10 Wrestlers Who Saved Their Careers TWICE With Gimmicks

2. The Undertaker ('Taker and American Bad Ass)

Not just any old wrestler could have taken The Undertaker gimmick and made it work. Mark Calaway, the guy who accepted it after coming in from WCW, lost himself in the character and played it to the hilt. By immersing himself in the cartoonish gimmick, he possibly even exceeded every expectation Vince McMahon had when he came up with it.

Tweaks were made over the years to keep 'Taker relevant. The biggest came in 2000.

The Undertaker had already added more mannerisms, a quicker in-ring style and some MMA influences by the time he ditched the old duster jacket for a Harley motorcycle and became the 'American Bad Ass'. It was a shift his fanbase didn't know they needed until it happened, and it was easy for 'Taker to play considering his lifestyle and hobbies away from the ring.

Just as embracing 'The Deadman' had 10 years before, becoming a biker refreshed the man's entire mindset and brought him up-to-date with the ever-changing face of pro wrestling. The near four-year run as a biker helped give his more supernatural guise an overdue rest.