10 Insane Wrestling Gimmicks That Morphed Into Another Level
1. The Undertaker
Mark Calaway's portrayal of the Undertaker is the greatest gimmick character work in pro wrestling history.
The addition of 1992-era Superstars to the WWE Network illustrates the eternal power behind the act. 'Taker stalked the ring slowly, menacingly. His famous entrance hypnotised us years before the pitch black dark and expense of dry ice and flames more literally interpreted hell, and it was all in those cold, dead eyes - and that you could barely even see them puts the work over into the realm of genius.
Think the bone-chilling void of humanity that is David Flair's face, only, that's what he was going for.
'Taker's legend grew as Vince McMahon allowed him to dig up his dormant abilities as a super-worker - nobody ever hit the ropes like the Dead Man, and few were more formidable at throwing opponents haplessly to the depths - but, under the pen of Vince Russo, an undead mortician character became even more batsh*t.
He referred to himself as the Lord of Darkness. He reunited with the father figure that had abandoned him. He amassed an army - the Ministry - to enact his evil plans. He cut his wrists open and fed Mideon his blood as a means of initiating him, when really, he could've just said "C'mon, it's better than Southern Justice". He...
...did all this to enable Vince McMahon to get one over on Steve Austin!