The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1598 - The Undertaker
CHAPTERS
- 0:02 – 2:58
Undertaker in Austin: Texas pride, California influx, and lockdown fallout
Joe welcomes Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) with Tony Hinchcliffe in full superfan mode, then the conversation quickly shifts to Austin and Texas culture. They discuss the migration from California, political leadership, and how COVID lockdowns impacted cities like Los Angeles.
- 2:58 – 3:30
Life after wrestling and the hidden cost of a 30+ year career
Joe asks what retirement looks like after decades in the ring. Undertaker explains he’s still figuring out what’s next, while acknowledging the physical wear-and-tear that most fans never fully see.
- 3:30 – 16:01
Birmingham hip resurfacing: pain-free overnight and extending a career
Undertaker details bilateral Birmingham hip resurfacing surgeries that dramatically reduced pain and prolonged his wrestling career. Joe and the crew dig into the procedure mechanics, recovery, longevity, and how modern sports medicine changes what’s possible.
- 16:01 – 17:40
The brutal schedule: 270 dates a year, nonstop travel, and why pills became common
They move from surgery into the day-to-day grind of being a top WWE attraction. Undertaker describes relentless touring, constant jet lag, and how the business environment pushed many performers toward painkillers and unhealthy coping strategies.
- 17:40 – 26:30
Drug testing, steroids, and the ‘sniff test’ debate (Braun, Vince, and protocols)
Joe questions why WWE tests at all, especially given the entertainment nature of the product and the incentive to look superhuman. Undertaker explains the testing structure and why it expanded beyond weed/prescriptions into broader wellness enforcement—while everyone jokes about physiques that don’t pass the ‘sniff test.’
- 26:30 – 34:10
From college basketball to wrestling: paying $2,000 to train with Buzz Sawyer (and getting scammed)
Undertaker tells the origin story: a basketball path toward Europe changes after meeting someone in the gym who recruits him to try wrestling. He raises money for training, only to find the ‘trainer’ essentially ran a hustle—using brutal conditioning to run students off and then disappearing.
- 34:10 – 37:08
Sleeping in his car and the eight-month lobby grind: earning a break with World Class
After the failed training situation, Undertaker survives with odd jobs and persists relentlessly. He spends every Wednesday for eight months in the Von Erichs’ office lobby until a chance moment with Fritz Von Erich lands him a booking.
- 37:08 – 43:24
First ‘real’ match: Bruiser Brody teaches a painful lesson in ring realism
Undertaker recounts his first professional match—against the legendary and notoriously tough Bruiser Brody. Over-nervous stiffness and a small mistake escalates into a brutal in-ring ‘education’ that nonetheless earns Brody’s respect and endorsement backstage.
- 43:24 – 45:30
WWE’s Performance Center: today’s pathway vs the old territory-era gauntlet
Joe asks how aspiring wrestlers get in today, and Undertaker explains how dramatically the system has changed. WWE now recruits globally and can sign talent to contracts specifically to train—an inversion of Undertaker’s era of hustling for bookings and paying to learn.
- 45:30 – 1:19:08
Becoming The Undertaker: WCW rejection, Vince’s meeting, and escaping ‘Eggman’
Undertaker tells how WCW dismissed his earning potential, which pushed him toward WWF/WWE connections. A key meeting at Vince McMahon’s house didn’t yield an immediate role, but soon Vince called with the character concept—leading to Undertaker’s iconic 1990 debut.
- 1:19:08 – 1:22:07
Protecting the mystique: living the character, limiting interviews, staying ‘real’ for decades
They explore how Undertaker remained a special attraction for 30 years in an era of constant media exposure. Undertaker explains the discipline of staying in character off-camera and how that commitment kept the persona believable and compelling.
- 1:22:07 – 1:28:05
The Last Ride and the final match: WrestleMania’s ‘Boneyard’ as a fitting exit
Undertaker describes the docuseries ‘The Last Ride’ as a way to process retirement and chase one last great performance. The COVID-era ‘Boneyard Match’ gave him a cinematic finish, but also made clear his body couldn’t keep delivering at the level he expected.
- 1:28:05 – 1:50:23
Retirement identity and new purpose: hunting/archery, veterans’ work, and discipline culture
The conversation shifts to what replaces a lifetime of performance: outdoors pursuits and service-oriented projects. They also detour into David Goggins-style discipline, gun scarcity, and broader ‘hard times/soft men’ cultural commentary—framing purpose as a daily choice.
- 1:50:23 – 2:00:49
MMA fandom and crossover: submissions in WWE, early UFC events, and Brock/Overeem talk
They connect wrestling to combat sports: Undertaker’s love of MMA, incorporating techniques like the gogoplata (renamed ‘Hell’s Gate’), and stories from early UFC events. The segment includes Brock Lesnar’s fights, drug testing eras, and the realities of toughness across both worlds.
- 2:00:49 – 2:43:06
Old-school wrestling toughness: Stossel slap, fading ‘shooter’ culture, and the Buzz Sawyer epilogue
They revisit the harsh ‘protect the business’ mentality of earlier locker rooms, including the infamous John Stossel incident. Undertaker contrasts that era with today’s softer backstage environment, then returns to Buzz Sawyer—revealing he even took Sawyer’s abandoned dogs after being scammed, and later confronted him in a locker room.
