The Undertaker Believes WWE Is On The Level Of Major Sports, Not A Carny Thing Anymore

WWE has made great strides over the years, both from a presentation and perception standpoint. So much so that WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker (Mark Calaway), who lived his character for decades, believes it's nearly on the level of major, unscripted professional sports. Appearing this week on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," he discussed the subject, as well as his relationship with Vince McMahon.

"Perception is reality, and I think that sometimes he may have forgotten that, but I never did," Undertaker said of McMahon. "That went a long way in how I dealt with people through my career."

Undertaker said he never wanted to make others feel as though he would go behind their back or deceive them. He just wanted people to work hard when it came to the business. "What they saw is what they got," he added, "and I think that was probably a large factor in people always considering me the locker room leader," despite a close relationship with McMahon and other top executives.

When discussing how WWE is perceived these days, he said things began to change in WWE once the company went public, and with those changes, perception of the business began to shift.

"There were a lot of changes that had to happen, changes for the better," he said. "I think WWE a lot more now is regarded in the same way as other major sports franchises. If we're not on that level, we're really close. And the company is run that way. It's not that circus, carny kinda thing anymore."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.