Subhojeet Mukherjee on April 16, 2024
The Undertaker, known for his iconic presence and legendary career in WWE, recently faced backlash for inducting Muhammad Ali into the WWE Hall of Fame earlier this month.
The Undertaker’s comments on his Six Feet Under podcast provide insight into his perspective on Muhammad Ali and the backlash he received for inducting the boxing legend into the WWE Hall of Fame. He acknowledges that Ali’s decision to avoid conscription during the Vietnam War was a point of contention for some, including members of the veteran community.
“I was there and I was so tickled to be there and be able to induct Muhammad Ali. I’m glad you brought that up. So I got a little heat from part of the veteran community. For people that don’t know, Muhammad Ali, I don’t know who wouldn’t know this, but Muhammad Ali refused to go into the army.
He didn’t want to go to Vietnam. He didn’t see why that he was gonna go 6000 miles away from home to fight somebody that had no….and he didn’t do it and he ended up losing everything. To be honest, for a large part of my life, I resented Ali over that.”
The Undertaker admits that he initially resented Ali for his decision, as he believes that when one’s country calls upon them, they should respond. However, he also recognizes Ali’s strong conviction in his beliefs and the sacrifices he made as a result. The Undertaker acknowledges Ali’s accomplishments both as a boxer and as a humanitarian, even though he may not agree with Ali’s decision regarding military service.
Ultimately, The Undertaker’s comments reflect a nuanced perspective that balances respect for Ali’s impact and legacy with disagreement over his decision to avoid conscription.
“But the thing when you look at everything that Muhammad did and not even the athletic end of it, not even the boxing side of it, but the things that he did as a humanitarian and everything. I don’t agree, I still don’t agree with not going. Your country asked you to go do something, you could do it.
That’s how I am and I wouldn’t, but when you think about the conviction that he must have had in the beliefs, such a strong belief in what he thought was right and what he thought wasn’t. He gave up everything.”
The Undertaker has expressed that while he is aware that his strong political opinions might not be agreeable to everyone, he remains firm in his stance and will not tolerate anyone questioning his loyalty to the United States. He stands by his beliefs and decisions and expects respect from others, even if they disagree with him.
“I think too it was like ‘I thought Undertaker was a patriot.’ Man, kiss my ass! Kiss my Patriot ass. It just rubbed me a little bit. There are a lot of reasons.. I get some of it but to give me hate over inducting Muhammed Ali. I mean, my goodness.”
As heated as he got for his comments about Muhammad Ali, fans were just happy to see The Undertaker at WrestleMania 40. Regardless, The Deadman stands by what he said and that is all that matters.
Do you feel The Undertaker got a lot of unwarranted hate for inducting Muhammad Ali into the WWE Hall of Fame last week? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
April 16, 2024 3:59 pm
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