The Undertaker Gave Key Advice To WWE Star
A top WWE star has opened up about their relationship with The Undertaker.
Although he quickly hit a ceiling in WCW in the late 1980s, The Undertaker became one of WWE’s biggest stars in equally short order.
After donning his famous black hat and trenchcoat in 1990, the star remained a fixture in the main event scene for the best part of 25 years before finally retiring in 2020. Given his lengthy career, the WWE Hall of Famer gathered a wealth of experience which he’s now happy to pass on to today’s stars.
One such star is Damian Priest who has made no secret of his respect for ‘Taker, often crediting him as being a huge influence on his career.
The Undertaker Isn’t Afraid To Give Honest Advice
During an appearance on The Wrestling Classic, Priest opened up about his relationship with The Deadman and how he tries to tap the legend for feedback and guidance whenever he can. The star explained that the key thing Undertaker gives out is honesty, and that’s a valuable commodity when it comes to trying to improve.
“There’s a lot, you know. He always… even still, if he’s at an event, I’ll sit down or stand next to him and ask, ‘Do you have anything for me?’. And he’ll give it to me straight. Every piece of advice he gives me is valuable. Because he’s honest with me, even if it’s something you don’t necessarily want to hear.
He doesn’t sugar coat anything, and I appreciate that. That’s the only way I can really improve and achieve more. I don’t need pats on the back; I don’t need ‘good jobs.’ I need, ‘Okay, that’s fine, but try it this way,’ or, ‘Think about it like this, or be careful about that.’”
When pressed on if there was one particular piece of advice that stands out, Priest recalled ‘Taker telling him to be himself while turning up the volume.
“I guess if there’s one piece of advice he’s given me that stands out, it’s to be yourself and turn up the volume. We’ve all heard that in different ways, but hearing it from him firsthand means something else.
When you’re out there, he says, ‘Where’s this guy? Where’s who you are?’ He’s always simplifying things about who I am, how to present myself, and what not to do. You don’t have to beg the crowd for acceptance. Just be yourself, and they’ll either follow or they won’t, but don’t beg for it.”
“He’s so good at articulating these things, and I’m very grateful to have the Undertaker giving me advice on how to carry myself, how to be a WWE Superstar, a leader, all of it. He’s really been good to me, and I’m forever grateful.”
Since retiring, The Undertaker has made occasional trips to the Performance Center where he’s worked with several NXT stars to try and prepare them for life on the main roster.
Meanwhile, Damian Priest is set to challenge Gunther for the World Heavyweight Title at Survivor Series. Back in the summer, Gunther defeated Priest at SummerSlam to claim the World Championship, albeit with a helping hand from Finn Balor.
H/t to Wrestle Zone