Undertaker didn’t mean to insult the WWE locker room when he called them soft

Earlier this year, Undertaker said that today’s WWE product is soft. He appeared to put the blame for that on the shoulders of the wrestlers, who were too busy playing video games and trying to look pretty. Undertaker directly stated that he preferred his era “when men were men.”

Undertaker understandably received some flak for these comments. He was asked about this situation by Sports Illustrated, and clarified that he didn’t mean any of that as a knock on today’s wrestlers:

“I wasn’t bashing our talent. Our talent is extraordinary. What they’re physically able to do, I couldn’t imagine doing that back in the day. I have a lot of respect for our roster, but I came from a different time period. My point was it was tough back then. I remember when Triple H first came in, and he was shocked that I had black electrical tape on my boots.

It was just a different time. We didn’t even have trainers on the road. If you had torn gear, you either wore it torn or you tried to fix it yourself. I’m so proud to be part of the evolution of our business. The industry has come so far. It’s a sign of the success and how far we’ve come.”

There you go, that’s a much better way to differentiate eras without putting down today’s wrestlers. Undertaker may have witnessed and experienced some rough shit back in his day, but that doesn’t make today’s wrestlers any less talented, less deserving of respect, or less manly.

Elsewhere in the interview, Undertaker talks about how he started second guessing his retirement as he watched WrestleMania 37 less than two weeks ago:

“Fortunately, I was home, which made it a little easier, but going through the show and watching, I kept thinking to myself, ‘You should be there.’ ...I started second-guessing myself. So much of my history revolves around WrestleMania. There was a bit of an emotional tug of the heartstrings watching this year, but it’s time for me to step aside and let this next generation have the reins and go where they’re going to go.”

Undertaker wraps things up by expressing his gratitude and appreciation for pro wrestling fans:

“I’ll put wrestling fans above any other fan base. Their support means the world to me.”

Do you think this year’s WrestleMania felt like it was missing something without The Phenom on the card?