WWE icon The Undertaker reveals moment he knew he had to quit the ring for good

WWE legend The Undertaker has revealed the moment he knew he had to retire.

The 58-year-old icon of wrestling hasn't wrestled in front of a live crowd since WWE's Super ShowDown shown in Saudi Arabia in 2020.

But his final match came in the form of the Boneyard match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36.

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This was a cinematic pre-recorded bout, as it took place just two weeks after the world shut down for the pandemic – and he has now told that fans will not get to see him wrestle for them in person again.

Speaking to The Metro, he said: “In my heart, I wasn't ready to do it but in my mind I knew I had to.

“It's been a difficult transition because if I physically could, I would still be going.

“But I can't put on a match the way people expect to see The Undertaker wrestle.

“There's no sense in tarnishing the legacy, or cashing in on the equity that I had built up.”

Undertaker, whose real name is Mark Callaway, now spends most of his time at home with wife and fellow former WWE star Michelle McCool and their two children Kaia and Kolt.

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During his near 35-year career, he won seven world championships, six tag team championships with various partners, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022.

He also has the dubious honour of being awarded the Worst Match of the Year by Wrestling Observer in 2018 when he teamed with long-time partner Kane to take on the ageing team of Triple H and Shawn Michaels in Saudi Arabia.

The long career has taken a toll on his body.

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He said: “My back is completely locked up, I've got pain shooting down my legs.

“That's when I knew I was done.

“It (the AJ Styles match) was physical, we did some really big stunts, but I shouldn't have felt the way that I did – it was just that moment of clarity.”

Despite the storied career, the Undertaker's most famous battle is the Hell in a Cell bout against Mankind – Mick Foley – in 1998.

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The pair recently sat down together to watch the 25-minute epic in full, which included the moment 'Taker launched Foley off the top of the cell, to which legendary commentator Jim Ross famously exclaimed: “As God is my witness, he is broken in half.”

Undertaker recalled: “It was hard to keep my focus and remember that we were right in the middle of something because I was legitimately worried that he might've broken his neck.”

WWE is in the UK this weekend for the huge Money In The Bank show, and the Undertaker is bringing his 1 deadMAN SHOW alongside it, where he discusses his career highlights and memories in front of a live crowd.

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