WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker talks about the origin of the signature victory pose

Several aspects of Mark Calaway’s “Undertaker” character make him memorable, from his haunting commercials to his flamboyant WrestleMania performances, and one thing that has always been part of his gimmick has been the iconic pose he strikes after big victories and opposite the urn Paul Bearer would carry to the ring. In an episode of his Six Feet Under podcast, Calaway explained why he started the pose and how it connected him with his fans.

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“It’s what they called ‘Shakespeare’ back then, that’s what they call it, that’s what everyone calls it,” the veteran revealed, finally giving the pose a name. Calaway recalled how he first began performing “The Shakespeare” after hitting his signature flying clothesline and Paul Bearer lifting the urn toward him. “And because I didn’t care about the audience (…), it became my trademark, so to speak, without me really helping the audience.”

Calaway then tried to remember when he started using the pose after he finished matches when he and Bearer split up, but admitted he couldn’t remember and claimed he felt that he just always did it. However, he noted that Bearer often used the urn to “restrict” Undertaker, which is when he originally struck the pose. “After Paul left I was on my own, it kind of became part of my repertoire,” he explained. However, the way he rolled his eyes and his catchphrase, “Rest in Peace,” the Undertaker character ultimately became iconic.

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