The Real Reason Undertaker Gave Up His Basketball Career

May 2024 · 2 minute read

According to The Guardian, Mark Calaway (his real name) enjoyed watching wrestling as a kid growing up in Houston, Texas, but lost interest as a teenager. At nearly 7 feet tall, young Calaway was a shoe-in for the basketball team. He played center in college and was offered contracts from professional teams in Europe.

But one day, while in the gym to bulk up, someone told him about wrestling camp. Calaway knew he was quick and athletic. He doubted his chances for long-term success in basketball, but he knew that his size and agility would help him stand out in the ring. "Most of the big guys were plodders," he said. "They'd walk around and knock the crap out of you; pick you up and throw you. I could do that while moving around nimbly, too. Once I started training I was like: '... this is what I want to do.' It was in my blood."

But Calaway's coach didn't like to see him go. Undertaker biographer A.R. Schaefer wrote that in 1986, his coach talked with him and said he wanted him to focus more on basketball. But Mark wasn't having it. Just like fellow big-time wrestler Big Show, he quit basketball — and college altogether — to focus completely on wrestling. He trained by day and worked as a bartender at night to get by.

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