10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 1997
8. The Deadman Takes A Dive
Superstars might have gone the way of the dodo as WWE embarked on an era that would change their trajectory forever, but the wrestlers themselves were taking more and more risks with their characters in line with the grand philosophical shift.
Physically, they weren't afraid to make changes too, and no one wrestler embodied both mindsets more than one of the men that had been there the longest. Undertaker's return at the 1996 Survivor Series was more than just a rebadge in a Batman outfit and pretend teardrop too.
On commentary, Jim Ross was at pains to point out 'The Deadman' using a drop toehold and working with a little more pace and poise than fans had been used to over the prior half-decade. It all fed into him becoming WWE Champion once again at WrestleMania 13, and on the road to the 'Show Of Shows', he worked to prove his worth with a jaw-dropping new aerial assault.
The above clip, taken from the March 10th (and debut) edition of "Raw Is War" saw Undertaker step into - and leap out of - the "WarZone" with a tope con hilo onto Vader and Mankind. It was clumsy and clunky but all the better for it. An out-of-character move should be, and The Undertaker had never looked less like the 1990 vintage.