Unfortunately, it was during this period that his in-ring work diminished significantly. catchphrase and defended WWE against the invaders from WCW and ECW, he remained one of the most popular stars on the roster. Later, when he developed the Deadman Inc. A man on an island, devoid of any real friends, he was an outlaw gunslinger and the fans found it cool. The American Badass would throw hands with Austin, Rock and the other babyfaces on the roster as quickly as he would Triple H, Vince McMahon, D-Generation X and even his own brother, Kane. The theme songs became as significant to the overall package as anything he did in the ring. He entered to Kid Rock's "American Badass" (hence the character label) before segueing into the more appropriate "Rollin'" by Limp Bizkit. A biker with no affiliations of his own and no desire to develop any, he was perfect for an Attitude Era that had elevated the likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to worldwide recognition. Unfortunately, his chokeslam to The Game cost Rock the WWE Championship and set the newly dubbed American Badass up as an avenging anti-hero who was not on any one man’s side. It would prove key to ensuring he remained relevant and successful in a company he had helped grow into the biggest sports entertainment empire in the world.Īfter weeks of vignettes featuring young girls playing a game of Ring Around the Rosie, they paid off with the re-emergence of The Undertaker, who exploded through the curtain on a Titan motorcycle, coming to the aid of The Rock as The Great One was beaten down and brutalized by Triple H and the rest of the villainous McMahon-Helmsley Regime. In September 1999, his body beaten and battered from years of in-ring wars with the likes of Mankind, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Vader, Kane and Steve Austin, Undertaker disappeared from television after shooting an angle with Vince McMahon that resulted in his removal from the Unforgiven pay-per-view main event.ĭuring the rehabilitation time off, he would undergo a transformation that would save both him and his career while introducing the WWE Universe to a side of the man it had never seen before. It was also because obvious there was no forward direction, either. The Ministry of Darkness chapter of The Undertaker took things in such a drastic, edgy direction that it became obvious it would be difficult to go backward. Consistently able to recognize when it is time for change, he has spent his career adjusting his on-screen persona to better fit the times. Without even considering it, he immediately shot the idea down, citing his belief that if the streak had to end, it should only when Taker was ready to retire.One of The Undertaker's greatest attributes has always been his ability to evolve and adapt as a character. This time the WWE creative team offered the honor to Edge, who, at the time, sat atop "Smackdown" as the World Heavyweight Champion. At the last moment, McMahon got cold feet and decided to keep the streak alive instead.įast forward to the road to WrestleMania 24, and once again the Undertaker's streak nearly came to an end. For a few weeks, Henry's WrestleMania win was in the cards, but as we know, he didn't come away from the event as the victor. He said that the idea came from Vince McMahon himself, and Taker even agreed with the plan. On the Something to Wrestle podcast, Bruce Prichard recalled backstage discussions around the time of WrestleMania 22 that Mark Henry should end the Undertaker's undefeated streak.
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