During a recent episode of his podcast, former WWE manager and commentator Dutch Mantell shared his perspective on the creative origins of The Undertaker character, suggesting that the iconic persona reflected Vince McMahon’s own vision of himself.
Mantell explained that, in his view, The Undertaker represented McMahon’s desire for immortality and power within the wrestling world. “The Undertaker was Vince’s version of himself,” Mantell said. “He was immortal and he could keep coming. Looks like he’s dead — he comes back from the dead.”
He elaborated further, noting that even if McMahon wasn’t the one who initially came up with the idea, he likely saw personal symbolism in it. “I don’t know if he did it by himself or if somebody mentioned it to him — but even if somebody had mentioned it to Vince, he looked at it like, ‘Wow, I really like this,’” Mantell said. “And I have heard through the years that it was Vince’s vision of his actual self. So it makes sense. You know, Vince is a very complicated man anyway. So if he wanted to have an immortal version of himself, he could have that. And that’s what he did. He made a lot of money along the way with it.”
The Undertaker, portrayed by Mark Calaway, became one of the most enduring and influential characters in WWE history, debuting in 1990 and continuing to perform for over three decades. Mantell’s comments add an intriguing psychological layer to the character’s creation — framing The Undertaker not just as a supernatural figure, but as a reflection of McMahon’s own complex personality and lasting influence over professional wrestling.
