That Time The Undertaker Brought A WWE Superstar BACK FROM THE DEAD In Japan

Time off was rarely an option to Vince McMahon's "independent contractors" during the darkest days for his empire (or...anytime, come to think of it), but The Undertaker was occasionally given rest periods to simultaneously heal up old injuries and heat up old rivalries. Keeping the character fresh also allowed for the modicum of reinvention that inched the character along as his WWE tenure increased.

In 1994, he supposedly levitated into the rafters until SummerSlam after Yokozuna and his gaggle of heel chums chucked him in a casket, yet was back working for the group as early as May on a broadly unsuccessful 'Japanmania' tour. "Broadly" because it didn't sell half as well as WWE were expecting, but not completely disastrous because it opened the door for a prodigious talent to come the other way.

Jinsei Shinzaki was just 28 years old when he worked singles matches against Doink The Clown, The 1-2-3 Kid, Tatanka and The Undertaker himself over four nights in 1994, but his efforts obviously made a huge impression on the right people within the organisation. By the end of the year, he was receiving the full vignette roll-out from Vince McMahon. The rebranded 'White Angel' Hakushi was coming to America, right in time for a darker-than-ever Undertaker's own re-emergence...

CONT'D...

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett