Elijah Burke: Undertaker Was Set To Face MMA Fighter at WWE WrestleMania 23
The Undertaker fought Batista instead at the Showcase of the Immortals
Mar 16, 2021
NWA World Television Champion Elijah Burke recently spoke with Lucha Libre Online, with the former WWE/ECW star talking about WrestleMania 23 in 2007.
Interestingly, Da Pope claims that original plans for WrestleMania 23 were also set to include ECW running mate and former MMA fighter Sylvester Terkay taking on The Undertaker.
Burke said:
“It’s crazy because, that WrestleMania [23], the whole plan was for Sylvester Terkay and The Undertaker… and I had no problem with it. Young Elijah Burke riding the coattails of Sylvester Terkay to go against The Undertaker.
“They brought Sylvester Terkay in specifically because Undertaker was, and is, a huge MMA guy. Undertaker loved the physicalness, the legitness [sic] of MMA. He loved to bray that type of wherewithal and create that type of magic inside the wrestling ring.
“Certainly standing out there at WrestleMania, had it been Sylverster Terkay and The Undertaker I wouldn’t have minded taking a big boot off the apron or a chokeslam.”
Terkay was only in WWE for a little over six months, being released in January 2007. Undertaker ended up defeating Batista for the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania 23, whilst Burke teamed with ‘New Breed’ stable mates Matt Striker, Kevin Thorn, and Marcus Cor Von in a losing effort against ECW originals Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, the Sandman, and Rob Van Dam.
