10 Ridiculous Wrestling Gimmicks That Shouldn't Have Worked (But Did)

The Undertaker is the most important WWE superstar of all-time, an instrumental part of the company’s long-term success, and one of the best wrestlers of the past few decades. There’s no getting away from his accomplishments and influence on the business, and when he eventually retires, pro-wrestling will be losing one of its all-time greats.

Despite all this, “The Undertaker” gimmick itself is a completely ridiculous concept. A living zombie-like giant with a deep, booming voice, teleportation powers, and the ability to shoot lightning from his hands, the base concept is as daft as it gets. ‘Taker is a literal dead-man who “rose to the heavens” after losing a casket match to Yokozuna at the 1994 Royal Rumble, and has “died” countless times since then.

Yet he keeps coming back, because this is wrestling, and wrestling doesn’t make any damn sense. Still, The Undertaker might be among wrestling’s silliest gimmicks on-paper, but his longevity is unparalleled, and he’s made it the most successful gimmick in WWE history.

Mark Calaway is quite possibly the only man who could’ve made this work. A gigantic performer, he wrestles with surprising speed and agility for a near 7-footer, and when he retires, he’ll go down as a seven-time World Champion with a legacy of excellence. His track record of quality matches, compelling stories, and legendary feuds is almost impeccable, and his body of work is stronger than any of his peers’.

So strong is Calaway in his portrayal that he can legitimately make you completely forget the character’s absurdities. As far as taking a potentially disastrous character idea and making it successful goes, nobody touches the Deadman.