The Undertaker is due to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, though he was offered an induction almost ten years ago.
The Undertaker was unveiled as the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2022 in February, with ‘The Deadman’ expected to receive a large portion of the induction ceremony dedicated solely to him. It’s been rumoured that because of this, other inductees, such as Sharmell, may be inducted digitally as was done for the 2020 and 2021 classes.
This isn’t actually the first time ‘Taker was offered a spot in the Hall of Fame, though. Speaking with Dallas Morning News, the multi-time World Champion revealed how he was initially offered an induction following his WrestleMania 30 loss to Brock Lesnar (h/t Wrestling Inc.):
“This is actually the second time that I was invited to the Hall Of Fame, so I wasn’t as shocked this time. I turned it down the first time because I knew I had unfinished business. I wasn’t at that place yet where I was ready to let go and say that it’s over. So, this time I have made my peace, and I am just honoured and humbled that they would induct me.”
The real-life Mark Calaway wasn’t typically known for his promo work, owing to his darker character traditionally making him a silent competitor. As such, his speech is highly-anticipated, though ‘The Phenom’ has admitted how nervous he is for taking to the podium:
“I’m a bit overwhelmed right now with the speech. It’s the closest thing that I’ve had to do since putting a WrestleMania match together. I’ve been pretty much pressure free for the last couple of years since the Boneyard match. After a 30 plus year career with the WWE, the speech, and trying to be different, and not give the same thing that most people do, it’s become a task all to itself.”
Debuting with the then-World Wrestling Federation at the 1990 Survivor Series pay-per-view, The Undertaker has become one of the biggest characters in all of professional wrestling. Officially retiring from the ring at the 2020 Survivor Series, The Undertaker amassed a total of fifteen championships throughout his WWE career, including four with the WWF/E Championship, and three as World Heavyweight Champion.
The Undertaker will be joined by Vader and Sharmell in this year’s Hall of Fame class, with Sid and The Steiner Brothers also rumoured to be going in.