10 Times Wrestlers Abandoned Their Comfort Zone
6. For All Mankind
By the start of 1996, WWE had pushed Undertaker's character to the absolute limit, and a desperate change was needed to restore 'The Deadman's flagging credibility.
The formula since his 1992 babyface turn had seen his character avenge an original beating from a monster figure, before gaining ultimate revenge at a subsequent pay-per-view or high profile event.
Despite occasional highs, the diminishing returns were especially evident in 1995, when Undertaker was made to wrestle back control of Paul Bearer's urn against multiple opponents on several separate pay-per-views.
His eye-opening war with Mankind built on more credible feuds he'd had with Bret Hart and Diesel, and completely reinvented The Undertaker persona for a new generation of fans.
Crucially, 'Taker himself and the creative team took huge chances with the gimmick in the believable frantic setting the story with Mankind had helped them craft.
Firstly, Mankind got to win. And win big. After pinning Undertaker in their first pay-per-view match at King of the Ring in June, he'd then win SummerSlam's 'Boiler Room Brawl' and join forces with Bearer to cement his dominance.
With the two brutally battling again several more times, the much-maligned purple-gloved iteration of the character made way for a harder-edged contemporary persona, who would eventually take Mankind down en route to reclaiming the WWE Title at March 1997's WrestleMania 13.