The Undertaker has revealed that he was forced to change the way he performed the Tombstone Piledriver after admitting his original technique was unsafe for his opponents.
The WWE Hall of Famer used a noticeably different version of his iconic finishing move during the early stages of his career. Instead of positioning opponents squarely against his shoulders, their legs would hang towards one side, making it significantly more difficult for him to control their body weight.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, The Undertaker admitted he simply did not know the correct way to perform the move when he first arrived in WWE.
“Well, one, I really didn’t know how to do it right the first. It’s just like, you know, I’m just dumb, young, and just grabbing guys up, and they’re hanging over here on the side, and eventually I got them squared up, and it was much easier to control their body weight and land safer and land square.”
Asked whether any of his early Tombstones had gone particularly badly, Undertaker immediately recalled the one he delivered to Koko B. Ware during his WWE debut.
“Oh yeah, there was early on. There was some pretty bad tombstones, and it’s crazy because I really pride myself on not hurting people. But you can go back. Koko B. Ware took a hellacious one that I kind of blew off when it happened. I was like, come on, man, just suck it up. And then I watched it back years later, and I was like, oh, maybe he had a reason to b*tch about that because that looked gnarly.”
The moment occurred at Survivor Series on November 22, 1990, when The Undertaker made his televised WWE debut as the mystery member of Ted DiBiase‘s Million Dollar Team. Around a minute into the match, he eliminated Koko with the Tombstone.
Koko has since claimed that he was dropped on his head while taking the move and that the pair had not practised it beforehand. However, he has also made clear that he does not hold any resentment towards Undertaker over the incident.
Undertaker eventually changed his technique by positioning his opponents squarely against his body, which allowed him to maintain greater control while delivering the move.
The Undertaker Said Changing His Tombstone Was Also Done For His Own Health
The Deadman explained that the adjustment was also important for protecting his own body during an era when WWE stars regularly spent most of the month on the road.
“It’s a safer way, and not only is it a safer way, but it was a more efficient way to do it. We’re on the road 20, 25 days out of the month. You have to figure out ways to minimize the trauma, and how to take care of yourself.”
The Undertaker added that once he learned to correctly position his opponents, the Tombstone became both safer for the wrestler taking the move and easier for him to perform throughout WWE’s demanding schedule.
