Shining a Spotlight 10.02.08: The Dead Man

Posted by Michael Weyer on 10.02.2008

A look at the Undertaker and how his amazing longevity has led to his respect among fans and peers alike.

Farewell to Paul Newman, a true icon who was as great a class act off-screen as he was on and a true humanitarian to boot. He'll be missed.


Longevity.

It's something everyone in the business wants but so few are able to attain. So many workers dream of being able to keep going for years and years but it rarely happens. After all, injuries and the wear and tear of the road will take their toll and cut careers short. Plus, the fact some guys don't quite have it in either ring skills or charisma to keep going in a top spot for years with shifting fan tastes. Some are able to do it. Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels spring immediately to mind and HHH is still going strong after nearly a decade and a half. But even some of the bigger names don't have that long a shelf life. Steve Austin's entire in-ring career was thirteen years (of course, that was shortened by his neck injury) while the Rock was less than a decade before going to Hollywood. It's rare to find a man who can truly dominate for a long time, not only with promoters but also with the fans as well.

Which is what makes the Undertaker so intriguing a performer. For 18 years, he has been one of the biggest stars WWF/E has ever had, a man still capable of massive pops and drawing big money while still turning in good matches. He's been a true icon, always staying true to WWF/E no matter what, never hinting at jumping ship and has been rewarded with one of the biggest sustained pushes the business has ever known. His experience has made him a respected name behind the scenes although it's also led to a backlash among many fans who feel he keeps onto the spotlight way too much. But the fact is, the Undertaker is still a power with wrestling and over fans which deserves a look.

To me, the Undertaker stands as one of the best gimmicks wrestling has ever seen. It didn't seem like that at the time. In fact, in his excellent Wrestlecrap book, RD Reynolds talked about how stupid an undead zombie in funeral clothes who got power from a mystical urn sounded but it worked. It's a great example of how stuff that looks great on paper fails to connect with fans while the stupidest ideas draw huge. When he debuted at the 1990 Survivor Series, no one really knew what to make of him. Just about no one had followed him as "Mean" Mark Callous in WCW so his entry was a surprise as he dominated over a few guys before being counted out.

It would take a while before he'd truly click as a character but by spring of 1991, he had the classic ingredients: The funeral outfits, the slow methodical walk to the ring, Paul Bearer as his manager with the urn. He was a classic case of "silent but deadly," almost never speaking himself, just plowing through opponent after opponent with a no-sell style not seen since the arrival of the Road Warriors. It got attention but no one took him that seriously, dismissing him as just another goofy big-guy with a few tricks (like the rope-walk).

But when he was pitted against the Ultimate Warrior, that turned some heads. While his title reign hadn't been as huge as expected, the Warrior was still second only to Hogan in terms of popularity and drawing power so having him put against Undertaker was a big deal for the newcomer. Even bigger was that Taker was put over quite a lot in house shows, beating the Warrior in "body bag" matches. It's a rare case of WWF/E really using a major star to put over another one via losing and the Undertaker rose even greater. Putting him against Hogan for the belt at Survivor Series only made sense but having him actually beat Hogan (with help from Ric Flair) to win the title was a big surprise to everyone. True, Hogan got the belt back days later but it was still a huge show of faith in this man.

Given how his approach had been winning respect, making him a face was only natural as Undertaker saved Elizabeth from an attack by Jake Roberts and beat Roberts at Wrestlemania VIII, no-selling two DDTs. Of course, after that, things would slow down for him a bit as he was put into programs against big guys. Kamala was first with a classic bit at SummerSlam where Taker sat up after three splashes off each turnbuckle and Kamala sold it with a hysterical expression of shock. After too long a feud, Taker then moved on to the man generally recognized as the worst major wrestler of all time, Giant Gonzalez for matches that redefined "ugly." After all that, he seemed ready to finally move on to champion Yokozuna but instead we got the infamous casket match at the '94 Rumble that pushed him off TV for a while. That was followed by the even more infamous "fake Undertaker" that ended in a horrendous SummerSlam matchup between the duo before he finished the Yoko feud off.

Despite being massively over, Taker was still pitted against just about every big and slow guy the company had to offer: King Kong Bundy, Mabel and Diesel to name a few before the feud with Mankind reinvigorated him (more on that in a minute). It's a trick that's continued to haunt him throughout his career, he keeps being fed these guys in hopes he can help them shine, right up to Great Kahli. So, after slumming so long like that, is it any wonder he's reluctant to cede the main event spot? The guy may have gotten a big push but he still paid his dues in his own fashion and earned his spot.

The key to the Undertaker's longevity is that, more than nearly any other performer, he's been able to change the act enough to keep himself fresh. It's something not a lot of performers are able to do. I mean, Flair has basically been the same character throughout his whole career and HBK mostly too. Hogan managed to shift with his heel turn in '96 but it's much harder when you're more of a character like Taker. They did it in slow spurts at first with stuff like "Fake Undertaker" and when he wore that freaky purple mask in late '95-early '96. But '96 brought a major shift with the Mankind feud. First, they had Mankind, in his first appearance, manage to pummel Taker down, a beating you rarely saw him take. Then they added to it with Paul Bearer turning on Taker to join Mankind, leading Undertaker to a tougher persona, including checking in his funeral outfit for a leather costume.

He kept that up by winning the WWF title in 1997 and then we got the saga of Kane that did seem to humanize Taker a bit but had the great psychology of him not willing to fight his own brother. They finally had that big payoff which led to the somewhat convoluted circumstances of Taker straddling between heel and face against Austin for the WWF title and working with Bearer again. They did a "Buried Alive" match with him buried and when he came back, it was with an even darker attitude, which made sense. Okay, so the whole Ministry thing did go overboard but then, it was 1999 under Vince Russo so it sort of fit and it did show a nice intense edge to Taker's ring work.

