10 Important Steps In The Undertaker's WWE Evolution

8. His Face Turn In 1992

During his first year in the WWF, the Undertaker was a monster heel that demolished everyone, including Hulk Hogan in a World Title match at the 1991 Survivor Series. But as Undertaker himself alluded to in his documentary, €˜This Is My Yard€™, by the time he entered the ring for that match, the fans were roughly 60-40 in his favor. So the WWE figureheads capitalized on this by turning him face in early 1992. After being aligned with Jake €˜the Snake€™ Roberts since SummerSlam 1991, the Undertaker turned against his former ally, and defeated him at WrestleMania VIII. Going forward, the Undertaker became a massive fan favorite. Fans were no longer truly €˜afraid€™ of the Undertaker, but more fascinated by him. His character was becoming popular all over the world, and, as Bret Hart mentioned in his book €˜Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling€™: €œhe was getting a huge response everywhere, being greeted by hundreds of kids dressed in black with rings under their eyes.€ This marked a key point in the Undertaker€™s career, as he would remain a face for the majority of his career. Though he would turn heel again in 1998-1999 for the Ministry of Darkness, in 2001-2002 as €˜Big Evil€™, and one more time in 2004 during his feud with Paul Heyman (who had stolen the urn), even during those periods it was somewhat difficult to really boo the Undertaker. But none of this would€™ve happened if the Undertaker did not turn face in 1992. Imagine if the Undertaker had been a monster heel for many years, rejecting the cheers he received from the fans in the same way Stone Cold Steve Austin did prior to his face turn. Though Undertaker€™s face turn seemed inevitable, the turn in 1992 helped transform his career, and made him one of the most popular and celebrated WWE Superstars of all time.