Joe Rogan Experience #1598 — Mark "The Undertaker" Calaway Transcript

Transcript

0:00 The Joe Rogan Experience. But anyway, thanks for coming on here. You're from this area, right? You know, it's fine Bring the money Leave the values And we'll all be good the people from California right now. I know. We're trying not to fuck it up. What should we do? Tell us what to do. No, it really... The government gets voted in, though, right? there was a new study that came out.

1:38 I'm hoping that this was a political thing, What do you believe, too, right? Yeah, it's crazy. Even the Comedy Store, it's just a black building with a bunch of red and white neons around it. just go absolutely apeshit because they've been cooped up for so long. So trying to figure out what's next, really. uh you know i've done this for 33 years altogether 30 crazy yeah i mean it's just

3:30 He can barely walk. my hips are metal. I was, I mean, it looked like, you know, they filmed the whole thing for me. So, uh, Dr. And it's held up. I've been – I was in pain easily 12 years, every step of every day. much until it's gone and when i woke up from surgery and i'm pain free it was like this a But we're trying to pack our house up and move.

6:14 in the head of your femur. into the head of the femur and And then the porous piece of metal On the left is the old way to do it, right? gotten a wrestling ring and get thrown around 270 days a year on it to either you know i mean it's No warranty. And then when I did the other one, I did the other one maybe five years later. me do is weird strange enough and start walking backwards huh to on a treadmill to correct my gate

9:30 It was kind of weird how it happened. my left hip was bad for years and years I finally you know I said okay I'm gonna call it a day and uh my normal my normal orthopedic surgeon he's you know I said okay doc like taking your natural hip as far as you can go. And I'm like, fuck, I already shaved my head. You know, your bone density is really great. And he says, I think you're a perfect candidate. Your bone density is really great.

11:40 That day? the bed so i you know the last thing i remember is getting up to go take this walk and the next I mean, because you walk, you would never know. trying to get a hundred wins but they robbed him on his last decision is uh on his 100th win but right post-operation. I mean, this is crazy. Someone hooked him up with a float tank. He's always fucking around.

14:25 Like, scroll down. Right there. There's a video of him throwing kicks. No, no, no. And that's that leg. That leg he's throwing right there. That was the one that he pulled. holding the pads for him, which is just... Yeah, it's insane. It's crazy, man. Modern medicine, it's phenomenal, man. So my point is, for example, you're watching The Undertaker, right?

15:39 I didn't like it. and it would literally add to the mystique of The Undertaker That is bananas. Honestly, you know, I mean, obviously I'm biased, we're on the road we're and it'd be like they're throwing darts like one day i'd be in new york the Well, no wonder why so many guys have a problem with pills, too, Why? So they didn't want people getting popped with

18:57 And so then you've, you got guys overdosing, right? that's you know which is if i was vince i would tell people like like i want to make sure you're on steroids i'd be like testing everybody well we've had a Yeah. in the middle, to stay in the game, Passes the sniff test. Are we trying to say that that guy doesn't do any steroids at all? I'm just saying.

22:09 So under a regular contract, you have to, this is if you've tested clean, okay well that's only three. No, they're totally random. Well, he is the beef king. That's not possible. Maybe. Look, I don't know. he's got a tumor on his back what size that man let me tell you though that guy that's what he I'm gonna send my mom a picture of him Wow Jesus Christ I mean he's just got some He's got some That's his trainer there Wow his mom's 99 and was still playing tennis in her 90s. Wow.

25:16 He's the one guy I'll call. Look at that picture where it says related images right below that with him screaming. That's his passion. He's 150 years old and still jacked. You've been wrestling. Yeah, it's been a long time. was in college i was a basketball player right and my coach tells tells me hey mark there's In the European League, were they just more physical?

27:57 I'm going to get into this wrestling. I want you to do wrestling with me. And I was a big what my talents are and what my talents aren't. And, you know, I was like, you know, I kind of you know? to throw it out of, right? there's about 10 of us He's standing there yeah you know and uh so he he gets a another guy that was staying there with him his name

30:43 Amateur position, right? I knock on the door. He's gone to a different territory to work. and this is the way it was back then, And they got your money, and they didn't have to worry about there's some wrestling trainers that were famous for like crazy physical legends of mma learned yeah from uh another catch wrestler in japan and a lot of guys who

33:21 You had to be fucking tip-top Magoo let's see if we can teach him how to do this. Oregon. So I lived in my car for a little bit, bounced in bars, I would go down there and I'd Did you ask to speak to anybody? Yeah, so there was a referee back there. His name was Bronco One day, like I was right at the end of my ride. And he's like, he's like, who's that kid out there?

