4 Superstars Paul Heyman couldn't get over

#1 Mean Mark

Before becoming possibly the greatest superstar in WWE history, The Undertaker was a typical big guy wrestler in WCW. Dubbed as Mean Mark Callous, Taker was put under the guidance of Heyman, then known as Paul E. Dangerously, defeating the likes of Brian Pillman and Johnny Ace, better known as John Laurinaitis.

He was shockingly mature for someone so new to the industry." Heyman said about managing Taker in his early days.

Also read: 5 wholesome Brock Lesnar moments

Mark Callous didn't make waves under Heyman's tutelage and didn't break out of the mid-card throughout his run. Heyman eventually helped him get noticed by Vince McMahon, who initially didn't show interest. After Bruce Prichard asked Vince to speak with Taker, the two met and he soon debuted at WWE Survivor Series 1990. The rest is history, as the dark, mysterious character of The Undertaker became a huge hit among the fans.

The Undertaker is often known to be one of the few superstars who underwent extremely minor changes to his gimmick in a career that spanned over three decades. But The Mean Mark Gimmick is what set the tone for the Deadman to become a legend of the business.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Kaushik Das