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How highly debatable is this topic? Every fan discusses it amongst his or her friend circle in fervour. WWE certainly gives us their official take on it. Wrestlers doing interviews generally offer their two pence worth on the issue as well.
Determining the greatest WWE Superstar of all time though, is a task and a half. Subjectivity cries out at each aspect of comparison between wrestlers for it is the way in which the industry functions. There is no formula that, upon strict adherence, yields stardom and greatness in the WWE.
Stone Cold Steve Austin arguably created the greatest global impact for the WWE within a short span of time. Hulk Hogan, aptly prefixed with ‘Immortal’, has ensured that his legacy has endured through decades. Shawn Michaels probably runs off with the title of the greatest showman, while Triple H is on the cusp of inheriting the whole company.
Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart’s technical in-ring dexterity was undisputed and The Rock’s massive success in both the WWE and in Hollywood is evidential of the man’s unparalleled ability to entertain. Brock Lesnar is the only man in the world to unite the NCAA, WWE and the UFC Championships, a feat that will find replication near impossible, and John Cena has been THE quintessential company man in the past decade.
Each of these wrestlers boast of their own, respective claim to fame – a valid and relevant reason why they should be considered the greatest WWE superstar of all time.
And then, there is the Phenom. Come Wrestlemania 32, the rumour mills claim to be the end of his career, but even if that were true, what a storied career Mark Calaway has enjoyed. Here then, is a look back at his ethereal legacy that has held the WWE Universe captive through the ages.
Here is a look at 10 reasons why The Undertaker can be considered to be the greatest Superstar in WWE History.
1) Longevity
Hands down, the Undertakers trumps every other superstar on account of the length of his service to the WWE. For 25 years, the Undertaker has been plying his trade in the WWE, and is by far the longest-serving active member of the WWE roster.As fans, we are used to mentioning The Undertaker in the same breath as Stone Cold, The Rock, Triple H, Mick Foley and with good reason. These are the superstars who formed the star-cast of the Attitude era and we recount them on the same nostalgic pedestal, but the truth is that The Undertaker pre-dated all these Superstars in the WWE, and out-lasted them too, barring Triple H of course.In an industry as prone to grievous bodily injury and wear, The Undertaker has bore the passing of years lightly, and still features as one of the main draws on the WWE roster. He started when the old guard was very much part of the WWE landscape, and has stayed with the company through numerous eras and programmings.
2) Consistency
Perhaps what is even more poignant than underscoring the longevity of The Undertaker’s career is to realize that he has spent 25 years at the top of the industry. Daniel Bryan, Edge, Stone Cold, Mick Foley ( though I’m not too sure anything will actually stop this man from performing) are all examples of big names in the industry whose bodies just could not withstand the abuse after a point in time.
The maintenance of a 6 foot 10 inch, 300-pound frame over 25 years then, you would agree with me, is nothing short of a colossal achievement when viewed in contrasting perspective.
Fast forwarding to present day, where a potential Undertaker match at Wrestlemania still symbolizes genuine credibility, unlike the many post-retirement novelty bouts that we witnessed of both Hogan and Flair over the years.
The Undertaker’s matches still deliver on a pro-wrestling level, a very under-noted achievement that is characteristic of a man whose tenure in the WWE began and looks set to end, at the top.
3) Locker-room Leader
A wrestler earns greatness by not only what he leaves out in the squared circle, but also his actions in the locker-room that may affect the industry behind the scenes. When negotiation is required from the wrestler-front with the top brass in the company, or when decorum needs to be maintained in the locker-room, The Undertaker has repeatedly stepped up to the plate.
When the Montreal Screwjob played out, though we look back at the positives surrounding the incident now, it sent waves of concern pulsing through the locker-room. The inordinate amount of partiality that Vince McMahon was bestowing upon Shawn Michaels did not sit too well with the other wrestlers, and rumours that Michaels had a hand in the Screwjob added further fuel to the fire.
Wrestlemania 14 was around the corner, and Michaels was penned in to drop the WWE Title to Stone Cold Steve Austin in the main event. Upon hearing that the Heart Break Kid initially held reservations about losing, the locker-room felt the need to ensure that a repeat of the Screwjob did not occur.