36:29 Because I was in the right place at the right time. so you were doing some matches i was doing some matches but not not professional like not televised is getting those reps and getting that stuff. So, and then, and the way it really was back then, I'm so nervous to start with. angle iron right i'm so just anyway so I go to shove him. He comes off the ropes like a bullet, like a 6'5", 300-pound bullet,

40:10 He takes this chair I'm thinking, I've never been hit so hard. And I deserved it. I was like, Mr. Brody, thank you. He said, that kid's going to be something. Yeah, I would have probably tried to make a team somewhere but i don't you And then all of a sudden, you become wildly successful at this other thing that you were not even really considering.

42:52 In this day and age, everybody wants everything to happen right away. a in a monte carlo with fucking you know it's six foot eight and 315 pounds is not real comfortable Like, okay, you go in and they test you and see if you're, one, physically fit enough to do it. I can't, you know, that's how far we've come that's amazing from my story eight months in the lobby eight months in the

44:56 the combine now, the NFL combine. They're looking for that hometown star. That's terrifying, isn't it? I'm not looking for the mega deal. That was it. So Vince watches me work, and I'm calm. I mean, you know, I was physically, you know, I was physically not able really to go the Fuck, are you kidding me? Oh, dude. There's a lot of... You had to be.

49:23 You know, other than wrestling, do you do anything know and i'm trying to be funny and not nervous and i at the end of the meeting he goes well we don't have anything for you right now. So I see you guys down the road. They're going to... Now I think I'm going to be Eggman, right? So one day I'm sitting at home, phone rings. fucking cool the character to me

51:59 and wow Yeah, it wasn't Singing the Shower Guy and it wasn't Eggman. And he had just never found the guy. And then it kind of dawned on him that he had that character Were you? So it had our attention. Yeah, the thing was dominant. yeah um you i mean you gotta it's a way you grab me you got to be actually you just Yeah, he was a freak. Oh, my gosh.

55:13 You'd lift back like this, and then boom! Dropped on her head. Your instinct, I would imagine, is to squeeze tighter. Yeah. I think everybody understands what wrestling is. it's that it's that it's two inches from being but holy shit that was really I mean, you have to be, you know. And, you know, the guy was out of shape. Just blew my eye socket completely apart.

58:45 Is that when you had to wear the mask? And like I said, back then, we didn't have doctors with us and trainers. And I think that was part of the mystique of the guys. Once again, we don't have cell phones back then. So sure enough, I drive through. the pieces and puts in the in the mesh kind of thing that's going to be your eye socket come to find out i'd lost 90 of my orbital floor and my optic nerve was sitting right on top of a

1:01:52 Yeah. And it works as my orbital floor. Nothing? Like right there. Wow. Still to this day? I hadn't tried. So I can see straight. and I was going to try and give him a pile driver, And he's like, he goes, Mark, he goes, your shoulder really needs to be fixed. you're a little smarter than I am. He says, well, fact, Mark, it's so bad, I want you to go see somebody else.

1:07:34 Right. He goes, there's no reasonable explanation why you're able to do that. He says, but I feel like I owe it to you just to try. I was like, babe. He said, but the first time you try to use it, it was going to pop. That was it. i had to i had to change how you know how i would pick people up because i couldn't get my arm out long with it hurt i'll figure out a way you know i wasn't ready to i wasn't ready to give it up yet

1:11:56 Didn't have quite the same disappointed look on her face, you know, about this time, here comes Dr. Dugas. like if you had a tube that could see down in my shoulder, you know, If I do push-ups or anything like that, But, I mean, Stone Cold Steve Austin. Yeah, yeah. You know, I saw him. But he's got some miles on him too. His neck looks enormous. he couldn't even hold out a jug of milk yeah it's crazy i mean the neck is there's so many of those nerves and

1:16:12 It's like his waist, right? And Brock, too. Yeah. Piledriver. living now uh take into account what you were talking about before when you were doing that 270 It's tough on relationships. And then hearing these stories now about how all that came to be. uh, he was, uh, building a casket for an opponent for a casket match. I think I told you at the that zip up and like me and my buddies we would have these fake wrestling matches as kids and

