 |
| photo courtesy: cagesideseats.com |
A man arrives in a cloak, surrounded by smoke and flames shooting up. He slowly walks down to the ring and heads for the steps. He then steps up slowly and once he reaches that last step, he raises his arms to light the arena again.
He enters the ring and pulls his hood down, revealing his face. His eyes rolled back, his teeth clench, all to intimidate his opponent.
That man is The Undertaker, and he is WWE’s last old school draw.
The Undertaker returns to WWE: Raw, March: 4, 2013
The Undertaker has done this for years. He first entered in November of 1990 as an old western-themed undertaker, with a black hat and black coat. His entrance was the same, with his days running the Ministry of Darkness and his comeback in 2004. It is arguably the best entrance in professional wrestling.
He was the type of wrestler who beat opponents before the match started. The Undertaker was quite the master of mind games, and still is.
Over time, his gimmick changed. He adapted to the times, even shedding his dark persona entirely for a biker gimmick. The Deadman went back to his dark days at WrestleMania 20, after he was buried alive by his brother in Survivor Series.
Even though the gimmick changed, Undertaker was known for more than his character.
The Undertaker tries to reclaim Paul Bearer's urn from CM Punk Raw March 25, 2013
He became one of the most athletic big men in the business. From his leaping lariat to walking the top rope, he became a wonder for the WWE. His style evolved from a dominant big man to a fighter, using boxing and submissions to his advantage.
The Undertaker is also known for taking part in some of the most shocking matches in WWE history. Casket matches, Buried Alive matches and Hell in a Cell matches are all synonymous with The Undertaker.
But perhaps his biggest legacy is his 20-0 WrestleMania streak. It’s something that will never be duplicated. That list includes a plethora of current and future Hall of Famers, including Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Triple H. His matches with Michaels at WrestleMania 25 and 26 are his best WrestleMania matches, without question.
The Undertaker’s legacy extends over 22 years. He’s not just known for one accomplishment, match or even gimmick. He’s adapted and recreated himself to become a multifaceted wrestler, rare for today’s standards.
The Undertaker is WWE’s last old school draw because of his career and impact on the WWE. Whenever he retires, it will be another moment that will live forever. The WWE will never have anyone like The Undertaker step through those ropes again.
source: bleacherreport.com
