WWE’s ‘Last Ride’ brought into the Undertaker-Vince McMahon bond

Vince McMahon helped lay the groundwork for returning Undertaker’s WrestleMania 34 only if he could.

The first episode of the five-part document “Undertaker: The Ride Side” made us feel Mark Calaway as if he were wrapping up his final WWE match after losing to Roman Reigns and leaving his equipment in the ring at WrestleMania 33. This story takes in episode two (Sunday, 10 am, WWE Network) by looking at Callaway’s second hip replacement – even into the operating room.

At that time, he intended to stay out of the ring and we saw him preparing to enjoy retirement. The second installment then peeled away the Undertaker layer and let Mark Calaway shine. We even learned the story of how his relationship with Michelle McCool’s wife began when she seemed ready to leave WWE.

That changed with the August 2017 meeting with McMahon. The wheels are smoothly moved for Calaway to seek “redemption” for the Reigns match not considered sufficient for The Undertaker to continue. It’s as if Calaway is hoping for McMahon’s encouragement to return, it’s just not how that happens.

“I gave up on developing a strategy to meet Vince for a long time,” Callaway said on his journey, along with McCool, to meet with McMahon at the WWE corporate office with his contract and wanted to talk about his role. “I was very desperate about what I was going to do and say in a meeting, walk out, the door closed behind me and realized I really didn’t have anything to say.”

Saturday’s meeting – “I don’t know who met on Saturday besides Vince,” Calaway said. “- McMahon’s feature, wearing an orange t-shirt after he made the couple wait for him to finish training. When asked if he was ready for WrestleMania 34, Calaway said he told McMahon that he felt peace if he never entered the ring again. But he agreed to practice to be prepared if someone was injured and he was needed, but reiterated to McMahon that “my tank was empty.”

“I’m a little taken back because usually Vince is at full speed, ‘You can do this forever’ sort of deal,” Calaway said. “Wait a minute? Is this some kind of double turn. Like he’ll tell me I can’t, so I’ll do it. He can sell ice to Eskimos. He’s fine. I have to find out what angle he’s taking. Are you challenging me? “I don’t know how to process it right away.”

This is part of the deep dive that the episode took into the 30-year bond between the two. Calaway, unlike a number of WWE’s biggest stars, did not jump into WCW during Monday Night Wars. He described McMahon as a father, brother, and friend figure. Calaway named his son Gunner Vincent for a reason, McCool said.

McMahon called Calaway “the most loyal player” he had ever handled. “He was too emotional to answer when asked what Calaway and The Undertaker meant for WWE and for him personally, ending the interview.

“You can’t,” McMahon said.

McMahon was there for Calaway as boss and friend during their time together. Calaway described the point where things were low for him in his personal life. It was McMahon who helped him refocus, put him down and told him that he needed to stop feeling sorry for himself – giving him the love he really needed.

“There is no one else in this world who can tell me that I will not wake up and you know knock it – get out of them,” Calaway said. “But that’s Vince and I know that’s true and I know where it came from.”

After McMahon at Royal Rumble alluded to the idea of ​​a match with John Cena at WrestleMania 34, this episode shows us how Calaway prepared mentally and physically to return to the ring and his reaction after the match. It was a trip he felt he needed not only to erase the subpar standard against Reigns, but to have a better effort in New Orleans where a concussion prevented him from remembering Brock Lesnar’s successive match four years earlier.

“It’s clean slate,” Calaway said before facing Cena. “All 27 years before, nothing meant anything at this time. This is a new Undertaker and I went there to prove to the world who I am and what I do. “