Six Feet Under - Best moments of 2025

0:14hello everyone welcome to the show i am the od the original dead man and this is my beautiful and talented co-host Michelle, queen of camo McCool. I love that. Rocking the camo. Thank you. This is a Fanatics and WWE original production. It's that time of year. It's that time of year. It's the end of the year. I love it. Can you believe it, though? It's kind of flown by, hasn't it? It's crazy. We've had some incredible guests, had some interesting moments, and that's what this show is all about. It's the best of. It is the best of it. You know what? I feel so incredibly grateful to be here. And just the people that we've had sit on the couch with us is just a true testament to who they are.

0:59They're super busy. They, you know, they they're here, they're there, but they've taken their time out to come on to our podcast and just, you know, chill, get personal, have fun, laugh. Extremely. Yes. Extremely grateful. And yeah, it's always fun to have these these conversations. We've had people on that I really didn't know a whole lot about. Yeah. And so getting to hear their stories and the things that got them to where they are today, it's always interesting. We have the top six moments from six feet under. And this is we we didn't we didn't decide this. This was chosen by the amount of views a particular clip gets.

1:38Right. So we have narrowed it down to the top six. And starting at number six is me wanting to come out of retirement for Gunther. I remember those cards back then, and it was like, I don't know, Brad against Sean and LaTega against Giant Gonzalez. There was like your theme throughout your career. You always were there to get more out of somebody else, but you were in the trusted position of like, if I need a guy for that, it's you. and that's like when I look at my career in something that's what I was kind of like strived for I always wanted to be the guy that is like the office says it reliable and I can put him with everybody and it's got to be good and it's got to be a little headache and all of that and I always admired it about your career and I've always thought it because you look kind of like what kind of career you're gonna have like who can you kind of like compare it to and I always started like similar to your career maybe a little bit like how i don't know randy is now or hunter a little bit uh yeah i always really appreciate it i wanted to say that okay well thank you i thought we said a little bit there was a very nice thing no i and i really appreciate it but before you can before you can take my before you sucker punch me i want to move on because I just want to breathe on that.

3:00I had a full VHS of all those matches, by the way. Wow, here it comes. It was kind of like back then. VHS? Really? Yeah, back then because I remember my dad bought them in a flea market or something and did like those best matches of so-and-so. But it was not TV matches. It was all matches from like house shows and stuff like that. But it was all like you and Giant Gonzalez, you and Kamala, you and Repo Man. It was all those matches. I remember that. That's great. And I always thought, where are all the big pay-per-view matches? It was just house-per-view matches. I bet that VHS would be worth a lot of money.

3:37Right? Yeah. I might still have it. I don't know if you can find a recorder to play it. In my parents' basement. When you go back home, you need to find them and burn them. No, no. Oh, my goodness. I got a question for y 'all. Oh, really? I won't say who I'd probably root for. I mean, it's probably obvious or not. but if the two of you had a Wrestlemania match what like from a fan's perspective what would that look like that's interesting well I will say that before we even start talking you're going over I'm going over yeah I'm going over that's a no tough I have to say this and I don't sorry If I had anything left in the tank, you're the one guy that I would consider coming out of retirement.

4:33That means a lot to work with. I mean, again, from the moment that I saw you at the clash, at the castle, I was like, dang, I would have loved to have worked with you. Okay, enough of the lovey-dovey. Like, hard-hitting? No, for sure. I mean, I would need to listen. He's the senpai, as they say. I'm the young boy in that. No, well, there would have been, I mean, I could see the setup. I mean, there would have been some kind of, easily there would have been some kind of really dramatic setup to set the heat for, you know, for the angle. Whose baby face, you? Oh, yeah, obviously. With this look?

5:17I mean, with this guy. I mean, with this face and this guy. This guy here? Kidding me. I would have loved that. I would have definitely cut a promo where I demand to walk out second in that match because if I walk out first, after that entrance, I'm cool down again. I'm not ready to go. Yeah, you have to warm up all over. That would be the first strategy. 1 ,000%. That was total strategy. It would be. I would focus on that, get the best position going into that match. There you go. Yeah. That's smart. I feel like it would make sense. It makes total sense, actually. But I got to say that, honestly.

5:48I heard that obviously you say, you said it before, we would have fistfired it. I think I would have pushed it just for my entertainment. Let's see how far I can push it with the chops until things fall apart.