1:20:58 I wouldn't dress quite like that, but I would be in all black. You got very little of me other than what you saw on TV. you know, to, That's it. You know, and it, and there's a changing of the guard. and i and i can't recognize it i want you to tell me or at least bring the conversation up. unbelievable relationship with but but also that's a that's a huge intellectual property for vince

1:24:47 but Killer Kowalski was on. And it varies. tosses the claw right yeah yeah and he's i mean he's throwing people off of 16 foot cells and It's been a hell of a ride. It's a nice bike. cemetery and uh got to do a lot of theatrical stuff and so that must have felt like i can hang And then fucking COVID hit. And, you know, as much as I want to do it here and I want to do it here,

1:28:30 Maybe mentor some guys, but, you know, I haven't, I got to find out what I'm passionate about, you know, and still, you know, earn a living. Undertaker Outdoors, right. setting a stand and you know wait for a white tail to come stick its head out uh this year i bought uh i just bought my first brand new They did an amazing job. All the way down San Diego.

1:30:49 A guy who knows how to set up a bow. like it's always been that carrot dangling. you're, hadn't have made it here, that's probably what I would have done. And like, I think about it he's a real good dude right Yeah, he's as nice as could be. I appreciate that. Yeah, I don't think we can do enough for people that put their life. Yeah, he's a fucking maniac, right?

1:33:56 and decided he wanted to lose weight and decided now's the time to do it. He'll have some that literally will make me go up and work out. That's his wife and she's driving. Folks see how much I work out. motherfuckers is look at treasure yeah that's make him your bitch okay yeah this shit that's this good shit yeah but And then you need a guy like David Goggins to go, oh my God, I'm a bitch.

1:36:57 coffee cup filled with pus and fluid and shit inside of his knee and he was on crutches for another one to fill it up because it's they're not done yet oh my god they're screwing another one in there jesus christ look at this this is how much That is a big, fat fucking syringe. I don't know Less people excuses like i was talking about earlier everybody's entitled yeah but those guys are valuable

1:39:22 he practiced what he preaches. Cause yeah, that's a hard fucking job. And and but he does it just to be The world got a little too easy. these cycles exist you know like the hindus they they wrote about it like years ago like it's they Yeah, we're on the cusp of it. it doesn't matter what it is like the toilet paper aisle in march i mean i that's what it's like

1:42:09 I'll hand you one. I'm not kidding. How many times? We'll set you up. It's such a big place that they have a 100-yard indoor rifle range, which is just bananas. Yeah. Tim is a fascinating guy. I'm pretty sure. This guy transitions, and he was a great commentator as well, but he just decided he didn't want to do it anymore it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a great commentator.

1:44:48 Oh, I'm always a kid with him. Obviously, you're doing your job. And then Benil wound up KOing him. And it was such a wild exchange. you don't see John Anik in it us like alien antennas and it's the aliens watching earth 2020 like the series finale of earth 2020 he's so nice. Two division world champion, i was i'm positive it was the first time i ever saw you guys commentate together and you know you

1:47:31 and just couldn't be nicer. I mean there's a lot of people that are really It's really funny. He broke his own record. That was amazing. Because I just don't understand. was still trying to win. I just, you know, wow. Real good fight, though, still. Holloway's thinking, I want him to think I'm going to hit him, and then I'm going to be You never, it's always punches coming at you.

1:50:21 It was a clinic. So Liddell was on the way up. Goa Plata. Have you trained much jiu-jitsu? That fight that you're talking about, I feel like that's 2003, the Miami one, if you understand fighting, so I'm paying attention. sitting anywhere close to me, He's lost a crazy amount of weight now. Oh. inches of his intestines removed and then he Alistair Overeem, when they used to call him Uber Eem,

1:55:26 that's Alistair when he fought Brock and just he mean he has small children Yeah. I once saw a clip of Brock leaving the Octagon and you guys. going on but she's still like does she play it off yeah she's she's a worker too she knows she Really, 2005. Yeah. Yeah. because I think they got looped They get all up in arms. Why you get that fake wrestler on there I dude yeah you can't worry about those people no

2:00:05 Interesting. I know that he... It's fucking go time, right? out of him let me hear this give me some more in the camera reading he ain't in it reading What the hell's wrong with you? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah? exactly you know yeah and that and that era guys too you know those were men yeah you go into a You know, it's evolution, I guess. I was like, fuck. Yeah.

