The Undertaker Reveals Why It’s So Hard To Walk Away From Wrestling

During a recent interview with PEOPLE, The Undertaker commented on why it’s so hard to walk away from pro wrestling, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:

On his reaction to the 30 Days of the Deadman tribute: “It’s very humbling and I’m honored, but I’m even getting a little bit sick of myself now. [laughs] But it’s really surreal just to have any career span 30 years, that’s an achievement in itself.”

On the difficulty of walking away from wrestling: “When you do it right and you get that ovation, or whatever it is from your audience, that energy that comes back from them, it’s hard to get that anywhere else. I think that’s probably the only reason guys like the [The Rock] come back, as successful as he is. I always look at it as the best of athletics, and the best of entertainment. It’s like a live movie going on, except you don’t have stuntmen, and you can’t forget your lines because you’re doing it live. I mean, that’s a lot of pressure, and I don’t think our talent gets enough credit for what they have to do.”

On outside perspectives about pro wrestling: “There are just so many different layers to our business, and I think people that aren’t fans have these preconceived ideas about what it is. Usually if you’re not a fan, it’s negative, it’s like, ‘it’s this, it’s that.’ They have no clue what it takes physically, and what it takes emotionally. I think that gets really lost too, the sacrifices that people in this industry have to make.”