10 Reasons why The Undertaker is the greatest WWE Superstar of all time

The evolution of the Undertaker’s gimmick over time

4) Gimmick

Having a mysterious persona is a risky ploy that could either make a wrestler with the audience or forever marginalize him, like in the case of the Bogeyman. It’s a fine line to tread in the execution of such a persona and requires an in-depth understanding of psychology in fair measure.

The prolonged success of his character over two and a half decades stands testament to how well the Undertaker has adapted and suited his gimmick to changing times and audiences.

For instance, the Attitude Era version of the Undertaker had such a cloud of dark mysticism hanging ominously over his character sparking off dirtsheet rumours claiming that Mark Calaway the man himself, had Satanic inclinations. The crucifixion of Stone Cold and dragging Kevin Nash into the depths of the abyss, one has to agree, made for some eerie television but was undeniably riveting nonetheless.

This was followed by the American Badass gimmick, which perhaps made sense for the purpose of letting off some steam, but the Phenom could not be kept down and he resurfaced soon enough.

The PG era, with all its limitations could have spelt the end for the controversial Phenom gimmick, but the Undertaker’s mastery over psychology allowed him to tweak his character and yet retain its credibility. The overt dark gestures had been replaced by subtler ones that still held the audience captive. He didn’t’ need to crucify a wrestler anymore to prove his point. Just having the lights go out to the sound of a gong would send chills running down the spines of everyone.

Enormous credit must go to the Undertaker for how he has handled and evolved his character with respect to time and programming, something that is ironically veiled by the relevance that he continues to possess in the WWE.

The bout with an aging, post-streak Undertaker still did wonders for Bray Wyatt’s credibility – an ode to the Phenom’s continuing relevance in the industry

5) Relevance

At no point in his career, unlike Flair, Hogan or Foley, has the Undertaker’s match been looked upon as merely a nostalgic bout. For instance, when Mick Foley shows up to work a segment on Raw, the audience know that any in-ring action that may ensue will be severely crippled by his washed-up physical condition. Consequently, if he made weekly appearances and abused the nostalgia aspect that is associated with him, that wouldn’t exactly be the best for business would it?

For the Undertaker though, despite 25 years in the industry, the expectation surrounding his matches has not diminished on account of his lack of relevance.

However, relevance is not something that is merely maintained through fitness and performance levels, but rather has majorly to do with how much credibility a bout involving a wrestler invokes in the audience. Were the Undertaker able to wrestle weekly still, his matches would likely be viable draws on a very pro-wrestling level and not just because of the nostalgia that is associated with him.

After spending quarter of a century in a company, still legitimately being relevant with respect to the pro-wrestling aspect of the industry is an achievement that has never really been replicated by any other wrestler.

The Undertaker performing one of his many signature moves, The Tombstone Piledriver

6) In-ring Ability

As fans, we sometimes fail to understand that size generally limits a wrestler’s athletic ability and speed. As a result, while we may be generous in praise for a cruiser-weight like Ziggler for his in-ring exploits, we have to understand that we cannot expect the same standards of performance from a heavyweight due to the athletic concession that tags along with a bigger frame generally.

The Undertaker however has highlighted repeatedly over his career an uncanny athletic ability that belies his frame; enabling him to pull off spots like Old School and also allowing him the option of pulling out high flying moves from his armoury to add spice and novelty to proceedings when required. His tomb stone piledriver is fabled while the last ride, the chokeslam and hell’s gate are all moves that draw pops from the crowd each time they are performed.

The Undertaker’s in-ring repertoire is markedly broader than other top draws that have represented the company like John Cena or Hulk Hogan for instance and is one of the reasons why his matches are still looked forward to, come Wrestlemania season every year.

Right from The Undertaker’s first Wrestlemania victim in Jimmy Superfly Snuka, his opponents include an impressive array of Main Eventers

7) Main Event Material

The protocol of first putting the Intercontinental Title belt on a wrestler as a dress rehearsal perhaps, before promoting him to main event status and putting the WWE Title on him has been oft applied in the WWE. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Stone Cold and Triple H are all examples of wrestlers whose paths to greatness followed this routine.

Not for The Undertaker though. His character was so well enacted right from day one that the Undertaker distanced himself from such frivolities. After his debut in 1990, he knocked none other than Hulk Hogan off his perch, for the WWE Title just a year later.

His first Wrestlemania match was against Jimmy Superfly Snuka. He entered the WWE landscape and straight away, started mixing it with the top stars and legends in the company.

In the Undertaker’s case, there was no dress rehearsal. He didn’t require it. He entered WWE programming as bonafide main event material and 25 years later, he still remains so.