The Undertaker, acting upon the behest of the locker-room, then proceeded to tape his fists in front of Shawn Michaels and in a move of sheer intimidation, informed him that he could either agree to drop the title to Austin the easy way or else…
Wrestlemania 14’s main event, then saw Shawn Michaels drop the WWE Title to Stone Cold, giving him his first reign and officially kicking off what would later come to be termed as the Attitude Era.
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.
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.
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.
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.
8) The Streak
There is a rumour that The Undertaker’s loss at Wrestlemania 30 to Brock Lesnar might have not been scripted but was due to the inability of the Phenom to recover from a concussion that he sustained earlier and hence to kick out of Lesnar’s pin attempt.
Even if that were true, Paul Heyman did a stellar job of running with Lesnar’s triumph; so much so that it now does not matter as much that the rub of breaking the streak directly went to Lesnar. It is the one who vanquishes the one in 21 who will ultimately benefit from what is indubitably the greatest streak in sports entertainment.
It is an ode to the Undertaker’s legacy that his Wrestlemania 31 bout against Bray Wyatt was just as emotionally absorbing to the audience as his previous matches that preceded the circumscription of the Streak.
Ironically, the idea of ‘The Streak’ has overshadowed the actual streak itself, for the streak has been broken. Yet the Deadman keeps count at Wrestlemania, with his score at 22-1 after Bray Wyatt. The WWE universe keeps count with him, eagerly awaiting Wrestlemania 32 for the chance to experience the vaunted grandeur and mysticism that the Undertaker inspires, possibly one last time.
9) Feuds
A wrestler’s rise is generally not only dependent on his own talents and efforts but also on a myriad of other factors ranging from the willingness of the company to give him a ‘push’ to the kinds of storylines and feuds that he engages in.
Many Superstars fall by the wayside for the want of a gripping storyline and/or an established big name to feud with. The Undertaker suffered a shortage or neither in the infancy stages of his WWE career and later on became the “big name” upon association with whom a Superstar could make his name.
Over the years The Undertaker has been a part of memorable feuds with Superstars like The Ultimate Warrior, Jimmy Superfly Snuka, Jake The Snake Roberts, Kane, Stone Cold, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Mankind, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Batista, Randy Orton, Edge, CM Punk etcetera. A case could be made that the list of wrestlers to feud with the Undertaker would all be potential Hall of Famers, if they already are not.
In some senses, he is the gold standard when it comes to storylines and feuds in the WWE. You always know that a feud with the Undertaker is bound to get intense and involve a good measure of psychology and mind games.
It is through this process that many wrestlers have cut their teeth in the WWE, with Bray Wyatt the latest to confirm this notion, emerging with the moniker “The New Face of Fear” after his recent brush with the Deadman.
10) Dependability
Vince McMahon as we have come to witness over the years, is not exactly the most flexible and adaptive of people to work with and a fair share of wrestlers have come to either fall out with him or depart from the company due to other unaddressed gripes and concerns they may harbour.
Even top level superstars have been guilty of parting ways with the company and leaving the WWE universe in a lurch. Whether they were justified in doing so is another argument entirely. Stone Cold didn’t like the fact that he was booked to lose to Lesnar and famously “no-showed” an episode of Raw.
Ironically, Brock Lesnar himself cited the strains of the constant travel as a reason to depart the company. The Rock left to pursue a career in Hollywood, while CM Punk left because he was asked to work through injuries and had, by then, rubbed enough people the wrong way in any case.
Through all of this, The Undertaker’s steady presence has woven itself into the fabric of the WWE for the past 25 years, and regardless of the kind of talent that the company either acquires or relinquishes, his dependability as a main event draw has been unparalleled.
Quotes about the Undertaker
Jim Ross: "Everybody claims to be an icon and claims to be something special and maybe they were in their day but none will ever surpass the Undertaker in my view"Kurt Angle: "He is our leader, and I consider Undertaker the best ever" Shawn Michaels: "Wrestling against Undertaker was the best professional experience of my life." Triple H: "He is the greatest legend in the history of this business"Michael Cole: "The biggest? Smackdown and WWE superstar of all time,the legendary Undertaker".Mark Henry: "It's hard not to put The Undertaker in the same breath as Hogan and Rock because not only has he served more years as them, but collectively, I'm sure he's sold out and made more money than all of them."
