The Undertaker says he's stuck with WWE through thick and thin simply because he's loyal to Vince McMahon and believes he owes that much to the promoter who gave him such a great opportunity many years ago.
The WWE legend, considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, began his career with WCW but has been with WWE since 1990, keeping up appearances without fail, however sporadic in more recent times.
Undertaker and McMahon are known to share mutual respect and admiration and the former is probably one of the few superstars who could sway the WWE chief when he feels like he needs to.
Taker was a recent guest on Steve Austin's new podcast, Broken Skull Sessions, and discussed his relationship with McMahon. He noted that their early understanding was strictly professional but grew into a close friendship over time, a bond formed through trust as well as creativity.
The veteran star revealed that his iconic character - the gimmick we've probably all grown to love and respect - was originally Vince's idea but he was allowed to be creative with it, while the chairman also trusted him when he felt he needed to become the American Bad Ass.
As with all relationships, there have been times when the pair were at loggerheads over certain things but Taker says their passion remains the same and they're both keen on giving fans the best possible product at the end of the day.
Given his long, storied history with WWE, The Dead Man was always going to be a leader backstage, a role he says just kind of developed.
Austin would pry a bit further and ask the star why he never left WWE and he responded with a statement no one would have difficulty believing. Taker says he's never forgotten who gave him his first opportunity and, while he admits it may not have seemed like the best business decision at times, he always knew things would be profitable enough eventually.
“I never forgot who gave me my first opportunity, and that was Vince. It’s probably not the most sound business decision,” the 56-year-old remarked. “But that’s who I am and if that ship went down I was going to go down with him. But I knew eventually it would turn.”
It Paid Off Nicely
The Undertaker's loyalty has certainly paid off and he's made a hell of a lot of money sticking by Vince as long as he has.
WWE has been all the better for having him around and his longevity is really something to be admired.
Source: Sescoops.com