Talking Taker
Digging up the career of The Undertaker one PPV match at a time every Friday. Hosted by wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White.
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Episodes
Friday Dec 31, 2021
Friday Dec 31, 2021
We've got a different kind of New Year's Countdown on this month's Talking Taker as we look at the Royal Rumble match you thought you'd never see! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as they unearth a lost Royal Rumble from Osaka, Japan that turns out to be the first Rumble ever won by The Undertaker! We're doing it watch-along style as we always do for Royal Rumbles, but this one isn't available on Peacock (see below or our social media channels for the link). In fact this match is so rare there's only footage available from a fan's home camera footage! And though it's an unofficial Royal Rumble and it only has 18 superstars in it, it's an important historical footnote in The Dead Man's career and we're excited to bring it to you. We'll discuss the odd timeline of this match as it occurs during Taker's supposed hibernation in the spring of 1994, Undertaker's squash of the future Hakushi earlier in the night, an impressive performance from Bob Backlund, the surprising effort these superstars put into a house show match, the rare interaction between Randy Savage and Taker, and so much more. Plus, we'll also discuss Undertaker's recent appearance on Kevin Hart's "Cold As Balls" YouTube show and share our hopes and dreams for The Phenom in 2022! Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!
Watch the match along with us:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjrodb
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pick up a new "Taker Easy" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Radical" - also available on Spotify and Apple Music!
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
We enter the multiverse of Undertaker podcasts as the host of Collecting Deadman joins the show! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as fellow Creature Of The Night Stephen Zieman cross over to Talking Taker for the first time. Stephen started the Collecting Deadman podcast earlier this year to chronicle the vast and never-ending world of Undertaker figures, merchandise, and collectibles - and we do our best to talk about it all on this special crossover episode! Stephen schools us on some of the rarest, wierdest, and most WTF Undertaker merch ever created, gives us a checklist of the 3 Undertaker figures you must have to start a collection, shares his favorite Batman movie, and then we all share some of our favorite wrestling-related Christmas memories!
Of course, the main event for this month's episode is a special watch-along of - what else? - The Undertaker vs The Undertaker from SummerSlam 1994! It's widely regarded as one of the worst PPV main events of all time, and we have a blast looking back at this bizarre moment of The Phenom's career. Plus we discuss recent Undertaker news and notes from The Bump, The Broken Skull Sessions, and a Pitbull concert! Don't miss this jam-packed episode - download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!
Follow Collecting Deadman and subscribe to the podcast!
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pick up a new "Taker Easy" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Windrush Sessions: Volume 2"!
Check out our Spotify Playlist highlighting all the music featured across our episodes throughout the years and see if you can remember which songs went with each match - updated every week!
Tuesday Nov 16, 2021
Tuesday Nov 16, 2021
It's time for the Undertaker to battle his greatest opponent - himself! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their journey through every PPV match of the Dead Man's career as they cover the unforgettable main event of SummerSlam 1994 of the Undertaker vs. The Undertaker. We break down the all the insanity leading up to the match including Undertaker sightings and Leslie Nielsen's investigative skills as well as Paul Bearer's obscenely large new urn, Ted Dibiase's confusing endgame, and the deafening silence of the Chicago crowd.
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
The ritual has begun! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as we cover the most unexpected journey our time-traveling hearse has ever taken: "Escape The Undertaker" - an interactive Netflix special starring The Phenom and The New Day! We never could have predicted when we started this podcast something as wild as this, and we needed to call in some backup to be able to cover all the different paths and scenarios brought about by this "Create Your Own Adventure" experience. Undertaker Experts and returning guests Randy Turco and Saint Ridley Santos join us as we talk about every possible path through Taker's haunted mansion as he tries to collect the souls of Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods before they can collect his urn. It's a wild, hilarious, and spoiler-filled discussion, so be sure you've watched "Escape The Undertaker" before you listen. Along the way we'll cover all the easter eggs and hidden jokes we could find, "Uncle Taker's" haunted home decor, the confusing and ever-changing state of Taker's hair, surprising cameos from Pat McAfee and Paul Bearer, Batman and Harry Potter and Star Wars comparisons, what The Dead Man eats for lunch, and so much more. Plus we discuss our fantasy casts for a potential sequel! Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pick up a new "Taker Easy" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Windrush Sessions: Volume 2"!
Check out our Spotify Playlist highlighting all the music featured across our episodes throughout the years and see if you can remember which songs went with each match - updated every week!