6:04No, man, we would have... It would have been good. It would have been a really good match, I think. I agree. Slow, methodic. Calculating. Until it wasn't. I think, yeah, I think it would have set the table. And then, I mean, I think the finish would be me kicking out of the tombstone. I like it. A little leg on the road. If you would quit picking on me, I would probably give that up. Especially in this day and age. Yeah, man, I wish you would have got your shit together a little sooner and got here quicker. I would have loved to. There is something to that. I definitely wasted a few years. No, man.

6:52No, everything happens for a reason. You're at the right place at the right time. But it would have been good. It would have been really good. And I would have, yeah. I might have helped. I might have put you over. Come on. It will be a secret. No, we'll never know now. The match itself would have been awesome. And now you'd have had another kid going, yeah yeah the other one would have been like i kind of wanted gunther to go over on that one dad yeah you were the only thing i would have maybe asked is like can you not do that dive when he's like scary i couldn't imagine i still i still remember that there was like also that that uh the dive on sean where the camera guy was supposed to be there yeah and that was like terrible and stuff like that and just years later i saw that clip again and i was like what was the decision actually to do that like because because that's like also like on tv is like you know how tall people on tv everybody does like seeing you jump out of the ring life is a completely different view than on a camera that's the one and then when i saw you like in person once it's like hello what oh my gosh i wouldn't have the balls for that and i and at that point too by the time that I did that with Sean at 25.

8:10Like, I'd had a lot of people do the old ole and see me in the air and like, eh, I think I want to sidestep this a little bit. No, no, no, no, no, no. I can't do that. Yeah. Yeah. And that just, yeah, that was bad timing. And I lawn darted myself right into the grate. I mean, your match got finished. Especially the ones with Sean, I think, for the history book matches. Would you consider the Shawn matches the ones where we're like, okay, they are the best ones I had? As far as storytelling, technically, everything fell into place, especially 25. A lot of people like, obviously, the story on WrestleMania 26, the streak versus the career, there's a lot of story around that.

8:59But 25 is about as close to perfect as I've ever been. See, that's what I always thought because, and I've seen myself that now in WWE as well, I wrestle like more guys like my size and you always work like taller guys too. But I feel like the real magic is when their difference is big. Yes. That's what the real magic is. At least it's always been my favorite thing to do. I always say that. Like my best matches, I mean, I had good matches with big guys, but the Shons, the Kurtz, the, you know, the guys like that, because it's such an easy story to tell. Yeah. Especially me being a monster baby face kind of.

9:39It was so, you got to take, you got to cut the tree down, man. Yes. And everybody gets that story. It's so. Everybody saw or got picked on by a bigger guy in their life or stuff like that. It's such an easy relatable story that people just. Yeah. Subconsciously. Yeah. Follow along. They gravitate to it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Man, we should. Let's book it. Too similar. Too similar, man. Maybe I can get in shape. like I told you years ago I'm not going on Wrestlemania diets anymore you're on your own support you from afar big news WWE and sports fans the world's number one sports fan festival Fanatics Fest is making its return to New York City Fanatics is bringing you closer to the leagues teams, superstars and athletes you love across four action packed days in July meet your favorite at WWE Superstars.

10:36Get your hands on exclusive merch, catch live podcasts, and interact with the biggest names in sports. Tickets are on sale now, and fans of the podcast get a 10 % discount by using code TAKER10 at checkout. Bubba Ray Dudley joined us on the podcast, and he wanted to know about my transformation to the American badass. Here's the moment. obviously you're taught to protect our industry protect the business and you being in this for as long as you have ingrained in you yeah and now you're you've been put in a situation character wise where you've not only had to protect the business but protect this character that has become so sacred so it's it's second nature for you you you get up in the morning you wash your face you brush your teeth you comb your hair you protect the character you protect the business and now all of a sudden bam it's it's so different for you and even i find myself too um saying to myself we shouldn't be doing this yeah we shouldn't be saying this this is too much and then i have to realize that the industry has changed with what you know we're willing to show and or protect and i guess just going with the flow yeah people do enjoy it the one thing that's helped me um is when i retired i retired i actually i retired half of of my my character the hat the coat that that that whole side of the undertaker i retired i kind of retained the american badass kind of part of it the one that actually can relate to people and so that helps me because I will not jeopardize that part of my legacy and it frustrates a lot of people who want to do business with me because they want that that's what they want obviously that's the hat, the coat is synonymous when you hear Undertaker that's what you envision and the fact now that I'm at a point where I absolutely will not put it back on, that's how I protect that.

