"Now that people know that I don't dig holes and take souls, I think that character will live forever in our memory" - Undertaker on "Deadman" persona

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, The Undertaker revealed that he will never wear his iconic hat and coat again, as his classic persona is gone. This statement was made in reference to his surprise appearance at WWE Raw XXX, where he came out to Kid Rock's American Bad Ass theme on a motorcycle, paying homage to his 2001 persona.

The Undertaker explained that WWE had a different vision for his appearance and assumed he would be bringing back his "Deadman" persona. However, he firmly stated that he will not bring the hat and coat back out, as he believes that his character cannot be portrayed in the same way anymore due to his public speaking engagements and frequent interviews.

“They had a different vision. They didn’t even know that I wasn’t going to have the hat and coat. They totally thought I was coming [out as] old Undertaker. I was like, no. That’s part of me and the storytelling, right? When I lifted the curtain, and when I lifted it back and pulled it back, that’s gone. It’s gone now. I won’t bring the hat and coat back out, no."

When asked to elaborate on his thought process, The Undertaker remarked that his previous comebacks as the character were always tied to significant storylines that helped him slip back into the persona. However, having completed The Last Ride, an A'E Biography, and various one-man shows, he doesn't believe he can resurrect the character.

“When I went to the American Badass earlier, there was kind of an event that happened, I went away, I was injured, and then I came back, and I had that new presentation. Then the same thing when I went away again, which was something really big that kind of put me back into that old-school Undertaker kind of mindset. Now that people know that I can talk and that I have actual thoughts that aren’t revolved around digging holes and taking souls, I think that character will live forever in our memory, but I don’t think that I can bring it back after The Last Ride, after the A'E Biography, after doing all these shows, I just don’t think it works.”

While The Undertaker rose concerns about modern wrestling, he also spoke about his on-screen moment with Bray Wyatt, appreciating the former Universal Champion's understanding of storytelling.

“They just kind of told me, they wanted me to be a part of which segment, and I was happy to be involved with him because I really enjoy his work. I know he gets that part of it, the storytelling aspect and having things make sense.”