10 shocking moments from WWF (WWE) 2000

#5 The Undertaker returns as the American Badass

A new Taker.

The Undertaker is one of the most beloved and respected performers ever to compete for the WWE. His legendary 'Deadman' gimmick is probably the most well-received character the fans have ever seen, managing to stay popular in a variety of different eras and cultural backdrops.

When Taker took a leave of absence from the WWF back in 1999, many were anticipating his return. What they didn't expect, however, was that Mark Calloway would come back to the screen as a totally transformed version of The Undertaker.

Instead of the long black coats and gothic imagery, Taker dressed in biker clothing, using a motorbike to come to the ring. Out went the old funeral match music and in came Limp Bizkit's 'Rollin'.

Fans are still split as to whether the American Badass gimmick was an example of clever versatility on Calloway's part or an unnecessary blight on the otherwise perfect career on a legend.

The gimmick was not without its moments, for example, the Wrestlemania 17 match against Triple H amongst others. For what it's worth, however, the WWE doesn't tend to talk about the image change very much today, which perhaps tells us a lot about how the company themselves view the whole affair.