Mark Calaway is going to be just fine but The Undertaker is no more.
Rather than mourn a death, let’s celebrate a legacy like no other.
WrestleMania is best regarded as a collection of moments,
snapshots of superstars that will last an eternity. Whilst the Cena proposal
and the return of the Hardys were worthy entries into the canon of WWE history,
no moment will linger in the mind longer than that which closed the night.
After The Undertaker slowly laid his iconic hat and gloves on the mat, he
kissed his wife at ringside before fading to black, bringing the curtain down
on a legendary career. Rumours of one more match were quick to circulate but
this really felt like Mark Calaway’s exit from the game, an old school ending
for an old school performer. The match was unspectacular, at times sloppy, but
sometimes star ratings and work-rate don’t really matter. This was history in
the making, the Undertaker’s last stand, a passing of the torch, and it was the
right way to call time on one of the greatest runs this business has ever known.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Undertaker has been a near
constant presence in my life, a supernatural extra that I could depend on to be
a welcome distraction from the realities of school and later, career. Even before
my parents signed up to Sky TV, enabling me to throw myself head-first into the
world of the WWF, I already knew who Taker was. I saw his image in sticker
books and magazines that my friends brought into primary school; I heard all
about his haunting entrance and the whispered possibilities that he was really
dead (#kayfabe); so enamoured was my brother with this fantastic character that
he poured his pocket money into the purchase of the Hasbro figure, a big
commitment for a kid who had never even watched a wrestling match at this point
of his life. So when I finally got to watch the WWF in 1994 and saw the
Undertaker wrestle for the first time, it was a big deal for me. And to be able
to watch him for the entire 23 years of my wrestling fandom has been a real privilege.
In terms of his legacy, he will be forever woven into the
history of both the company and the sport: an icon that could not be defined by
conventional metrics like box office and merchandise sales. In pure business
terms, the Mount Rushmore of the WWF/E is Sammartino, Hogan, Austin, Rock and
Cena. The Undertaker, like Andre the Giant, occupies a special sphere distinct
from this group; if Bruno and company represent the Presidents and Popes of
history, mighty men that hold positions of power and respect, Taker and Andre
are more than mere men- they are Gods that command pure reverence. Their
exploits are not road stories to be dished on a podcast; they are myths to be
passed on to future generations.
The Matches
Modern fans looking for Taker matches of old should scour the WWE Network for these forgotten beauties… a WWF title match with Bret Hart at SummerSlam 97 is firmly in the top 10 of both men’s careers and has a finish to die for. The heat seeps through the screen… In 2002, after a couple of rough years, Taker got his mojo back: his match with Lesnar at No Mercy 2002 is great, gimmicky fun, with blood aplenty. Even Heyman gets colour… In 2003, Taker had his only PPV match with John Cena at Vengeance: the bout is far from a classic but as it’s the only time we’ll ever see that combination, it has historic value… His World title match with Kurt Angle from No Way Out 2006 has to be seen to be believed… A last man standing match with The Big Show from Cyber Sunday 2008 generates an incredible amount of drama and is far more engaging than anyone would have thought possible.
The Definitive Feud
When debating Taker’s most iconic feuds, the names of Mick
Foley, Shawn Michaels, Kane and Brock Lesnar are often raised. Surprisingly few
fans instantly refer to the Deadman’s prolonged 1998/99 programme with "Stone
Cold" Steve Austin: a conflict that is one of my own personal favourites. With
Vince McMahon limiting his in-ring appearances, Taker was chosen to be the foil
to Austin for large portions of the Attitude Era and their chemistry was
fantastic as they told a tale based on whether the Rattlesnake could trust the
possibly corrupt Phenom (spoiler: he couldn’t). This was one of the better
drawing programmes of Taker’s career, with the SummerSlam 98 card that they
headlined securing 700,000 PPV buys, making it the highest performing SummerSlam of all time. The story lost
momentum and became convoluted with the formation of the Corporate Ministry (although
that theme song was one hell of a mash up) but the culmination of a first blood
match at Fully Loaded July 1999 was brutal, gory entertainment.
The Bits Best Forgotten
Even legends have some moments that they would like to
forget… It’s fair to say that the early years of the Undertaker didn’t throw up
too many classics. Nothing was as bad as his 1993 brace of matches with Giant
Gonzalez… well, at least until his 2006 feud with The Great Khali. Now admittedly, Khali’s
selfie game is strong but he was such a limited performer that it’s astonishing
that he wasn’t only booked to beat the Undertaker at Judgement Day- he was
booked to absolutely squash him… His 1994 match with the imposter Undertaker at
SummerSlam was an interesting idea but wasn’t executed brilliantly. Even
Leslie Neilson couldn’t save it…On an episode of RAW in the summer of 1999,
Taker told a story about having dumped The Big Show in the desert a few days
prior. Fortunately, Show still made TV, walking to the arena with brand new
snake skin boots. This was weird…A feud with DDP could have been something but
Taker gave the Hall of Famer absolutely nothing in their brief series… The
Undertaker once forced Jim Ross’ face into Vince McMahon’s bare naked arse.
No wonder he felt like he owed JR a gig at this year’s Mania!
No wonder he felt like he owed JR a gig at this year’s Mania!
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