WWE News: Edge and Christian explain how The Undertaker character became popular
What’s the story?
Former WWE Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian discussed their fascination with The Undertaker’s gimmick this week on E&C's Pod of Awesomeness. They spoke about the legacy of the Deadman and how he made the gimmick work.
In case you didn’t know...
The Undertaker’s career is perhaps one of the best in the WWE. In over 20 years with the WWE, he won 7 World Championships, 6 tag team championships, and a Royal Rumble.
However, the most glittering record is the Deadman’s Wrestlemania win-loss ratio which stands at an impressive 23-2.
The heart of the matter
Edge and Christian discussed how Mark Calaway, who played The Undertaker character, made the gimmick work. Edge asked whether The Undertaker character on paper, would have been the cornerstone of WWE and go undefeated for over two decades at Wrestlemania, to which Christian replied that Calaway worked hard on the character.
He stated that anyone else portraying that character would have run out of relevance a long time ago. Both Edge and Christian praised Calaway’s commitment to the gimmick.
They also said that he embraced the personality and added new dimensions to the character. Christian went on to say that whenever The Undertaker made his entrance and the audience heard that symbolic gong, everyone in the arena would stand up out of respect and reverence for the Deadman.
What’s next?
The Undertaker worked his last match at Wrestlemania 33 against Roman Reigns. By the looks of it, it will most likely be The Phenom’s last match in the WWE. The Undertaker will be a strong contender for next year’s WWE Hall of Fame which will be held in New Orleans – the same place where Brock Lesnar broke the streak in 2014.
Author's Take
The Undertaker was a constant in WWE since his debut in 1991 until the twilight years of his career in the late 2000s. That kind of longevity in the sports entertainment business is in itself a tremendous achievement.
Taker has won several championships and a Royal Rumble during the course of his career. The main event of Wrestlemania 33 was all about The Phenom and Reigns’ win was overshadowed by the emotions that followed after the matchup.