The Undertaker Was Supposed to Be Inducted Into the WWE Hall of Fame Years Ago, But Turned It Down

The Undertaker will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the headliner for the Class of 2022. "The Deadman" confirmed his retirement back in 2020 after years of chasing what he believed to be the perfect final match for his legendary career. That bout wind up being against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36, but "The Deadman" revealed in an interview with the Dallas Morning News on Thursday that the company tried to induct him after the Brock Lesnar match at WrestleMania XXX in 2014. "The Phenom" wound up wrestling another 19 matches across the next six years.

"I want to say it was after the Brock WrestleMania [in 2014]. ... I just, in my head, I couldn't end on a match that I didn't remember. I got concussed and I don't remember even having that match," Undertaker said. "So, I wanted to at least have a match that I could remember, so I kept working here and there for the next few years trying to leave on that upbeat note. Fortunately, we had the boneyard match and I said, 'Alright, that's it. I think I'm good. It's time to call it a day.' Now, here we are."

"The Deadman" also talked about what he expects from Vince McMahon's speech as he inducts him into the Hall — "I have absolutely no clue what he's going to say. I'm a little bit nervous. There's no one Vince loves to play practical jokes on more than me, and the fact that the Hall of Fame is on April Fools Day -- who knows what's going to happen? I do know it's going to be emotional, and I'm not sure to what lengths he will go to not completely fall apart and be emotional. 

"So, yeah, we've almost had radio silence here for the last few weeks after I asked him to induct me. So, I have no idea what to even begin to expect from him," he added. "...I can only imagine what his mind is doing right now. I'm going to walk out that night looking over my shoulder, looking for anything he could possibly do to me to play some kind of practical joke on me. I don't put it past him one bit."