The original Undertaker was a Vince McMahon creation through-and-through. It combined the elements of the cartoonish and larger-than-life aspects of the early 1990s with an intimidating darkness that captivated audiences. Theres a reason why the Wrestling Observer named the Undertaker as Best Gimmick five years in a row, and how virtually everyone, from fans to fellow Superstars, praise the Deadman gimmick: its the ideal combination of athletics with suspension of disbelief that defines what professional wrestling in the United States is and should be. The American Badass was so much less. It turned the supernatural character into, well, a mana normal man who happened to like motorcycles, chewing tobacco, and Limp Bizkit. All of the things listed in this article were issues that made the Undertaker character look weak. By showing a more human side, the characters larger-than-life presentation was all but destroyed. Sure, people were able to hear the Undertaker speak, and he did offer some great lines here and there, but the Undertaker was never really about speaking in the first place. He was about staring people down, raising his hands in the air and making lightning strike down like some sort of demigod. Everything about the Deadman is so much better than the American Badass. His entrance was cooler, his ring presence was stronger, and his intimidation factor was way higher. Hell, his signature taunt was a thousand times better (throat slashing signaling for the Tombstone vs. simply raising an arm in the air for the Last Ride). Vince doesnt like what the American Badass did to his greatest creation, which is why you dont mention it near him. And if Vince doesnt like something, youre not likely to hear about it. So considering how much work Vince and Mark Callaway put into the Undertaker character, anything that discredits its mystique is something that Vince wants forgotten, and that includes the entire history of the American Badass.
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.
