Talking Taker

BACK FROM THE DEAD: SummerSlam 1996

Relive one of the most shocking moments of The Undertaker and Paul Bearer's careers with us as we bring another classic episode of Talking Taker BACK FROM THE DEAD! This month we're taking you back to the wild Boiler Room Brawl from SummerSlam 1996 between The Undertaker and Mankind that led to the unbelievable heel turn of Paul Bearer. It's a preview of our next all-new episode coming March 1st where we'll be looking at The Life & Times Of Paul Bearer and celebrating his Hall Of Fame legacy a decade after his tragic passing. Be sure to join us March 1st for that brand new episode, and until then, #TakerEasy! 
 
This episode of Talking Taker is brought to you by Manscaped! Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code TAKEREASY at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod
 

209: The Complete History Of The Casket Match

We're taking you back to school on this month's Talking Taker as we give you a crash course in The Undertaker's signature match! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as they analyze over 40 years of one of the most unique match styles in professional wrestling history - The Casket Match. Or wait, is it a Coffin Match? We'll get to the bottom of that, along with covering the evolution of this match from the rough around the edges origins in 1980 Houston Wrestling featuring The American Dream, to its WWF debut as part of The Undertaker's rivalry with The Ultimate Warrior, to the many Casket Matches most people never saw on house show tours across the country. Along the way we'll discuss the promos and vignettes with Paul Bearer in the wood shop that really elevated these matches, the wrestlers who sold the fear of the casket the best, the live event Casket Match opponents you probably never knew about that never made it to TV, Taker's overall stats and records, Casket Matches outside of the WWE, and our dream Casket Match opponents we'd love to see in 2023. Plus we've got a fully loaded segment of Undertaker Sightings covering Mark Calaway's appearance on Complex Sneaker Shopping and the long-awaited return of The American Badass on RAW XXX! Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy! 
 
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Bridges" - also available on Spotify and Apple Music! 
 
Pick up a new "Half A Decade Of Destruction" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!
 

BACK FROM THE DEAD: Royal Rumble 1997 Watch-Along

Count down to this year's Royal Rumble with us as we bring another classic episode of Talking Taker BACK FROM THE DEAD! This month we're throwing it back to our first ever Rumble Watch-Along as Travis and Alex laugh themselves silly watching the 97 Rumble. Cue up the match and watch with us as we struggle to remember luchador names, poke fun at the fans in the audience, talk about our time working out at the DDPY Performance Center earlier in the day, put over the incredible performance of Stone Cold Steve Austin, and so much more. And of course, be sure to join us February 1st for a brand new Talking Taker! #TakerEasy

BONUS: 1998 Royal Rumble Match Watch-Along With The Bottom Line Wrestling Cast!

You didn't think we'd let a year go by without a Royal Rumble Watch-Along, did ya? That's right - it's a very special BONUS episode of Talking Taker as we're joined by Mike and J.V. of The Bottom Line Wrestling Cast for a 25 Year Anniversary look back at the 1998 Royal Rumble win of Stone Cold Steve Austin! The Dead Man doesn't have anything to do with this match, but that's ok because we're joined by the preeminent Stone Cold experts of the podcasting world for a fun free for all commentary over this classic Rumble match. Cue up the match on Peacock and watch along as we discuss the 3 Faces Of Foley making their appearances, the many men who don't stand a chance in this match, "The Cheek" himself Ahmed Johnson and his "epic" face-off with Phineas Godwinn, embarrassing memories of ourselves in 1998, Phineas knocking out referee Jack Doan, Steve Blackman and his big brother Kurrgan, Chainsaw Charlie, Tom Brandi, Los Boricuas, Ken Shamrock, Marc Mero, Mike Tyson and Cold Stone, and so much more. Download, enjoy, and #TakerEasy!
Check out The Bottom Line Wrestling Cast every week as Mike and JV cover the career of Stone Cold Steve Austin one PPV match at a time!
 
Check out The Extreme ECW Live Cast every week as Mike and JV go episode by episode through ECW!
 

208: Royal Rumble 1998 25 Year Anniversary Watch-Along

We've got some true fireworks in store as we light up a new year on this month's Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as we celebrate the 25 year anniversary of the greatest Casket Match of all time - The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels from Royal Rumble 1998. It's the epic finale of the late 90s era of their rivalry and a perfect distillation of the early Attitude Era where multiple storylines converge including setting the seeds for Taker's feud with his brother Kane. These 2 have never had a bad match (well, until 2018) so we encourage you to watch along with us on Peacock. But as always it's just as entertaining if you can't. Along the way we'll discuss some very late 90s specific memories of watching this PPV, Shawn's packet of powder hidden in his pants, the parallels with the 1994 Rumble Casket Match, some highly unsafe special effects, hilarious fans in the crowd, and so much more. Plus before we get to the match we'll reflect on The Undertaker's epic 2022 including his many tv specials and of course his Hall Of Fame induction. Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy! 
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Bridges" - also available on Spotify and Apple Music! 
 
