The Undertaker’s Decision: Why He Turned Down WCW?

As a devoted fan of professional wrestling during the iconic Monday Night Wars era, I can’t help but be in awe of The Undertaker’s unwavering loyalty to WWE amidst the fierce competition from WCW.


In the cutthroat rivalry between WWE and WCW during the 1990s, known as the Monday Night Wars, The Undertaker rose to prominence among the top-tier wrestling stars. This intense competition resulted in numerous wrestlers shifting allegiances between the two promotional companies.

The Undertaker began his professional wrestling journey in 1987 with two years of tenure in WCW. However, despite his great promise, WCW failed to provide him with the chance to fully establish himself as a star. In 1990, he made the decision to move on to WWE and made his debut at that year’s Survivor Series event, introducing his legendary persona during this occasion.

Toward the end of the decade, WWE experienced tough competition from WCW, which was under Ted Turner’s ownership. On Mondays, WWE’s Monday Night Raw went head-to-head against WCW’s Monday Nitro in a long-lasting battle for television ratings. For an impressive 83 weeks straight, WCW surpassed WWE in viewership numbers.

In the course of these conflicts among wrestling promotions, several notable figures including Lex Luger, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Bret Hart, and Big Show switched allegiances. In contrast, The Undertaker remained steadfastly committed to WWE throughout these changes.

As a devoted fan of The Undertaker’s career, I can tell you that despite his unwavering allegiance to WWE, there was an intriguing moment in his past when WCW extended a massive offer his way. He recently opened up about this tantalizing prospect and explained why he ultimately chose not to join their ranks.

The Undertaker reveals WCW told him he wouldn’t draw money

As a gamer, I’d put it like this: On my podcast, Six Feet Under, The Undertaker shared why I declined a lucrative deal from WCW, WWE’s main competitor back then. It all went down because of their early disregard for my ability to bring in the bucks. That disrespectful attitude left a deep mark on me and influenced my decision.

I recall him sharing, “If my circumstances had been different and WCW hadn’t dismissed me as a money-maker, I’m not sure how I would have responded. I truly can’t say. Their words, “You’ll never earn a dime,” left an indelible mark on me. When Nash reached out with an offer for more money, I was tempted. But ultimately, I couldn’t bring myself to accept.” He found his path in WWE instead, fueled by the determination not to let those past words define him.

“He went on to say, ‘If I had left, I might have earned more and worked less. But staying, taking the hits with everyone else, eventually turning things around for what could be the most impressive comeback – it was worth it. Many advised me to go, take the offer.'”

In the end, I’m thrilled to say that WWE prevailed, with my beloved CEO Vince McMahon acquiring WCW back in the early 2000s, putting an end to the legendary Monday Night Wars.

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2024-07-17 13:40