Former Six Feet Under co-host Matt Lyda has finally shed light on his departure from the popular podcast with WWE Hall of Famer Mark Calaway, better known as The Undertaker. In an interview on Maven’s YouTube channel, Lyda explained how the project began, the challenges of working with Taker, and why the show eventually moved on without him.
Lyda recalled first meeting Calaway in late 2017 when the WWE Hall of Famer was spotted wearing one of his company’s shirts. What began as a thank-you call turned into a friendship rooted in shared interests like hunting, fishing, and the military. Over time, the two stayed in touch and eventually started exploring creative projects together.
The idea for the podcast came in 2022 during a casual dinner. Lyda pitched Calaway on filming stories from his career, believing fans would love to hear untold tales outside the ring. Initially skeptical, Taker eventually warmed to the idea with encouragement from his wife, Michelle McCool. The name Six Feet Under even came from Calaway himself during a brainstorming session.
Lyda admitted that the first test run “wasn’t good,” with Calaway speaking directly into the camera with no chemistry or energy. It wasn’t until Taker suggested a podcast-style format with a co-host that the show truly came to life.
The duo launched Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway and quickly drew attention. Fans were surprised by Taker’s humor, a quality rarely seen during his legendary WWE career. Lyda credited Maven’s own YouTube channel as an inspiration for the format, admitting he often used it as an example to convince Taker the concept would work.
Some of the most beloved episodes featured Taker swapping road stories with old friends from the business. Lyda believes this raw, behind-the-scenes style is what made the podcast unique compared to typical wrestler interviews.
Despite the success, Lyda’s run as co-host came to an end when WWE decided to take over the show. After recording with Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Diamond Dallas Page, Calaway informed Lyda that the company would be handling Six Feet Under moving forward.
“I thought he was about to tell me he was done with the podcast altogether,” Lyda recalled. “Instead, he said WWE was taking control. That was the end of my run.”
While surprised, Lyda said he harbors no ill will toward Calaway. He admitted it felt like a breakup but emphasized their friendship remains intact, noting they still hunt together every year.
Here’s what Matt said:
“He and I talked for a little bit more. I go outside with him, he’s at his truck, he just looked at me and he goes, ‘We good?’ I said, ‘Mark, we said something a long time ago. We were at a hotel here in Savannah, and we shook hands and said that if money ever comes in between us, we’re gonna shut the whole thing down. We’re gonna go to the woods and we’re gonna go hunting, and we’ll forget about all of it.’ And I was like, ‘Dude, there’s nothing business-wise that on my end would ever come between you and I.’ It’s a podcast, man.
Mark kept the show going probably 6 to 8 months longer than he wanted to, if I was a betting man, because of me. He said yes to a lot of things that he probably would have said no to, to other people.”
Lyda is proud of what they built, especially seeing the podcast evolve into a WWE-backed property. At the same time, he worries some of the show’s authenticity may be lost under a corporate umbrella.
“Anything run by a big company is going to lose a little bit of that rawness,” he said. “Fans don’t just want wrestler interviews. They want Mark Calaway laughing with his old friends, telling those road stories only he can tell.”
Asked if he’d ever return should Calaway call him, Lyda didn’t hesitate: “If Mark asked me back, absolutely. Who would say no to working with him?”
For now, Lyda continues to focus on his own projects, including his White Trash With Money podcast and apparel brand. Still, he looks back on Six Feet Under with gratitude. “I helped create something that now has the WWE logo on it,” he said. “That’s pretty damn cool.”
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