The Undertaker is the most successful gimmick in WWE history. As the supernatural Deadman, Taker was known for being allegedly impervious to damage, had the power to summon fire and lightning, loved funeral dirges, and had some sort of connections with the Devil and the afterlife. As cheesy as all of that sounds, Mark Calaway turned that character into one of the most memorable and successful of all time. However, Undertaker is also known for another gimmick: the American Badass. From May 2000 to November 2003, Undertaker wore jeans, bandanas and sunglasses; drove a motorcycle down to the ring, and acted like a normal human being. It was definitely a surprise to many people when this new Undertaker appeared, and that run still has its share of memorable moments. However, that run only lasted three years, before the Undertaker returned to his Deadman gimmick at WrestleMania XX. He has stuck with that old gimmick and hasnt looked back. In fact, WWE has acted as though those three years never happened. As an example, when Taker and Triple H had their feud in 2011, their match at WrestleMania X-Seven, which took place during that American Badass run, wasnt even mentioned until after their second match together. Why has WWE blackballed the American Badass? Why is the Undertakers run as this different character not referenced by WWE, well, ever? The answer is, because that character did more harm than good for the Undertaker. While it did freshen things up a bit, and provided fans with some truly memorable moments, some of the booking and presentation during that run was actually quite harmful to the legendary Undertaker. There are many reasons for WWE to not want fans to remember the Undertakers run as American Badass, but the ten that will be discussed in this article stand out more than others. Maybe after reading this, youll see the American Badass in a new light; one that isnt as bright as one mightve first thought
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
