WWE: 10 Wrestlers Who Broke Out As Major Stars At WrestleMania

8. The Undertaker

WrestleMania VIII was an interesting show in that it was the first time that fans got the impression that Vince McMahon was looking to move his company out of one era and into another. There was a more attention put on young stars such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and a captivating character named The Undertaker. The man labeled "the Phenom" by the late, great Gorilla Monsoon had been around for a year-and-a-half by the time the event rolled around on April 5, 1992. He had captured the WWE championship a year after debuting but was more or less a means to an end as he would lose the title just days later to set up the critically acclaimed 1992 Royal Rumble. Shortly thereafter, he would turn babyface when he prevented Jake Roberts from using a steel chair on Miss Elizabeth and Randy Savage. It was that show of defiance that set up Undertaker's match with the man nicknamed "the Snake," a match that would not only legitimize the Dead Man in the eyes of the fans but also help him finally breakout as one of WWE's top stars and leaders of the new generation of competitors. At the time of WrestleMania VIII, Roberts was still perceived to be one of the top stars in WWE by fans. One of the most recognizable performers in the industry throughout the late-1980s and into the early-1990s, he had a way of captivating audiences with his superb promo skills. He also had one of the most deadly finishing maneuvers in all of wrestling in the DDT. No matter how flashy the finishers became over the years, that move was always protected and sold by commentators as a potentially deadly move. At WrestleMania, Undertaker demolished Roberts, whose offense had no real affect on the imposing competitor. The Phenom even survived two DDTs, sitting up after each before finishing Roberts off with a Tombstone on the arena floor. The win was not only met with the biggest pop of the Undertaker's career to that point, it also came at the expense of one of the greatest and most believable stars in WWE history. Roberts made him look like a world beater in one night and as a result, Undertaker became one of the top stars in the company and, eventually, the most respected star to ever grace a McMahon-owned ring.