Xavier Woods appeared on ‘Meeting The Undertaker’ this week to describe his first meeting with ‘The Phenom’.
This month marks 30 years of The Undertaker in WWE, who debuted at Survivor Series 1990. To celebrate such an impressive feat, the WWE Network are showcasing a month long celebration of ‘The Deadman’.
Multiple superstars appeared on the show to recall the first time they were face to face with the legend. One in particular coming together documented was Xavier Woods who, along with a host of newcomers, acted as a druid during The Undertaker’s entrance at WrestleMania 29, which saw ‘The Man From The Darkside’ defeat CM Punk in a critically acclaimed match.
Talking of the experience, Woods explained the serious nature of The Undertaker prior to the match:
“First time that I met The Undertaker was WrestleMania 29. He had the druids reaching from hell grabbing at him. I was one of those druids, lucky lucky me. There was a crew of us from FCW and NXT. He was very much in business mode, in full Undertaker style so it was more like a ‘hey how’s it going’, not really a full conversation.”
The entrance saw a host of NXT talent called up to participate as druids, including Sami Zayn, Adam Rose and Byron Saxton. WWE would continue to use NXT Superstars at WrestleMania the following year, when Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss participated in Triple H’s entrance in his match against Daniel Bryan.
Speaking of The Undertaker as a performer both in and out of character, Woods explained that he approaches the role with the upmost dedication and professionalism:
“He’s got an aura, whether he’s got his gear on or not. This man is here to work. He takes things very seriously, he takes his craft very seriously, that’s something that will always stick right here.”
Inside The Ropes congratulates The Undertaker on 30 years in WWE.
Credit for the interview: Meeting The Undertaker