Warrior Girls Believe Undertaker Will Rise Above ALL at the Royal Rumble...
I laughed when I heard The Undertaker is sometimes referred to as Santa Claus since we only see him once a year. I think the irony of the moniker suits the dead man just fine. He is a collective Warrior Girl favorite. Mattie pulls for Seth, Indy Randy, and I'm just a believer the real "man" is a woman--so I get a charge out of Steph. ALL of us, in Casa de Warrior agree though, The Undertaker brings ANY arena DOWN!!!
Since I was not a wrestling fan growing up (I call that negligence in raising and truly indication of dysfunction;) I had a lot to catch up on when I met Warrior. There are epic matches I watched on his VHS tapes, marveling at this man I was now dating, and admiring the opponents he traveled up and down the road with captivating warriors around the world. I have consistently shared Warrior's very favorite people to work with were Andre, Randy, Rick Rude, and Taker. He had such respect for all the boys but I think, like any of us, there are simply people with whom you find easy companionship. Warrior felt Andre was incredibly generous in putting him over and making him look so strong. He considered Randy his dear friend and mentor in showmanship. Randy was the ultimate example of taking every progressive stage of one's career to the next level. Rick, he told me, taught him to always be polished. The Undertaker, I always got the impression, was special. Taker was the one he worked with who "got him", had mutual personal respect, reverence for the work they did, and an ally in taking one another to the next level, night after night. I know the Ultimate Warrior saw the Undertaker as his true friend.
In all the years before and since I'd never been lucky enough to meet my husband's friend, Taker. I was as excited to goto Cleveland to meet he and his gorgeous wife, Michelle McCool, as I was any of the Cleveland Cavilers. Spending time with this couple was even more awesome than I could have anticipated.
Like any pretty girl, Michelle was made even more beautiful with her genuine down to earth personality and absolute sweetness. She had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction so Mattie and I jumped into action hunting down black safety pins to match her pants. It makes me laugh because leave it to a woman called "McCool" to make a broken zipper look hot, cool, AND punk rock!!
Meeting The Undertaker was something of a fan moment for me. I flashed back to those days I was barely twenty watching VHS tapes on a fancy, cream couch in my new boyfriend's house on a huge, clunky television. 😂That feels ridiculous to write but it's truth! Looking up at this looming figure, who had worked some of my favorite matches opposite my husband, was a monumental moment. I may have even heard his entrance music <gong>.
There was quite a bit of down time before the game began so we had the chance to talk in a dressing room. Many stories were told but my favorite included Paul Bearer, The Undertaker, and the victim...my husband...who never saw it coming.
Taker told us tales of the road and how they ran their program together. His words brought Warrior back to life in that dressing room in Cavs arena. The more he talked the funnier the stories grew until we were all laughing at the pinnacle. Taker and Warrior were at this point actually drawing more than Voldemort, I mean Hogan, and whoever he was working with at the time. One night, Taker and Paul Bearer decided to pull a rib on Warrior during their body bag match. The two dark ones had plotted to get Warrior in the bag after he was sufficiently blown up and as they were zipping him in threw an ammonia tablet into the confined space. The rib went off without a hitch as my husband drew breath, sputtered and choked. Warrior realized what had happened and started to fight through the zipper with savage power. His might somewhat dimmed with the inability to breathe. Never one to quit he wrestled that bag, and ammonia tab with a string of curse words and a mixture laughter. Taker was laughing a throaty laugh recalling the scene made more hilarious by his imitation of Paul Bearer's high pitch squeal. He said it was the first time they had all ever broken character without being able to contain themselves. The laughter in Undertaker's voice met his eyes as he told the story transporting me there...to where Warrior was most alive...and for that moment, he breathed again.
I asked Taker if I could share this story because it belongs to him, not me, and he gave me the nod. Stories and good secrets are the most precious parts of any life. We must only share them with vigilance and thought. I was honored Taker took a book down from the library of his life and let me read aloud to you. He understands what power we story tellers wield.
I believe in stories and books and libraries. I believe the "bad guys" are sometimes the best guys of all. I believe in wrestling storylines, the Royal Rumble, and the return of Santa Claus...ALWAYS!
xo🖤,
Dana
