During the Monday Night Wars in the 1990s, The Undertaker emerged as one of the top stars. The fierce competition between WWE and WCW led many wrestlers to switch between the two promotions.
The Undertaker started his wrestling career in 1987 and spent two years in WCW. Despite his potential, WCW never gave him the opportunity to become an established star. In 1990, he decided to join WWE and debuted at that year’s Survivor Series, where he introduced his iconic character.
In the later part of the decade, WWE encountered stiff competition from WCW, owned by Ted Turner. WWE’s Monday Night Raw faced off against WCW’s Monday Nitro in a fierce ratings war for many years. WCW even outperformed WWE in the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks.
During these wars, many stars, such as Lex Luger, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Bret Hart, and Big Show, switched between promotions. However, The Undertaker remained loyal to WWE throughout.
While he remained loyal to WWE, The Undertaker recently revealed that he had received a huge offer from WCW back then but decided not to sign with them. He shared his thoughts on why he turned down the substantial offer from WCW.
The Undertaker reveals WCW told him he wouldn’t draw money
The Undertaker revealed on his podcast, Six Feet Under, why he turned down a substantial offer from WWE’s rival, WCW. He explained that his decision was influenced by WCW’s initial dismissal of his potential to draw money, which left a lasting impression on him.
He stated, “If my situation had been different if WCW hadn’t told me that I wasn’t going to draw any money, I don’t know what I would have done. I don’t. The fact that they told me: ‘You’re never going to make money,’ that was always the chip that I carried on my shoulder. Even when they called. I remember Nash calling me [and saying]: ‘I think I can get you this if you want to come down.’ I was like ‘wow, that’s a lot more money than I’m making right now.’ I thought about it and was like: ‘No.’ That’s what it came down to for me. Vince gave me the opportunity… I just couldn’t do it.”
He continued, “I would have made more money. I would have worked a lot less. I probably would have been in a situation where I would have been welcomed back, maybe not, but the fact that I stayed, got my a** kicked, we all got ours a**** kicked, and then turned it all around and probably made the greatest comeback ever, it was really rewarding.” “A lot of people told me: ‘You need to go. You need to take the money.'”
Ultimately, WWE emerged on top, with former CEO Vince McMahon purchasing WCW in the early 2000s, ending the infamous Monday Night Wars.