Friday Oct 01, 2021
Friday Oct 01, 2021
We're looking back at our favorite Undertaker match of all tiz-iiiime on this month's special edition of Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their journey digging up The Dead Man as they take a look back at the match they unanimously chose as The Undertaker's greatest ever for the first time in nearly 150 episodes - In Your House: Badd Blood 1997 vs Shawn Michaels in the first ever Hell In A Cell match. We're doing it Watch-Along style so we'll give you the timestamp on the Peacock app for you to join us as we provide a running commentary for a match with a huge historic impact on the career of Taker, HBK, and of course, Kane! We'll explain exactly why this match holds such a special place in our hearts and why we (still) rank it above Taker and Shawn's WrestleMania classics. October 1997 was a wild time in the WWF and we'll put this match into the context not just of that timeline but of the history and future of pro wrestling as some things would truly never be the same after this match. The psychology in this match and in the entire Taker and Shawn storyline is unprecedented and we'll dissect all the intricate pieces at play. Of course, we'll still have some laughs along the way at things like Sgt. Slaughter's flashlight, "Jay Lethal" the camera man, Shawn's droopy drawers, and other absurdities we find throughout the match. Plus, we'll give our first reactions to the "Escape The Undertaker" Netflix trailer and tell you our plans for covering this incredible new addition to The Phenom's legacy! Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pick up a new "Taker Easy" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Windrush Sessions: Volume 2"!
Check out our Spotify Playlist highlighting all the music featured across our episodes throughout the years and see if you can remember which songs went with each match - updated every week!
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Before he was The Undertaker, he was The Master Of Pain! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White as they take their time-traveling hearse the furthest into the past it's ever gone to explore the origins of the man who would become The Phenom as he cuts his teeth in 1989 Memphis Wrestling! Mark Calaway is known here as the Master Of Pain in this footage so rare it's not even owned by the WWE. He's also greener than grass as he learns the ropes inside the squared circle, but it's fascinating to see him develop some of the moves, mannerisms, and intensity that he would go down in history for. It's also absolutely hilarious as we laugh harder than we ever have on the show diving into this old school, non-PC, southern-fried wrasslin' footage! We'll cover the ridiculous misspelling in the opening credits of this special, Master Of Pain's shaky promo delivery and confusing backstory, the ridiculous evolution of his look, his first ever title win, some of the most unfortunately named jobbers you'll ever see, some casual racism and promos that wouldn't fly in 2021, upcoming events at the local "high skoo", garbage bag ring canvasses, tar-and-feather match stipulations, and so much more. Plus we'll discuss the likes of Jerry The King Lawler, Dutch Mantell, Sid Vicious a.k.a. Lord Humongous, Downtown Bruno, Bam Bam Bigelow, P.Y. Chu-Hi, "The Japanese Team", Detroit Demolition, and our new favorite character, the incredible Ronnie P. Gossett! Do yourself a favor and watch the entire hourlong special streaming on the Wrestling TV app or on the website. Then download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pick up a new "Grateful Dead Man" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Windrush Sessions: Volume 2"!
Check out our Spotify Playlist highlighting all the music featured across our episodes throughout the years and see if you can remember which songs went with each match - updated every week!
Sunday Aug 01, 2021
Sunday Aug 01, 2021
It's the end of the road for The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin as we're joined by The Bottom Line Wrestling Cast for this month's special bonus edition of Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White along with Mike Proulx and John Van Damage as they take the time traveling motorcycle to Backlash 2002 for one of our patented wild and raucous Watch-Alongs! We'll give you the time cue for us to watch along with us on "The Cock" as Taker and Austin are joined in the ring by 16 Time World Champion and "Worst Ref Ever" Ric Flair as they do battle for the Number 1 Contendership at The Match After Backlash. It's a signature Undertaker-Stone Cold match...which means it's not all that great. But it's made so much more fun with our stream of consciousness commentary as we try to figure out why these 2 never quite clicked in the ring, as well as why the heck X-Pac and Scott Hall are around the ring for half the match! Plus we take a look back at the entirety of Austin and Taker's rivalry from the first televised match all the way to this one and pick out the best and worst moments overall. We'll also cover some fun facts and figures about their rivalry and discuss the latest Undertaker news, so download, grab a Steveweiser, and Taker Easy!
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!
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pick up a Talking Taker shirt & more merch TeePublic to help support the show!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Windrush Sessions: Volume 2"!
Pick up a copy of Alex's dad John Doriot's horror story collections Crossroads and Intersections!
Check out our Spotify Playlist highlighting all the music featured across our episodes throughout the years and see if you can remember which songs went with each match - updated every week!
