Steve Austin Believes WWE Caught 'Lightning In A Bottle' With This Hall Of Famer

While it is not uncommon for wrestlers to change personas over the course of their career, Steve Austin applauded Mark Calaway for maintaining his character of The Undertaker for a three-decade run.

In an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling, Austin recalled his recognition of Calaway's charismatic power early in his career.

"I knew Mark was going to be a star when we stunk out the Sportatorium when he was working as The Punisher and I was 'Stunning' Steve,'" he said.

Austin noted how he assured Calaway that The Undertaker would be a long-running hit with audiences as long as he occupied that persona, adding that no other wrestler could have played the part.

"If they had given that gimmick to anybody else – and I told Mark to his face – it might last two years, maybe three, and then it [would] just fell off and no one would have been able to do it like he did," he said. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing where they caught lightning in a bottle."

Austin also pointed out that The Undertaker character carefully evolved over the year, thus keeping it fresh for its extended run.

"Mark is an amazing talent," Austin continued, praising his ability to "make that run and make those micro adjusts to that character and stay in touch with that fan base. And always at the top or very near to the top, to keep himself in that position for events to use as he did – a frickin' master."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.