9 Things We Learned From Bruce Prichard's Undertaker 1993-1994 Podcast
Find out why The Undertaker's feud with Giant Gonzales wasn't a complete disaster...
First hired as part of the then-WWF's production team, a young Bruce Prichard eventually made his way into the promotion's inner circle during the late-1980s, and part of his job was keeping an eye on the competition.
Taken by a tall redhead named 'Mean' Mark Callous working in WCW, an intrigued Prichard recommended the wrestler to Vince McMahon. Callous would go on to become The Undertaker in 1990, a character that must be considered one of WWE's greatest ever creations.
Prichard wasn't there for the entirety of 'Taker's run, but he did serve as 'The Deadman's first manager in the company. Working behind the scenes, the awestruck Bruce watched with surprise as The Undertaker morphed into one of the WWF's biggest babyfaces.
On his latest edition of the Something To Wrestle With podcast, Prichard aimed to recant in detail Undertaker's 1993-94 period. Here's all that could be gleaned from the show, including some tidbits many won't have known before now...
9. Bruce Came Up With The Undertaker's Famous Sit-Up
Impervious to pain and introduced as a slow-moving zombie-like character, the original Undertaker character wasn't renowned for having classic matches inside the ring. This wasn't a concern though, because The Undertaker offered something truly different and thus stood out due to that lack of pace.
Looking for something to help aid 'Taker during his early years, horror fan Bruce Prichard noticed how Michael Myers would sit up from heavy blows in the Halloween series of movies. Straight away, he pitched the idea to 'Taker and suggested this would give the heel a chilling characteristic to use during matches.
Though this development came long before the period Prichard talks about on his podcast, it's fascinating to learn that he was the one who came up with The Undertaker's iconic 'rise from your grave' sit up.
Undertaker obviously liked the idea, because it's one he has used consistently throughout his career, even when working the 'American Bad Ass' biker gimmick from 2000-04.