Pick up a new "Half A Decade Of Destruction" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!
 

BACK FROM THE DEAD: In Your House: Season’s Beatings

Ring in the holidays with us on Talking Taker as we bring this classic episode BACK FROM THE DEAD! This time around we're looking back at some Season's Beatings between The Undertaker and King Mabel at the December 1995 In Your House. Not only is it a match from a holiday PPV, it's also a holiday-themed episode of Talking Taker as Travis and Alex reminisce about their favorite wrestling-related Christmas gifts they've received throughout the years. Enjoy this old school episode as you relisten or check it out for the first time, and be sure to join us January 1st for a brand new Talking Taker! #TakerEasy
 
 

207: 1992 Superstars Watch-Along Party!

Travel back in time with us to a 1992 Saturday Morning as we rewatch some classic WWF Superstars on this month's Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as they reminisce about the days of waking up early on the weekends to get your wrestling fix and take a look back at two momentous showdowns involving The Undertaker from the WWF's former flagship program. Up first it's a near-murder as The Berzerker tries to stab The Undertaker from April 25 1992. Then The Phenom instills some fear into the ex-con Nailz in a moment that will have you frothing at the mouth from October 24 1992. We're watching both episodes in full Watch-Along style so cue them up on the Peacock app and join us as we laugh at some ridiculous jobber names, hilarious fan fashion from the 90s, wrestlers with tobacco spit hanging off their lips, mullets galore, and so much more! Of course we'll also discuss this past month's Undertaker sightings including a great story from a recent "Table For 3" episode and more. And Travis and Alex exchange their Christmas presents - you won't believe the treasures they unwrap! So grab your popcorn, cue up these episodes on Peacock to watch along with us, and Taker Easy! 
Pick up a Limited Edition copy of "Travis White - The Vinyl" before the order window closes on December 31st!
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Bridges" - also available on Spotify and Apple Music! 
 
Pick up a new "Half A Decade Of Destruction" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!
 

BACK FROM THE DEAD: He Buries Them Alive!

Cue up your VCR and travel back in our time-traveling hearse to the early 90s with us on Talking Taker as we bring this classic episode BACK FROM THE DEAD! This time around we're revisit our review of a Coliseum Video tribute to The Undertaker called "He Buries Them Alive!"  When we first reviewed this tape back in 2018 it wasn't available yet on the WWE Network - but it is now streaming on Peacock so if you've never seen before you can check out all the matches we're talking about against the likes of Kwang, Jim "The Anvil Neidhart", and Jerry "The King" Lawler! Enjoy this old school episode as you relisten or check it out for the first time, and be sure to join us December 1st for a brand new Talking Taker! #TakerEasy
 
 

206: The Undertaker Walks Through The Forbidden Door!

What would happen if The Undertaker walked through wrestling's Forbidden Door in 2023? That's the question we're asking on this month's Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as we fantasy book 10 matches pitting The Phenom against the best that AEW and New Japan have to offer. It seems like anything can happen in the modern era of professional wrestling, so Travis and Alex take turns drafting a fantasy 5 match series booking The Undertaker against the likes of MJF, Darby Allin, Okada, and more. It might seem impossible, but 2022 has been the most unpredictable year in the history of pro wrestling, and stranger things could happen still. Find out who we'd love to see against a resurrected Dead Man and why - then tell us who you'd book against Taker if he were to burst through The Forbidden Door! Plus we've got a jam-packed edition of Undertaker Sightings as Taker pays tribute to Matt Hardy, Brian Gewirtz reveals the origins of Tracy, Taker and Michelle McCool have a tortilla slap fight, and we get a recap of the latest 1 Dead Man Show! Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy! 
 
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Bridges" - also available on Spotify and Apple Music! 
 
Pick up a new "Half A Decade Of Destruction" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!

BACK FROM THE DEAD: In Your House: Buried Alive

Celebrate the spooky season with us on Talking Taker as we bring this classic episode BACK FROM THE DEAD and revisit our coverage of WWF In Your House: Buried Alive! Alex and Travis analyze the first ever Buried Alive match, a match that truly holds up and gets better with age between The Undertaker and Mankind 26 years ago in October of 1996. Hop in the time-traveling hearse with us and enjoy this old school episode, and be sure to join us November 1st for a brand new Talking Taker! #TakerEasy