5 career turning moments for The Undertaker

#4 The American Badass Gimmick

Still the source of controversy

The history of professional wrestling is full of those controversial talking points that keep fans debating for hours. One such topic is whether or not the Undertaker should have adopted the ‘American Badass’ gimmick during the height of the Attitude Era. Some fans loved it, others see it as a bit of a smear on the otherwise impeccable career of the legend.

In the gimmick’s defence, this was yet another step towards making Undertaker fit in with the realistic, raw nature of the Attitude Era. Even though fans still bought into the Deadman gimmick, there wasn’t as much space for the supernatural in the WWF when you had people portraying porn stars and pimps to contend with. As a way to draw a line under the mystical side of the phenom, Calloway actually put together a persona that was more like he was in real life.

Calloway is a motorbike enthusiast from Texas, and these were pretty much the building blocks of the character. Gone was the long hair and every paraphernalia and in came biker gloves, sleeveless shirts and a bandana. Taker would also come to the ring with popular rock songs playing, as opposed to his more traditional funeral march theme. It was a drastic change, and one the fans would have to get used to fairly quickly.

Nothing changed the fact that Calloway was still a bit part of Vince McMahon’s plans going forward. Taker was still involved in the title picture and had signature matches at Wrestlemania against the likes of Triple H and Ric Flair. He also took on a more heelish persona, later on, forcing JR to kiss Vince McMahon’s behind and threatening Ric Flair's young children.

Again, this helped the character thrive in the upside down world of Attitude Era WWF were heels could get away with doing unspeakable things to their opponents, and still get cheered for them.

The gimmick ended when Taker returned from a brief absence, wrestling Kane at Wrestlemania 20. The Deadman gimmick was back, and this time to stay. But if nothing else, the American Badass gimmick did show how versatile the superstar could be and showed his willingness to adapt himself to suit the mood of the business at the time, not something every top WWF/E star is always willing to do.