Then we get the big change in 2000 with him coming back from a long absence dropping the whole supernatural aspect of his character to become the "American Bad-Ass" motorcycle-riding tough guy. And he made it work. Such a radical shift in his character, getting rid of all that had helped make him popular, shouldn't have clicked with fans but it did and breathed new life in for Undertaker, getting him a couple more title reigns as he even gave a bit of a brush to guys like Brock Lesner. And just when that started to wind down, he took back the "Dead Man Walking" character which seemed fresher now after a few years off. We see the results today as Undertaker continues to be a major name with a few more titles under his belt.

I know there are a lot in the IWC who complain about his sustained push, arguing he's past his prime and is hogging the spotlight too much. But it's important to note that the reason he still remains in the main event scene is because he earns it. The fans aren't tired of him by any means. Even today, when that gong rings, the crowd will go nuts as the man draws bigger pops than nearly anyone in the company. He also moves plenty of merchandise which gets even more attention at Titan and is one of the iconic faces of the company. Just witness how nearly every poster for the move of "SmackDown" features him as he's instantly identifiable with WWE. That's another reason he's always pushed, no matter how bad things are with the company, Taker has never made noise about leaving for another company. That's a show of loyalty that Vince respects and it makes sense he'd pay that back.

Fans buy into him massively today, even without the supernatural trappings. It's helped by the fact that WWE has never really gone into his background. They never use his real name, never show him at home or outside the ring or such. He's simply the Undertaker, more a character than man and that pulls people in more. Even when they have him do over the top stuff like lightning effects and chanting monks, people will go with it. Indeed, the idea that he's playing massive mind games with opponents actually comes off better than supernatural stuff, makes him more cunning and thus impressive in the ring. It's a layer few workers are able to pull off but Taker does and fans accept it.

There's the matter of the Streak. It was never planned, I'm convinced of that, it just happened over time that the Undertaker never lost at Wrestlemania. It was when he faced Flair at Wrestlemania 18 that it really began to sink in that he was unbeaten. Putting him over Flair there kept it at 10 and the next few opponents (Big Show and A-Train, Kane) weren't worthy of breaking the streak. I do think they had considered having Orton break it at Mania 21 (unlucky 13 and all) but they decided to put Taker over. It adds to his mystique, the fact that he has never been beaten at the big show and the fans look forward to seeing if this year is the first. Some will say he will lose and whoever does it will come off looking huge for finally breaking the Streak. But personally, I don't see it happening as I think it'll add to his overall legend that when he finally hangs it up (and that may be soon, the guy is getting up there), being unbeaten at Wrestlemania will be part of his legacy.

It's also important to note how Undertaker still manages to turn in great matches in the right circumstances. The feud with Batista is a great example as most everyone had expected a slow affair but instead, the two clicked perfectly, truly bringing out the best in each other and that added up to some great matches. He may be no technical master but he's a great worker nonetheless and while he may not always job like people want him to, he does gives guys the rub via their feuds. Indeed, being put in a program against the Undertaker is something everyone in WWE wants, I've never heard guys complain about having to work with him. They all recognize that fans pay attention to him and that means whoever works with him gets a push in attention as well. Yes, they usually end up losing their feuds with Taker but it's an opportunity to show their stuff against a legend. Just look at Kane who was not only created due to the Undertaker but continues to get his own sustained pushes thanks to that association.

That brings us to one of the most important parts of the Undertaker, his status as one of the big guys of the locker room. I know some (like my perennial target Scott Keith) complain about how bad this is for one man to throw his weight around but given the problems the locker room has often had with egos and such, having a guy who can keep guys in rein is a good thing. As I noted, Undertaker never thought about leaving the company and has been a major star for nearly two decades so he's a voice everyone will listen to. It might be different if he was just some old-timer coasting along but it's like Hogan in his ‘80's prime: No one really grouses much about him in the spotlight because he still gets monster pops, does good matches and moves plenty of merchandise. Plus, as noted, he enhances others through his programs which earns him more respect. When the Undertaker talks, guys will listen, a power very few workers have.

The power of the Undertaker has been hyped a lot by WWE over the years as supernatural but the man's true power is even greater. He has maintained his stardom for longer than anyone expected when he started out, morphing from a big guy with a weird gimmick into a multiple champion and one of the biggest workers around. He remains a man who can draw a big pop and a big drawing match whenever he comes out and those who go against him get big fame as well. He's the rare example of someone who manages to shift his own gimmick enough to make it unique but still different enough to give him new life and boost the career. And he's made himself one of the true leaders of the locker room, one guy who will make sure others listen to him as he keeps control going. He may need time off now and then for his injuries and age but when he comes back, he's always ready to give his all and the fans are ready to pay to see it. In a way, it's oddly fitting that this Dead Man has found the way to a long life in wrestling and the power that goes with it.


Also around 411mania:

Truth B Told talks about PWG's show delays.

The Fink wonders if Jeff Hardy's getting the belt soon.

Chin talks the Importance of Chyna

The Bard decides to use a spotlight of his own on Christopher Daniels

Against the Grain talks DDP

The Shimmy continues the Hardys report card

The Wrestling Doctor opens his mail.

Tim does his take on TNA and the Economy

Five Star Conversations talks the RAW scene

Thoughts From the Top Rope imagines Mania 25

Piledriver Report continues to talk the history of Shawn Michaels

The Tiger's Take discusses the highlights of 2008 so far

The Best of the Rest also imagines Mania 25

Don't forget Column of Honor, Triple Threat, 3 R's, Fact or Fiction, Ask 411 and the rest.

For this week, the spotlight is off.