13:12I can't imagine, even to this day, with the way everything is put out there for everybody to see, I could not do it. There is absolutely no way that I could do it, like sell some you know sell something or do an ad with a hat and a coat I just like no there's no way. At the end of the day we always talk about the only thing that's real in our industry is the money and you've had a incredible career very lucrative obviously but is there anything is there that stupid number is that is there that ridiculous offer that somebody could come to you with and go, here, put the jacket and the hat on one last time.

14:00I don't need to know a number. I'm just curious. Is there a number? No, I don't think. Look, the only way that I could put the hat and the coat back on would actually have to be I'd have to get back in the ring, and I can't do that. I can't do that either because that also jeopardizes the legacy. because as much as I have here and as much as I have here, I know that there's not enough left in the tank to do that. And I respect that so much because as a fan of rock and roll, all of my favorite bands who swore to me that if they ever broke up, that would be the end of the band or this is the final tour.

14:45I mean, Kiss has done about 23 final tours. they always go back to it you know motley crew they all signed a contract to never tour again and they everybody goes kind of goes back on their word because live nation comes out at them with a ridiculous amount of money to go back on the road so they they keep doing it and you you know when we spoke on busted open i we kind of went over this a little bit and you're giving the same answer right now you're like no no the answer is pretty much no and i've told you i don't ever need to see the undertaker's entrance again i'm much more intrigued by the american badass and and what you have become now like just sitting here talking to you or talking on busted open or watching the documentary on you i'm like yeah okay undertaker great been there done that love it but this is a side that I've never seen before.

15:38I want to know more about this guy. Right. And, and, you know, that was, I wish I could say that I had the presence of mind when I did start of the American Badass that, okay, this is my exit plan and this is what people will get moving forward. Um, you know, obviously I'm at a point now where, you know, you know, it's Mark Calloway, but yeah, With the American badass, like you hear rumors. Did you tell Vince, like, if I don't start doing it this way, I don't think I can do this anymore? I thought that, so as we're entering the attitude era and getting, you know, all these, you know, the business is right there on the cusp of just taking off to, you know, this crazy place.

16:25Like, I felt stale, right? because now I'm listening I'm listening to Stone Cold cut these these promos I'm listening to Rock cut these promos and everything is this everything is out there's nothing that's off the table right but to be true to the character of the Undertaker like as great as that character is I'm somewhat handcuffed right like there's only so much that I can you know if Rock is in the ring mocking me, you know, there's only one, there's only one option for me to do. That's choke slamming. And you know, that doesn't necessarily work for the segment. Right. Right. So I felt like, like I just needed a break to refreshing myself and, and to just kind of take the shackles off a little bit and let the other side breathe in that era.

17:19Um, I always, always knew that we'd get back to it. I think we got back to it a little quicker than I would have liked. But, I mean, everything worked out fine. But I just needed that break. And I looked at it, too, as like, this is going to be a great story because something's going to happen. You know, something is going to have to happen pretty catastrophically to this character to bring the other character back. And that really reminds me of what Kiss did when they took off the makeup. Kiss took off the makeup because they knew they needed a change. We have to do something. But they also knew that they were going to take the makeup off just to put it back on one day.

18:03And it worked like a charm. And it worked up until their very last night in Madison Square Garden when they just sold out around the world. And that's exactly how it worked out for you. And I always compare wrestling and rock and roll. I feel our two businesses run so parallel to one another. You're a big music guy, right? as far as yeah the i've always compared what we do to rock and roll as far as you know the the importance of the show and the roller coaster ride and even putting matches together i had the uh i had the benefit of interviewing gene simmons you know uh yeah in studio at busted open and i learned a lot from watching kiss perform and how they would put a set list together and And the flow of the show.

18:48And I always said, me and Devon went out there every single night with the intent to steal the show. I don't care if you were in the ring, Steve, Rock. You guys drew the house. But when they went home, they were going to be talking about us first. And when you went home, you talked about Kiss. Like, wow, what a show I saw. And that was our mentality. And Kiss would start off with Detroit Rock City. And you shouted out loud. and they would bring it home and rock and roll all night. And for me and Devon, it was all about the what's up, the get to tables and the 3D. Those were our hits. Those were the things that we were going to play every night so that when you went home, you bought a ticket to see The Undertaker, but holy shit, the Dudleys blew my doors off.

19:32That was the mentality. You have to have that mentality. I mean, if you don't have that mentality, You're wasting your time in this business because you're going to get left behind. I love that. And that's something that you can't teach. And it's one of the hardest things, I think, for this era now, is to have that type of mentality. Hey, but I like these belts, man. They look good. Thank you. I got WWE Shop and Fanatics carry all the legacy titles now. Collect your favorite team's championship-style title and let everyone know where your loyalty stands. You can head on over to Fanatics.com to grab your collegiate and NFL legacy titles today.

