Behind the Fog and Tights: Andy Baker Wrestler, Druid for a Night in WWE (2009)
When people Google Andy Baker wrestling or Andy Baker wrestler, they usually expect to find match highlights, promos, coaching creds or just wonderfully over the top headlines from the glory days of cancel culture 🤪
But sometimes, just sometimes, they stumble upon the more bizarre and unexpected chapters of my journey in wrestling.
Back in 2009, I found myself backstage at a WWE show in Sheffield, UK. I was there as enhancement talent, essentially on standby in case any extra hands were needed in the ring. Unfortunately (or fortunately, in hindsight), I wasn’t needed for any matches that night. But toward the end of the taping, an opportunity came up that still makes me laugh to this day.
A handful of us extras were asked if we’d be druids for The Undertaker’s entrance in his casket match against CM Punk. The job? Wheel the casket down the ramp while cloaked in dark robes and fully covered so the audience wouldn’t recognize us. Naturally, we all said yes without hesitation, this was The Undertaker, after all.
That’s when it got weird. We were handed long robes, which felt epic… and then we were each given a pair of tights to wear on our heads. Yep, tights. On our heads. Apparently, this was the go to method for obscuring our faces under the hoods. I never envisioned wearing tights on my head in my life, but hey, first time for everything, right?
The fog machines were working overtime that night, and wheeling a casket blindly down a ramp covered in mist was no easy task. The wheels kept veering off, visibility was poor, and we were trying our best not to trip over our robes or crash into anything. But somehow, we managed to get the casket in position, facing the right way, ready to be opened for The Deadman’s iconic entrance.
Andy Baker former pro wrestler at WWE World Wrestling Entertainment show as a druid for The Undertaker vs CM Punk Casket Match in 2009
Had we messed it up, it would’ve been a disaster, but thankfully, the only thing embarrassing about the whole ordeal was the tights on our heads.
Moments like this remind me that wrestling isn’t just about wins, losses, or drama, it’s about the unpredictable, the surreal, and the stories you never see coming. Whether I was in the ring, coaching at RWA, or wheeling a casket in front of thousands, I’ve always tried to embrace the ride, tights and all.
Undertaker vs. CM Punk — The Casket Match Entrance — YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvWju9yFROQ
Credit to video clips found on YouTube via ConnieFace for capturing part of this foggy, tight-headed moment in WWE history.
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