.
During a recent interview with Alistair McGeorge for Metro UK, The Undertaker spoke about how he knew it was time to end his in-ring career. He told McGeorge about the pain he was in and coming to a “moment of clarity” that told him it was time.
“My back is completely locked up, I’ve got pain shooting down my legs. That’s when I knew I was done,” he explained. “It was physical, we did some really big stunts, but I shouldn’t have felt the way that I did. It was just that moment of clarity.”
The Undertaker says he didn’t tell anyone about his mindset during the filming of the match, including AJ Styles. The Phenom also says he had a hard time coming to terms with retiring, noting that he’d still be in the ring if he could be.
“In my heart, I wasn’t ready to do it but in my mind I knew I had to. It’s been a difficult transition because if I physically could, I would still be going,” he noted. “But I can’t put on a match the way people expect to see The Undertaker wrestle. There’s no sense in tarnishing the legacy, or cashing in on the equity that I built up.”
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