The Undertaker is once again sounding off on the current state of pro wrestling—and this time, he’s calling out what he believes today’s stars are lacking: grit.
On the February 11, 2026 episode of his Six Feet Under podcast, the Deadman got brutally honest about what modern pro wrestlers are missing compared to his generation. For him, it all comes down to one word: struggle.
“I think with Bill DeMott and Al Snow, that was how it was done for generations. Whether it was right or wrong, they were trying to weed out the weak. Because you can’t come up here and be weak. The grind is too hard physically and mentally—that’s where that came from.”
While he respects how far the system has evolved—especially with the rise of the WWE Performance Center and active athletic recruitment—he believes the current generation is missing the mental toughness born from real-life hardship.
“They need a little something that gives them an edge. That’s the fine line. Does it need to be the extreme that I went through? No. But there is that sense of true struggle.”
The Undertaker reflected on his own battle to break into the business, reminding listeners that his journey didn’t come with privilege or shortcuts.
“Once I decided I was leaving school to be a professional wrestler, everyone told me, ‘You’re stupid, you’re making a mistake.’ I refused any help. I had a huge chip on my shoulder. There were times I was sleeping in my car, bouncing through clubs just to scrape up enough money to go to wrestling school, going to shows where you lose money.”
He thinks those formative years shaped the aura he brought to WWE—and he questions how today’s stars can develop the same grit without facing similar adversity.
“Obviously, we don’t see that kind of struggle now, but there is something missing at times—the edge, the grit. I don’t know how you create that. But a lot of times, you can see it in the product. The little bit of struggle you go through translates into what you do.”
This latest episode builds on his earlier comments from 2024, when he praised today’s athleticism but cautioned against relying too heavily on flashy moves over storytelling. Now, he’s drawing a direct line between the lack of real-world struggle and what he sees in the ring every week.
As one of the most respected voices in wrestling history, The Undertaker continues to challenge today’s generation—not out of criticism, but from a place of pride and passion for the business.
Do you agree with The Undertaker—is something missing in modern wrestling, or has the industry simply evolved for the better? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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