Talking Taker

By Alex DoriotSports Wrestling

Talking Taker episodes

October 31, 2021 193 - Escape The Undertaker
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!

1 hr 43 min
October 01, 2021 192 - Badd Blood 1997 Watch-Along
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!

1 hr 29 min
September 01, 2021 191 - The Master Of Pain In Memphis!
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!

1 hr 44 min
August 01, 2021 190 - Backlash 2002 Watch-Along With The Bottom Line Wrestling Cast
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!

1 hr 31 min
July 01, 2021 189 - Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy Ladder Match Watch-Along
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!

1 hr 19 min
April 16, 2021 Raising Kane
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!
2 hr 1 min
March 12, 2021 187 - The Final Farewell
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!
2 hr 43 min
March 05, 2021 186 - WrestleMania 36
Our time-traveling hearse pulls into its final stop as we arrive at The Boneyard! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White as they reach the end of their journey through every Undertaker PPV match with the main event of night one of WrestleMania 36 between The Dead Man and AJ Styles. Yes, after 3 and a half years, we've finally reached the final match of The Undertaker's career - at least for now! The Boneyard Match was an instantly iconic cinematic spectacle, the perfect conclusion to The Phenom's legendary 30-year career. We'll break it down in full detail including all the hilarious trash talk and one-liners, the brilliant foreshadowing, the many meme-worthy moments, and all the reasons this match rocked our world in the early days of a global pandemic. Along the way we'll talk about how the Covid-19 pandemic turned the WWE on its head and completely upended the plans for WrestleMania, The Undertaker's final appearance in front of a live audience to date, AJ's intensely personal promos on Mark Calaway and Michelle McCool, our meet and greet with The Undertaker in the midst of all this, Taker's ranking amongst Mania main eventers, "Tiger King", Mark Wahlberg, Metallica, and the return of The Biker Taker after 17 years! Plus, Alex's Dad joins the show to present a special poem written about The Undertaker! Download, enjoy, Taker Easy - and don't forget to join us next week for our series finale as we rank our Top Taker Matches!

Vote for your Top 20 Undertaker PPV matches of all tiz-ime!

Check out Alex and his wife Kate's taste test of The Undertaker Wine on our YouTube page!

Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel and hear his latest music!
Get a free month of exclusive and ad-free podcasts on Stitcher Premium when you use the code TALKINGTAKER
Pick up a Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
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!

Join our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
2 hr 11 min
February 26, 2021 185 - Super ShowDown 2020
It's The Undertaker's second-to-last match ever! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their journey through every Undertaker PPV match as they cover The Dead Man's strange, brief, unannounced pursuit of the "prestigious" Tuwaiq Trophy at Super ShowDown 2020. It technically counts as a match, but The Undertaker only delivers a single move. And he never even takes off his hat or jacket! But since we've only got a couple episodes left, we're watching the entire gauntlet match and giving our thoughts on guys like R-Truth, Bobby Lashley, Andrade, Erick Rowan, and AJ Styles. We'll discuss this surprising launch to Taker's final WrestleMania feud, another awesome Saudi entrance, the early signals of the coming pandemic, The OC's inappropriate allusions on tv, Jerry Lawler's outdated (but still hilarious) commentary, and The Undertaker making both is final MSG and Smackdown appearance as he chokeslams Sami Zayn.

Plus, in addition to covering the full gauntlet match, we're also doing a Q&A throughout the episode as we answer your most insightful, creative, hilarious, and downright bizarre questions! You don't want to miss this one - download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!

Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel and hear his latest music!
Get a free month of exclusive and ad-free podcasts on Stitcher Premium when you use the code TALKINGTAKER
Pick up a brand new "G.F.Y. - Good For You" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
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!

Join our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

1 hr 34 min
February 19, 2021 184 - Hidden Gems!
We're digging up The Undertaker's Hidden Gems on this week's Special Edition of Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White as they take a detour from their journey through every Undertaker PPV match for a look at some of his untelevised and most rare matches. We're digging through the WWE Network archives and taking our time traveling hearse to across the country to territories like USWA, SMW, and OVW and across the world to Canada, Kuwait, and even Finland! We'll talk about match between "Mean" Mark and Jerry "The King" Lawler just a month before Mark become The Dead Man, The Undertaker's only title defense of his first WWF Championship reign, and an encounter with Taker's long-lost brother Kane before he became Kane! Then we'll hit some lost Attitude Era footage including The Undertaker and Triple H's first few singles matches, an iconic moment from Shotgun Saturday Night, and an incredible tag team battle from Madison Square Garden with Taker and Stone Cold vs DX just 6 days after the Montreal Screwjob. Finally we'll hit the Biker Taker era with the Brothers Of Destruction sharing some beers after an episode of Raw goes off the air, Undertaker and Kane's first meeting with Batista a year before he hit the main roster, and a lost classic from an international live event with Brock Lesnar. Plus we'll also cover some famous matches that are even more rare and only on Youtube against the likes of Tito Santana, Hakushi, and The APA (including a drunken Bradshaw promo that has to be heard to be believed)! Don't miss this one folks - download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!
Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel and hear his latest music!
Get a free month of exclusive and ad-free podcasts on Stitcher Premium when you use the code TALKINGTAKER
Pick up a brand new "G.F.Y. - Good For You" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!
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!

Join our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

1 hr 39 min