"That’s not my deal": The Undertaker pulls back the curtain on WWE’s most infamous backstage test

In the gritty, unscripted world of backstage WWE during the 1990s and early 2000s, few figures commanded more respect than The Undertaker. As the "Locker Room Leader," his word was law, and his approval was the ultimate currency for any young wrestler looking to make it. And one of the most enduring—and intense—legends of that era is the Whiskey Gargle, a ritual that served as both a test of toughness and a rite of passage for those entering the Deadman’s inner circle.The "tradition" was exactly what it sounds like: a wrestler would be handed a glass of bourbon, typically Jack Daniel’s, The Undertaker’s longtime drink of choice, and they would be told to gargle it like mouthwash before swallowing. Recently, Undertaker himself shed light on this ritual during an interview with Cody Rhodes on What Do You Want To Talk About? He recalled where and how the ritual started and what it really meant.In the hyper-masculine culture of the Attitude Era, the gargle wasn't just about drinking; it was considered to be a metric for a wrestler's psychological and physical grit. But when the Deadman himself was asked about the infamous ritual, he had a very different answer than what anyone would expect. Talking to Cody Rhodes, he said,“So you may be a little disappointed in all this. I’m not one to make someone gargle. That’s not my deal. I take the shot. I drink the shot—in fairness... You’re invited over. It is a welcome. But that’s a big misnomer, like, ‘Taker told me to come over and drink. I had to drink.’ No, it’s not that. I don’t ever make anybody do anything they don’t want to do.”But then how did the gargle ritual start? Well, it was all about making sure the money wasn't being wasted. The Deadman adding on this infamous WWE custom, said,“Back when business wasn’t quite so good… people would quick-shot it or pour it on the floor and act like they drank it. That’s money, right? That’s someone else’s money you’re wasting. So it kind of became a deal—‘Alright, you gotta gargle it.’ So people knew you actually drank the shot. That was the original origin of it. And I think it just carried on through the years.”The whiskey gargle has mostly faded into the annals of wrestling history, replaced by a more professional and health-conscious locker room. However, it remains a symbol of an era where "The Phenom" wasn't just a character on TV but a judge of character behind the curtain. And his idea of not having his money wasted led to an infamous ritual that people still cannot forget.From John Cena to Chris Jericho, there have been numerous stories related to the whiskey gargle ritual. Cena, who initially found the hazing aspect unnecessary, eventually viewed it as a lesson in resilience. His takeaway was simple: Don't be afraid to do "hard" things. While he later joked that he’d prefer to just sip the bourbon and have a conversation, he respected the barrier of entry that Taker established.Jericho, on the other hand, has famously shared stories about "bar tricks" he learned from legends like Ric Flair and Curt Hennig. To survive a night with the heavy hitters, Jericho would sometimes pretend to gargle while letting the alcohol dribble out the side of his mouth, effectively gargling "nothing but fumes" to keep his senses intact while everyone else got "plastered." While many gargled in earnest, these veterans knew how to play the game.Also Read: ‘A fan for life’: WWE’s Chelsea Green traces her Blues roots back to primary school