The Undertaker is an all-time legend and WWE Hall of Famer who spent thirty years as the Deadman, the greatest character in wrestling history. However, before his WWE career, the man behind the gimmick, Mark Calaway, was a struggling wrestler in WCW called Mean Mark Callous. He was only with World Championship Wrestling from 1989 to 1990, but one night the future legend roomed at a hotel with an already legend whose career was coming closer to an end. When the Undertaker spent a night with the Iron Sheik on the road, it went so bad that the Undertaker now calls the Iron Sheik the worst roommate he ever had.
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The Undertaker Shared A Hotel Room On The Road With The Iron Sheik
- The Undertaker wrestled as Mean Mark Callous in WCW.
- For a time, he was managed by Paul Heyman.
- The Iron Sheik kept the Undertaker awake all night.
The Undertaker began wrestling in the 1980s for promotions like World Class Championship Wrestling and the Continental Wrestling Association. He was an attention-getter because of his size, but with his red hair and green skills in the ring, he was far from the icon he would become. Joining WCW in 1989, he was both a singles and tag team wrestler, and at one point was even managed by Paul Heyman, but his career there was mostly a dud. Even on the road in WCW, Taker wasn’t having fun.
In November 2023, on his Six Feet Under with Mark Calway podcast, he told the story about rooming with the Iron Sheik one night on the road:
“I ended up back in my hotel room around 1:30 in the morning. Sheik comes in, I don’t know, maybe another 30 or 45 minutes after. I’m just right there on the edge of getting some good sleep and he goes, ‘Excellent, Marky, bubba. You getting good rest? That’s excellent, brother.”
“‘Oh my gosh, what am I what have I got myself into?’ I’m just trying to wrap these little thin blankets — I don’t know where we were, we were out of roadway or something. I mean, the covers were thin. I’m trying to just wrap myself up like a burrito to create some friction. Finally, I’m trying to fall back asleep and I hear the sliding glass door shut and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ Instantly, the room was warmer. I’m looking at the clock and I was like, ‘Man I’ve got another two hours that can sleep before we got to get up and get on the road again. So the next thing I hear, the shower is on. He’s in there taking a shower and I mean, it’s the longest shower I’ve ever heard a human take.
“Actually, I’m getting a little pissed but I’m still a greenhorn, I’m still a rookie. I got no say and he could twist me up in a knot anyway. He’s a veteran. He had already had his big run with Hogan, it’s the Sheik, dude. Didn’t mean I’m not mad but I also got to pay respects to the guys that came before me. (h/t Fightful)
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The Undertaker Told The Iron Sheik Story Again On Another Podcast Episode
- The Iron Sheik would blow dry his mustache and twist it up.
- He did Hindu Squats in the hotel room in the middle of the night.
- The Undertaker swore they would never be roommates again.
Sharing a hotel room with the Iron Sheik for one night 35 years ago had quite the impact on the Undertaker, because he told the story again on his podcast in February 2025:
“I pushed the door open, and he’s standing in the mirror, his head’s cocked back, and he’s got a brush and a blow dryer, and he’s doing his mustache. He’s blow drying his mustache straight. He’s like ‘Hey Bubba. Do you need to go pee?’ I’m like ‘No Sheik, I’m just wondering what the hell you’re in here blow drying.’ ‘Uh, you know daddy. I’ve got to make the mustache look perfect!’ He’s just blow drying it, and then he twists it all up.
“I’m thinking to myself ‘I know I don’t have any money, I’m broke as hell. But…I can never room with him again. Like, I got absolutely zero sleep. And I didn’t have buzz or anything to help me to go to sleep, cause I couldn’t afford any booze. So yeah, it just went on and on. That was the longest night, I think, one of the longest nights I ever spent just listening to the Sheik do Hindu squats.” (h/t Wrestling Inc.)
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The Undertaker Roomed With The Godfather And Brian Adams After That
- The Undertaker was best friends with The Godfather and Brian Adams.
- They made up a group of friends called the Bone Street Krew.
- Yokozuna, Rikishi, Savio Vega, and The Godwinns were also in B.S.K.
In his 2023 story, the Undertaker added:
“From that point forward, unless I absolutely had to, or it was Godfather or Brian Adams, those are the only two guys that I should have roomed with.”
During the 1990s in WWE, the Undertaker was best friends with the Godfather and Brian Adams, who were part of a group of friends in the company called the Bone Street Krew. The real-life friends also included Yokozuna, Rikishi, Savio Vega, and The Godwinns. These guys meant so much to the Undertaker that he has a tattoo that says “B.S.K. PRIDE” on his abs. Unfortunately, the Iron Sheik was never a member of B.S.K., bubba.