20:17Let's do it. But for me, I'm sticking with Seminoles and Steelers.

20:25Speaking of the American Badass, the number four moment is a story from my American Badass days. Kurt Angle joined the podcast, and we talked about the time he tried to make me break. Man, I'm sure after our working career, I don't know if you'd ever think that I would refer to you as great. But you actually, well, no. I gave you a lot of grief back in the day. Yes, you did. You picked on me quite a bit. But that just shows I like you. Yeah, yeah. That's what you told me anyway. No, no, no. Look, if I don't mess with you, then I don't like you. I mean, I was just. Well, if you don't talk to someone you don't like, the money is now.

21:03I might be borderline hate if I don't talk to you. Sheesh. But you were something special. Likeable, right? Likeable. Likeable. In an unlikable kind of way. No, no, no. You warmed up. You warmed up after you loosened up. You were a little stiff when you first got there. I was stiff, and I will admit that. In more ways than one. It took me a while to kind of unstiff myself, but I was actually stiff my whole career. So I'm going to admit that. You know, it's funny. I use you a lot when I deal with the LFG kids. And I had an Olympic gold medalist in season one, Tyrell. The girl, right? Yeah. And, I mean, it was like a daily thing.

22:00I'm like, are you watching your current matches? Are you watching? Because we were trying to incorporate her amateur. Right, right, yeah. Which I always felt like you did the perfect amount of amateur and professional. Yeah. You gave your work a credibility because, I mean, you know, when you slapped, you know, even like a rear waist lock. I mean, you could tell when you grabbed it. Yeah, yeah, it's different. It was different. And your suplexes and all of that stuff. So I use you all the time, not just with amateurs, but just your style. I thought you were the, I thought you had everything. Don't get a big head, but I mean, you had everything in the toolbox, right?

22:51I mean, you could be insanely funny. You didn't take yourself too seriously. That was something that you had to learn because you really did. And it's kind of mind-blowing from where you were when you started to what you turned into. Oh, without a doubt. I mean, I just envision. I remember, you know, Vince told me when I started, listen, we can have fun with you because you're an Olympic gold medalist and people are going to take you seriously when you get in that ring. But after a while, Vince was like, we're, we might want to pull back and get a little more serious with you because people, I don't know you're just doing so many funny things here that it's getting a little weird and he said we need to turn you, and he came up with it we need to turn you into the wrestling machine and that's when I started doing that that's when I wrestled you in No Way Out you had that great match in No Way Out in 2006 yeah but I used that because I can see it clear as day, you with the little ukulele and the straw cowboy hat, the promos with Austin.

24:05That was just comedic gold. And there's a lot of people that are good in that sin, in the backstage and the vignettes, and they go out to the ring and they kind of crap the bed. Right, right. They don't have both. They don't have both, right? You could be this funny guy, and you could poke fun at yourself, and you can let everybody else poke fun at you. But I'm telling you, ding, ding, ding. Brother, it was strap them up tight because it was go-touch. And that's what it made it all. For me, that's what it tied everything together. Like, yeah, this guy's a bona fide goof, but dude, he will put a saddle on you and ride you around the ring.

24:52and yeah I look back at but I do I have to say I use you quite a bit in trying to get people to like not take themselves too seriously right but you also if and and for the ones that are really funny and entertaining I'm like okay yeah now show me the other side now you have now you have to give me that other side yeah I mean you're so freaking funny did Kurt did you ever getting I think I go out of one time. That's what I heard. I want to hear from you. We were doing Vince McMahon and Taker and Jericho. I think Kane. Kane was there. Stone Cold and myself. And Steve and I were, you know, he had his guitar and he'd hand me it and I was strumming it and Steve would take it away from me.

25:36And Taker was like, he was trying not to laugh. So, you know, he's trying to keep a straight face, but he knew something was going on. Yeah. You had a crack of a smile. So, yeah, it started with you two bickering back and forth, and then Austin starts chiming in and repeating everything that Vince. Repeating Vince. Yeah, everything Vince would say, then Austin would repeat it. Did you have that silly cowboy hat on, too? Yes, I did. Yeah. This is like, I tell you, that one. Was it just soap, sir? No, no, that one was close. But the one, like, because back then we didn't rehearse things at nausea.

