On a recent edition of his “Six Feet Under” podcast, The Undertaker praised the storytelling of Roman Reigns as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and The Bloodline’s Head of the Table.
The Undertaker said, “There was a lot of really emotional moments backstage, as you can imagine. Roman coming back after, what an amazing run as champion. If you look at it and put it in today’s market, what a phenomenal run. It’s not going to go down in the record books as the longest world title run, but when you look at it in actuality, with as much coverage, as much media, as much exposure as you have now. Backlund’s run and Hogan’s early run, they didn’t have social media. They didn’t have as much live TV. (They wrestled jobbers) or didn’t wrestle at all on TV. The biggest part about that is to be able to maintain and keep the people’s interest in that storyline, for that long. There were so many layers to it. Kudos to him and everybody that worked on all that. It’s really difficult to do and difficult to do well. There was some really good storytelling involved in that.”
The Undertaker says he also got heat from some fans for inducting Muhammad Ali into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024. He said,
“I got a little heat from part of the veteran community. Muhammad Ali refused to go into [military service]. He didn’t want to go to Vietnam. He didn’t see why [he should] go 6,000 miles from home and fight somebody he had no [problem with]. It was like, ‘I thought Undertaker was a patriot.’ Man, kiss my patriot ass.”
Ali was convicted in 1967 of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted, which went all the way to the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reversed the conviction unanimously on the grounds that Ali’s appeal board gave no reason denying Ali a conscientious objector exemption. ‘Taker said that he doesn’t support avoiding military service but noted that while he resented Ali for many years over the matter, Ali had strong personal conviction to do so and it had ramifications for his career.
In the main event of WrestleMania 40 (Night Two), Cody Rhodes ended Reigns’ historic 1,316-day title reign by pinning him to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
The Undertaker Praises Roman Reigns’ Storytelling as WWE Universal Champion
In a recent episode of his podcast, “Six Feet Under,” The Undertaker expressed his admiration for Roman Reigns’ storytelling abilities as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and the leader of The Bloodline. The Undertaker commended Reigns for his phenomenal run and acknowledged the challenges he faced in maintaining the audience’s interest in the storyline.
The Undertaker highlighted the differences between Reigns’ reign and previous long title runs by legends such as Bob Backlund and Hulk Hogan. He emphasized that Reigns had to navigate the era of social media and increased media exposure, which added more pressure to keep the audience engaged. Unlike Backlund and Hogan, who often wrestled jobbers or didn’t appear on TV at all, Reigns had to continuously captivate the fans with his character and storyline.
According to The Undertaker, Reigns’ reign as champion was filled with emotional moments backstage, reflecting the impact he had on both the wrestlers and the audience. The Undertaker praised the multiple layers of storytelling involved in Reigns’ character development and storyline, acknowledging the difficulty of executing such a complex narrative successfully.
However, The Undertaker also revealed that he faced criticism from some fans for inducting Muhammad Ali into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024. He addressed the controversy by explaining Ali’s refusal to serve in the military during the Vietnam War. The Undertaker clarified that while he doesn’t support avoiding military service, he respected Ali’s personal conviction and acknowledged the ramifications it had on his career.
In a surprising turn of events, Cody Rhodes ended Reigns’ historic 1,316-day title reign by defeating him in the main event of WrestleMania 40 (Night Two). This marked the end of an era for Reigns as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
The Undertaker’s praise for Reigns’ storytelling abilities sheds light on the immense talent and dedication required to excel in the world of professional wrestling. Reigns’ ability to captivate the audience and maintain their interest throughout his reign as champion is a testament to his skills as a performer. As the wrestling industry continues to evolve, Reigns’ reign stands as a prime example of how storytelling plays a crucial role in creating compelling and memorable characters.