10 Important Steps In The Undertaker's WWE Evolution

2. Becoming The American Badass

Judgment Day 2000 was a historic Pay-Per-View event because it marked the return of the Undertaker€sort of. The Lord of Darkness did not walk down the aisle; a tall man sporting a long coat wearing sunglasses and riding a motorcycle came down and attacked D-Generation X and Vince McMahon. The man we saw standing before us was the Undertaker in name, but the supernatural character he was not. He was the American Badass, and this was the closest thing to the real-life personality of the man behind the gimmick, Mark Calaway. His entrance theme no longer featured smoke, dark lighting or ominous funeral music; instead there was rock music. The tone in his voice changed from a dark, eerie figure to that of an ordinary person. He even began bringing his now ex-wife Sara to the ring with him, to reflect a more human aspect of himself. He even phased out his Tombstone finisher in place of his new Last Ride finisher, to complement his biker persona. The American Badass persona of the Undertaker marked, up to that point, the most dramatic transformation in the Undertaker€™s career. For a decade he was known for his gimmick and for the mystery that surrounded him, so for many fans, the sudden change in character was very surprising. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzCSQR4C-qc Despite the change in character, Undertaker was still able to give fans some memorable moments during this period. He turned on JR, forcing him to kiss Vince McMahon€™s ass on RAW; he dragged Hulk Hogan around the arena while riding his motorcycle; he made Tommy Dreamer drink his tobacco juice, and he nearly ran over Vince with his motorcycle. These are only a handful of the moments brought to us by the American Badass. The Undertaker managed to demonstrate to everyone just how versatile he could be. He managed to switch from one of the most unrealistic yet successful gimmicks to a more normal and human character without losing his top spot in the WWE.