26:16No, we talked about it. We didn't talk about a concept. Yeah. And there was one, and we were tagging. For whatever reason, we were tagging, right? So I'm all, you know, dressed up, the American badass, with my bandana and my sunglasses and everything, and I knock on, I bang on Kurt's door. I'm like, Angle, come on. It's Joe Gray. comes out. He's got a red, white, and blue bandana. Looks like the American badass is what I look like. Exactly like you. Oh, no. I bet you did. I'm trying to remember what it was you said. You're the American badass, and I'm the Olympic gold medalist. And together, we're going to kick somebody's ass.

26:58And I was just like. Yeah, I said somebody's ass. Oh, that's right. There's so many times, like a big tell for me, like I was about to lose. It's like, just come on, let's go. I got to get out of this shot. Leave the shot. I got to get out of the shot because this fool, you never knew. And a lot of times just sitting in the ring or standing in the ring waiting on you like when you came out on the moped. This is like. I know. It's always just take or get a break character. That's like the big question. Vince's mission, I think, was to get me to break on camera. I think so too I think he liked the mess with me quite a bit Believe me He loved messing with me Good stuff Well man, again It's great to see you I really appreciate you making the time for us I love that thing I do It's funny sitting here talking It's like all the time hadn't passed It's kind of like we're right back to Yeah, we're right back at it again But again, we're so thankful that you made time for us.

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28:59So which moments will you collect? With each card only available for a limited time, you won't want to wait to begin your Topps Now journey. Be sure to subscribe to WWE Topps Now mailing list on Topps.com and follow Topps on all social media platforms so you never miss a single moment. I've had many jobs in my life, but babysitter was never one I thought I would have. That changed real quick when Charlotte Flair came with her dad on an international tour. Here is the number three moment. I don't know my own stuff, and we only have an hour, but I have to run some of this stuff down here. Well, if this are accolades, remember that we only have an hour.

29:45I know. That's what I'm saying. That's the least important part. No, no, no. But it sets the stage because I'm actually going somewhere with this. Okay, okay. I thought you were going to go back to Roppongi. Well, that's kind of where it ends up. I was just like, see? That's exactly where I'm going. That's exactly you. This story has not made it anywhere before. Yeah, this is, but I'm going to build it up right before I take you down. Oh, wow. 2014 Rookie of the Year, main roster 2015, pro wrestling insider, woman of the year 2016, woman wrestler of the year, 14-time world champion. let's see, what else?

30:31Let me flip the page. We've got Triple Crown winner. First, one of the first women to headline WrestleMania. I mean, I could keep going. And there's a couple of things that I want to get back to. But yeah, back to Roppongi. Who knew? Who knew? Who knew? Who knew? So I don't even know if you were really familiar with this story, but I was actually the queen's babysitter for a night. Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait, he does tend to exaggerate. He goes, get up now, let's go. We're going home now. That's his way of babysitting. No, it was like, get up, go. Yeah. Okay, do tell, do tell.

31:25Your dad takes you on tour with him, right? It was a gift. It was a gift for signing to school early for a scholarship. Okay, a letter of intent. Yeah, so I got early signing junior year, and he's like, okay, you've trained hard, or you've behaved all these years. I'm going to take you on the road. Now, is that something you wanted to do? Did you want to go on the road with him? Or was this something he just said here? No, I think he just wanted to travel with me. I was kind of like, oh, this will be fun, but I didn't realize it was going to be that much fun. But it wasn't like going on, relax.

32:07It wasn't like going on the road to like, oh, this is something I want to do. It was like, oh, I'm traveling with, yeah. Because there is a story. I have this image of you sitting in the makeup chair when my dad had his last match here in Orlando against Sean. And at the time, it was camping ground. Or what is it now? Or vice versa. At the stadium. And you were sitting in the chair getting your makeup done. You had big blonde hair. And I was like... Oh, I thought she was talking about me. No, no, no. But I just looked at Michelle and I was like, oh my God, the divas are so pretty. And they're so...

32:50You looked like a rock star. Like I could have never imagined myself being that. Yeah, me either. I could have imagined myself being that either. It's just to be here now. Are you trying to divert? You were trying to divert. I got a story to tell here. No, but hang on. On that note. Aren't I good? You wouldn't do it for most people. That's good. But hang on because you always tell me I can't take a compliment. So thank you. That means a lot. Just like the most beautiful woman in the world. I mean, just saying like the boots, the hair, the bedazzle. All an illusion. The makeup. Like it was just like, I was just like in awe of the girls.