For the life of me, I'll never understand the love given to the Undertaker's "biker" persona, "The American Bad Ass!" It was my least favorite version of the Undertaker by far. Despite the whole "real world" vibe wrestling was trying to put out there, I still wanted the Undertaker to retain his old persona. The Undertaker progressed and changed with the times, the biker persona notwithstanding. He was a chameleon and adapted very well throughout his career, always making slight adjustments.
The debut of the Undertaker character in 1990 was somewhat risky, and could have gone either way. He came in during a time when the over the top gimmicks were still happening but long enough before that kind of thing was frowned upon by fans. If that character debuted any time after he did, it could have been disastrous. I just turned 11 years old when I saw the Undertaker make his way to the ring at the 1990 Survivor Series and fondly remember being scared. Back then, I don't think anyone knew, including the Undertaker himself, what kind of legacy he would eventually have. No one could have predicted the unbelievable career he had.
Minor changes were made over the years. He remained somewhat similar in the early 90's but his hair got a little darker and he wasn't as pale. He started selling more than he used to. He traded in the gray for purple in 1994 when he returned to dispatch the fake Undertaker and eventually avenge his loss to Yokozuna by defeating the 500lb behemoth in a Casket Match. After his initial feud with the likes of Hulk Hogan and his first taste of Championship gold, he became the man that slayed the beasts. He was fed all the big men, from Kamala to Giant Gonzales and beyond. In 1995, he had his orbital bone broken my Mabel and came back with another tweak, in somewhat of a Phantom type mask. Fortunately, this led to WWE changing the kind of opponents the Undertaker would normally have. He became a much better wrestler after being paired with opponents like Bret Hart.
By 1997, he looked a little different. His former manager by that time, Paul Bearer, began tormenting the Undertaker with an apparent big secret the fans were not aware of. Taker then bore a teardrop tattoo under his eye. Bearer made mention of the Undertaker's brother, who was thought to have died in a fire. That man would be known as Kane, who's also had a fairly legendary career. The Undertaker got a lot more serious due to his feud with Kane throughout 1998. If it was even possible, the Undertaker got even darker than ever and started the Ministry of Darkness as its leader. He would perform rituals, tried to marry Stephanie McMahon, and even attempted to "crucify" Stone Cold Steve Austin. He was the personification of evil! After an injury in the fall of 1999, he was on the shelf for almost a year.
When the Undertaker returned, he was no longer perceived to be an undead Zombie of sorts. He returned wearing leather and denim attire, with a long trench coat. He transitioned that to riding out on a motorcycle and thus the birth of "The American Bad Ass." His theme at first was by Kid Rock and would later change it to "Rollin" by Limp Bizkit. He would then cut his signature long hair. I hated this gimmick! It wasn't the Undertaker! My friends and I refer to this as the "amnesia years." It was important to stand out so that's why I don't see the appeal of this version of his character. He's the Undertaker! I disliked trying to make him more human. While he did produce great matches and even got another Title run, I could never get behind this gimmick. After Kane and Vince McMahon buried him alive at the 2003 Survivor Series, little did the fans know what the Undertaker would do or look like upon his return. Thankfully, he came back as the Dead Man we knew and loved!
The over the top nature of the Undertaker's character is what I like about him. That's the whole point. Someone I know once said that the Biker gimmick was his favorite version of the Undertaker because it seemed the most real. I am the complete opposite way and informed this person that the Biker gimmick was in fact, something I hated and preferred the Undertaker to be the Dead Man. Who cares about real? This is professional wrestling! Overall, I absolutely despised "BikerTaker" and wish it never took place. I know they're inducting Kid Rock into the WWE Hall of Fame and along with how wrong I think that in itself is, I really hope he doesn't play the Undertaker out to the ring as Taker comes out under his biker persona. That's not the lasting memory of the Undertaker that I want!
If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments. Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans. Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport. For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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