‘I’m just sorry’ – WWE star set to be put in Undertaker’s casket left in tears backstage forces major change
The idea of being locked inside a casket by The Undertaker is enough to leave many mere mortals and opponents left in a panicked state. Over the course of a storied career, Undertaker firmly established himself as one of the most respected performers in history. The Undertaker and Heidenreich did battle across the mid 2000sWWE Even in the predetermined world that is professional wrestling, the thought of battling the Deadman and facing his trademark casket will have sent shivers down a few spines. Some might have been overjoyed at avoiding the experience, but that was a fate that left former WWE tag team champion Jon Heidenreich far from happy backstage. A flustered Heidenreich had been due to be stuffed inside the creepy casket at a non-televised live event by The Undertaker when he, John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) and Orlando Jordan were feuding across 2004 and 2005. Multi-time WWE champ JBL has revealed that plans had to be changed on the fly after the Orlando native was running late for the show, and had failed to appear by the time The Undertaker’s match had begun. Veteran Taker had tasked JBL with watching out for Heidenreich’s arrival and assessing his state of mind as to whether he could come straight from the car park and into an arena packed with fans to do the end-of-match spot where he’d be stuffed in the casket. While not best pleased with the impromptu assignment, Layfield naturally did as he was asked, recalling on Something to Wrestle With: “Heidenreich is a bit emotional because he’s having a problem getting to the show or something has happened. “Taker is about to go to the ring, and he tells me: ‘[WWE agent] Arn’s going to watch the match, you watch the back door. If he’s an [okay] emotional state, that’s okay, send him to the ring for the finish. If he’s not, you come, and we’re gonna put you in the casket and send you off.’ “I’m not trained for this, you need Sigmund Freud for this! I’m sitting by the back door waiting on Heidenreich. We had a great relationship, and he goes: ‘Hey, man, I’m sorry I’m late.’ “I’m sitting there looking at him trying to figure out his emotional state, as I’ve been told to do, but I’m not qualified for this s***! “He said: ‘Man, I’m sorry, I had some problems getting here, I was late.’ I go to tell him what he’s doing in the match… [but] as I say that he goes: ‘I’m just sorry!’ and he starts getting really emotional and crying. Heidenreich was a tag team champion in WWE alongside Road Warrior AnimalWWE Heidenreich did get stuffed inside a casket when the duo battled at Royal Rumble in 2005WWE It took a trademark Undertaker Tombstone to get Heidenreich inside the dreaded casket at the RumbleWWE At that stage, JBL put his foot down and made the call to stand Heidenreich down from the spot, effectively serving himself up to The Undertaker for the finale instead. He went on: “I go: ‘Ok, you’re not going to the ring, you’re staying here,’ and he goes: ‘No, I’ve got to go!’ and I said: ‘No, I’m going to take all the heat for this. I’m making the decision; I’m telling you to stay here. I’m going to the ring and I’m going to get put in the casket.’ “I come out to the ring and Taker is in the ring, he doesn’t know any of this is going on. I go to the ring to try to interfere in the match… they put me and Orlando in the casket with me one way and him the other and they close it. We can’t get out because the damn things locked, they rib you every time you get stuck in one of those things.” A powerhouse in his own right, Heidenreich enjoyed a solid if not spectacular three years in WWE between 2003 and 2006, his highest-profile feud being the one against Taker. The two even faced off at a major event, the Phenom defeating the now 55-year-old in, you guessed it, a casket match, at the 2005 Royal Rumble. On that night when time got away from him, though, JBL recalls saving the day by ensuring Heidenreich didn’t perform in the wrong state of mind. He added: “Taker, when I first came out and go to jump him, said: ‘[Was he] not in a good state?’ Dastardly JBL ended up stepping in to replace Heidenreich at the end of a match at an untelevised live eventWWE “I said: ‘Nope, be glad I’m here, pal!” It was far from the only time The Undertaker had to act swiftly to keep a show in its flow – in an iconic match against Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1998 he had to think quickly after Austin had been accidently knocked out in the ring.
The idea of being locked inside a casket by The Undertaker is enough to leave many mere mortals and opponents left in a panicked state.
Over the course of a storied career, Undertaker firmly established himself as one of the most respected performers in history.
Even in the predetermined world that is professional wrestling, the thought of battling the Deadman and facing his trademark casket will have sent shivers down a few spines.
Some might have been overjoyed at avoiding the experience, but that was a fate that left former WWE tag team champion Jon Heidenreich far from happy backstage.
A flustered Heidenreich had been due to be stuffed inside the creepy casket at a non-televised live event by The Undertaker when he, John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) and Orlando Jordan were feuding across 2004 and 2005.
Multi-time WWE champ JBL has revealed that plans had to be changed on the fly after the Orlando native was running late for the show, and had failed to appear by the time The Undertaker’s match had begun.
Veteran Taker had tasked JBL with watching out for Heidenreich’s arrival and assessing his state of mind as to whether he could come straight from the car park and into an arena packed with fans to do the end-of-match spot where he’d be stuffed in the casket.
While not best pleased with the impromptu assignment, Layfield naturally did as he was asked, recalling on Something to Wrestle With: “Heidenreich is a bit emotional because he’s having a problem getting to the show or something has happened.
“Taker is about to go to the ring, and he tells me: ‘[WWE agent] Arn’s going to watch the match, you watch the back door. If he’s an [okay] emotional state, that’s okay, send him to the ring for the finish. If he’s not, you come, and we’re gonna put you in the casket and send you off.’
“I’m not trained for this, you need Sigmund Freud for this! I’m sitting by the back door waiting on Heidenreich. We had a great relationship, and he goes: ‘Hey, man, I’m sorry I’m late.’
“I’m sitting there looking at him trying to figure out his emotional state, as I’ve been told to do, but I’m not qualified for this s***!
“He said: ‘Man, I’m sorry, I had some problems getting here, I was late.’ I go to tell him what he’s doing in the match… [but] as I say that he goes: ‘I’m just sorry!’ and he starts getting really emotional and crying.
At that stage, JBL put his foot down and made the call to stand Heidenreich down from the spot, effectively serving himself up to The Undertaker for the finale instead.
He went on: “I go: ‘Ok, you’re not going to the ring, you’re staying here,’ and he goes: ‘No, I’ve got to go!’ and I said: ‘No, I’m going to take all the heat for this. I’m making the decision; I’m telling you to stay here. I’m going to the ring and I’m going to get put in the casket.’
“I come out to the ring and Taker is in the ring, he doesn’t know any of this is going on. I go to the ring to try to interfere in the match… they put me and Orlando in the casket with me one way and him the other and they close it. We can’t get out because the damn things locked, they rib you every time you get stuck in one of those things.”
A powerhouse in his own right, Heidenreich enjoyed a solid if not spectacular three years in WWE between 2003 and 2006, his highest-profile feud being the one against Taker.
The two even faced off at a major event, the Phenom defeating the now 55-year-old in, you guessed it, a casket match, at the 2005 Royal Rumble.
On that night when time got away from him, though, JBL recalls saving the day by ensuring Heidenreich didn’t perform in the wrong state of mind.
He added: “Taker, when I first came out and go to jump him, said: ‘[Was he] not in a good state?’
“I said: ‘Nope, be glad I’m here, pal!”
It was far from the only time The Undertaker had to act swiftly to keep a show in its flow – in an iconic match against Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1998 he had to think quickly after Austin had been accidently knocked out in the ring.
