The Undertaker's evil overlord gimmick of the late-90's must stand as one of the most prolific and interesting portions of his career. Leading The Ministry Of Darkness, 'Taker excelled as a top heel, following years of playing main-event babyface. It seemed like the man himself was intrigued by the possibilities of what this tweak on his famous character could create, but in December, 1998, that persona would manifest controversy, and a hell of a lot of complaints from viewers. Strapping Steve Austin to his "symbol", The Undertaker would pretty much crucify 'Stone Cold', his opponent for the upcoming Rock Bottom PPV. The pair were set to collide in a Buried Alive match on the supershow, but all eyes were on Monday Night Raw, where the WWF experienced a plethora of criticism for booking such an angle. On the original broadcast of the show, lead announcer Jim Ross outright said that Undertaker had crucified Austin, but when the show was sent to international markets, the commentary was altered to state that 'Taker had simply strapped Austin to his symbol in a show of power. This storyline nuance brilliantly outlines the difference between the Attitude Era and today's product, this wouldn't happen in 2015.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