2:04:54 But I'm sure they wake up certain days and are like, fuck, I've got to go to the performance center and train. I ran into him a few years later. He had two beautiful Rottweilers. Oh, that's great. I hadn't learned anything but some amateur wrestling. I'm getting something out of this. He was a good amateur. You fucking left me. you know put me out but i'm thinking like hmm but there you know there's always like you

2:07:55 there was a waffle house and I was looking out my window and I could, fuck no don't do it don't do it don't do it good fucking do it yeah I didn't do it because I that's how helped jake the snake yeah but his his whole system his DDP yoga, he doesn't even like calling it yoga. He's in his 60s? It was one of his big secrets early in his career is that Hickson was, like, super flexible and super strong.

2:10:08 Well, he did it. people with it too and there's amazing uh success stories on his website where you see there was Yeah, he's another one of those guys that, you know, positive energy. get me i got i got these guys a guy comes in once a week to my house, helps me stretch, Is that from Black Swan Yoga? Noan yoga no no no there's those I got to get that mindset.

2:13:02 but most of my concerns over the last few years, And then where's my cardio? you know because i'm a you know a muscle head from you know used to do what five five exercises so for 20 seconds you go all out and then you rest for 10 seconds and then 20 seconds all Yeah, four minutes will crush you. I'd let my heart rate drop down below 130 beats per minute,

2:15:46 and fighters use it all the time. and i've actually done it too with with uh uh where you cut the oxygen off and oh jesus oh You're old. puss out i'm gonna need goggins to call and just cuss me out like a bitch but uh yeah it's just Funny story about Brian. So I met him when I first started with WWE. you grab them underneath, right? And racked it. So we're training one day, and I was rehabbing a groin injury,

2:20:23 it was just it was just fucking gone so he fucking That was about an eight-month rehab on that one. I had a friend who had a torn pec and he never got it fixed, yeah, yeah, it's this, This is crazy, right? I mean, I've seen it back now, but I mean, at the time I got no recollection. It was an old break that i never knew i had You have stenosis. They ain't got you on the right ones.

2:25:18 Now they're going down to Columbia and Panama. Yeah. not feeling it doesn't it feels the same and then about six months later because you know she's in Arthritis, yeah. I was like, I didn't even know, one, I could get down that low, you know, now but deadlifting yeah you know Robert Oberst he's a strong man he doesn't even believe in With poor technique.

2:28:30 we need a fucking goggins hotline for tony he just saw goggins pull a quart of fucking fluid i probably piss a lot of people off but they need to hear it i mean you know i mean it it is what it The parents will buy stuff for the kids. It was like, oh, my God. we all got old at the same time. who's been there and done it uh you know i so i think that there was there was there needed to

2:32:47 and the product you know the product changed um we have you know the the pc the the training No. I think they stopped doing that show. he was a top guy for the company. Um, sometimes, you know, like I said, I don't know enough because I wasn't around enough at that time. You see his combine numbers? Oh, my God. It's also a crazy athlete. He's a freak athlete. Just crazy. I mean, you see his combine numbers?

2:35:03 the way he can move. I mean, he tested it. terrifying right it wasn't like he didn't put him in there with some guy who's going to kick his head off into the fifth row right it was a it was a good fight for him but not really yeah you know Yeah, absolutely. a long time to of actually having a real MMA fight. saw him one day at the performance center i was there working i think i was getting ready for

2:38:20 and it was just a debacle. Yeah. Old school wrestler's terms. yeah yeah yeah it's so old school wrestlers turn oh yeah i'm old school that's all i got kane what's crazy And I run into Matt Hughes and his brother. And I was like, yeah, it's pretty good. Yeah, it was funny. But out pro wrestling dudes. And they want my opinion on them. That's hilarious. Yeah, it was funny.

2:40:05 I really appreciate it. You're the gap, brother. So this year it's going to be in Raymond James. If I can? I just, I never know where I'm at, especially in 2022. Rumble coming up in Just to give you a feel. so many people look at the size of that crowd oh my god How big is fucking Wrestlemania This is our Superbowl I had it all planned out. Thanks for having me, man.

2:42:53 Thank you.