10 Important Steps In The Undertaker's WWE Evolution

4. Changing His Move-Set

During a triple threat match between the Big Show, Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker, Kurt Angle, who was at ringside doing commentary said €œThe Undertaker€™s dangerous with submissions€. In another match, the Undertaker performed a small package roll-up, which is a move normally with cruiserweights. Furthermore, The Undertaker€™s signature WrestleMania maneuver is his no-hands over-the-top-rope running suicide dive, which is remarkable given the fact that he€™s 6€™10 and around 300lbs. The point here is that the Undertaker has constantly changed his move-set over his twenty-four year career in the WWE. The only moves that have been real constants were the Tombstone Piledriver, and his €˜Old School€™ ropewalk chop. Other than that, virtually everything has changed over time. He even added his Last Ride Powerbomb to his arsenal to freshen things up. This is a key feature that has made the Undertaker not only stand the test of time, but has made him keep wrestling without getting stale. Even the smallest of changes help make him a bit different. From 2005-2008 or so, his signature €˜superstar comeback€™ would be as follows: multiple clotheslines to a cornered opponent, followed by snake eyes, then a big boot to the face, ended with a pin. From 2009 onwards, he added a leg drop to make things different. This might seem small in the grand scheme of things, but small changes add up over time, especially for the Undertaker. How many near-7-foot tall wrestlers frequently dabble in submission holds like the triangle choke or the gogoplata? And how many heavyweight wrestlers have the balance to perform a ropewalk chop or a flying clothesline? And most importantly, how many big men in WWE history are so agile that they can perform suicide dives like the Undertaker? There is only one: Undertaker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5chOuc-UPSU These are the things that make the Undertaker unique and change over time: he started off as a stiff, slow-moving zombie of a wrestler with power moves, and evolved to a striker with submission moves. The Undertaker knew how to adapt constantly throughout his career, which is why he is so revered.