Thursday Jul 01, 2021
Thursday Jul 01, 2021
We're climbing the ladder and making ourselves famous as Talking Taker returns! Join wrestling superfans and best friends Alex Doriot and Travis White as they resurrect their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man for the first of special monthly bonus episodes dedicated to further depths of the greatest professional wrestling character of all tiz-iiiiime! And to kick things off we're devoting an entire episode for the first time ever to the most requested match we never covered in our initial run: The Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy in a Ladder Match for the Undisputed Title on the July 1, 2002 edition of Raw. We're doing it Watch-Along style so we'll give you the timestamp on the WWE Netwo...errr...Peacock that is, and you can cue it up and listen to our alternate commentary of Big Evil's greatest non-PPV match. Of course as always it's still just as entertaining even if you're just listening as we'll examine the backstory of the rivalry, it's impact on both men's careers, and the chaotic happenings in the WWE at this time. Plus we'll recap the latest news in the world of The Phenom as we discuss Taker's friend (and friend of the show) The Godfather's appearance on The Broken Skull Sessions, Taker's recent comments on Roman Reigns, and a prank appearance on the Nate Bargatze podcast! Download, enjoy, make sure you're subscribed for our next monthly surprise episode, and Taker Easy!
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pick up a Talking Taker shirt & more merch TeePublic to help support the show!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest music!
Pick up a copy of Alex's dad John Doriot's horror story collections Crossroads and Intersections!
Check out our Spotify Playlist highlighting all the music featured across our episodes throughout the years and see if you can remember which songs went with each match - updated every week!
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
After 187 episodes of Talking Taker, for one night only we're Raising Kane! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White as they rise from the dead after their journey through every Undertaker PPV match for this special bonus celebration of the career of the newest member of the WWE Hall Of Fame, The Undertaker's Brother Of Destruction - Kane! We reminisce about our favorite memories of The Big Red Machine including his incredible debut in our favorite Undertaker match of all time, his uniquely important rivalry with The Phenom, his unmatched legacy as a tag team competitor, his many reinventions, and his underrated comedic timing. We hit all the over-the-top antics like Pete Rose, Drew Carey, Katie Vick, JR on fire, Snitsky, torturing Shane McMahon, "See No Evil", Anger Management with Daniel Bryan, and more. Plus we highlight the Mayor Of Knox County's many records and unique achievements in the ring before we debate our favorite Kane attires, theme songs, tag team partners, and matches. You don't want to miss this special edition tribute to The Devil's Favorite Demon - download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pick up a Talking Taker shirt & more merch TeePublic to help support the show!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest music!
Pick up a copy of Alex's dad John Doriot's horror story collections Crossroads and Intersections!
Check out our Spotify Playlist highlighting all the music featured across our episodes throughout the years and see if you can remember which songs went with each match - updated every week!
Thursday Mar 11, 2021
Thursday Mar 11, 2021
It's time for Talking Taker to Rest In Peace! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White for one final time on their journey through every Undertaker PPV match as they cover The Dead Man's Final Farewell at Survivor Series 2020 on the 30th Anniversary of his debut. It's an emotional moment as we reach the end of the encyclopedic exploration we started three and a half years ago. Taker's final match might have been at WrestleMania 36, but we take a look at the ways he stayed involved in WWE throughout 2020 including more mind games with AJ Styles, inspiring a match between Jeff Hardy and King Corbin, and the epic tribute at Survivor Series with the parade of legends, Tesla coils, an emotional Vince McMahon, and a Paul Bearer hologram! We also answer some final fan questions, get in one final Batman reference, share some favorite podcast memories, and give thanks to our friends and followers who supported us along the way.
Of course, the main event of this episode is the reveal of the Top 20 Undertaker PPV Matches Of All Tiz-iiiime! First, Travis and Alex go back and forth giving their personal Top 20s with some sure-to-be controversial and surprising selections and rankings. Then we unveil the matches you voted into the Top 20 with a battle for the number 1 spot separated by a single vote! And then, for one last time, we say to our Creatures Of The Night, "Taker Easy!"
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pick up a Talking Taker shirt & more merch TeePublic to help support the show!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest music!
Pick up a copy of Alex's dad John Doriot's horror story collections Crossroads and Intersections!
Get a free month of exclusive and ad-free podcasts on Stitcher Premium when you use the code TALKINGTAKER
Check out our Spotify Playlist highlighting all the music featured across our episodes throughout the years and see if you can remember which songs went with each match - updated every week!