An Anointed Deadman

[Pay Per Ghost]

As the curtain draws on an illustrious career, we look forward to a farwell of the grandest magnitude very very soon.


However, what if only Mark Calloway retires. What if, another Undertaker is chosen and the gimmick lives for another 100 years with a different man. Someone who is as agile, strong or even better than Mark Calloway. It is a long shot, but what if the next Undertaker, is anointed?


Surely, a gimmick like this has more longevity than the life of a man. It could rather be a very grand scheme that will come off perfectly in the WWE (oh here we go, I can see there is wagon loses its wheels) or well, you know.


Too much thought? Calloway gone, Undertaker bye-bye for everyone?

 

[VinnieSunshine]

No way man. Mark is the ONLY Undertaker for me. When I think of the Undertaker, I think of the facial expressions, the rolling of the eyes, the voice, the movements. No one else can do what he has done with that character. He has made it his own, developed it into his own creation.

NOW...if a NEW character were to come about, along the same lines, I MIGHT be able to get behind the idea. However, it CAN NOT be anything like Taker. The music, move-set, actions, clothing, entrance...it all has to be original.

But no one can take the Undertaker character.


I could, however, see Kane trying to take it. Undertaker is all but retired. He has been gone and and not heard from for a few months. All of the sudden the lights go out. Kane appears as Taker, claiming that he is going to take on his "brothers" legacy. Eventually Taker comes back, challenges and beats Kane at WM, retiring Kane. Undertaker can then slip away silently one...last...time.

 

[GLOBAL ICON]

No. Nobody could ever do that. Mark Calloway has done the gimmick to perfection. As the poster above said, he has made it his own creation. Mark Calloway has made The Undertaker his identity, his persona and he has lived every moment of this character to the fullest. If at all (and I doubt no one will) someone does the Taker gimmick, that person will be compared to Mark and what Mark has done is truly untouchable.

And nor do I think Kane will carry on his brother's "legacy" because Kane has just got a newly tweaked character and he has brought back his mask so I don't think he'll give it up just to be a lesser version of The Deadman.

The Undertaker is just one and I don't think Vince or Hunter will mess with it. As Triple H says "The Undertaker is a brand" and somebody else copying it will make them look bad and weak and it will take away from what is the original legend. So when Mark Calloway retires, so does the legendary Phenom.

 

[Its_A_Snake!]

Good god no, imagine it and what you are saying for a second.

It would be like another Fake Diesel & Fake Razor Ramon running around

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I vaguely remember a thread like this was made sometime last year. On the surface, it might seem like an interesting idea to some people. Taker's gimmick is among the most original and iconic in wrestling history but that in and of itself could be a hindurance.

Giving another wrestler the mantle of the Undertaker character will give said wrestler a major, uphill battle that I don't believe could be won. This wrestler would forever be in the shadow of Mark Calaway and would be constantly compared to Calaway in which he'd most likely always come out on the short end of the stick. Taker's character is one that's evolved into this near mythic figure over the course of the decades and you can't just stick some other wrestler in that role & expect people to just accept it because they wouldn't. It would also sabotage the career of any wrestler the WWE attempted to anoint as the new Undertaker because of how good Calaway is in the role. Fans would write the new Taker off as a cheap copy and WWE Creative would be ridiculed for laziness.

The only time I can really recall someone taking the gimmick of a legend, making it their own and doing a better job than the original is when Ric Flair adopted the "Nature Boy" character. The Nature Boy is the ultimate arrogant, materialistic heel and Flair did a better job than Buddy Rogers. However, the Nature Boy & Undertaker characters couldn't be more opposite and you haven't seen anyone try to adopt the Nature Boy character since. The closest we've seen is when AJ Styles was running around as a near Ric Flair clone and it was horrible to watch because Styles couldn't pull it off.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

I certainly hope they don't give someone else The Undertaker character.

The truth is that is setting up whoever takes that character up to be a massive failure. Its next to impossible to reach the standard that Mark Calaway set as The Undertaker and even less likely to surpass it, if you can't surpass Mark Calaway than don't even bother.

Giving a new wrestler The Undertaker character is like giving a new wrestler Mr. Perfect or Hulk Hogan, they did so good as those characters and those characters are so great and fondly remembered that you just can't picture anyone else as those characters.

In very few cases you can give the same gimmick to different people. For example, Ric Flair isn't the original Nature Boy but he filled the shoes of Buddy Rogers so well and took that gimmick to the next level. Because of Flairs skills and adding his own, superior twist on the character it worked.

On the flip side there were other Nature Boys that weren't as good as Buddy Rogers and those guys flopped because they weren't as good. Its like playing McKid's for the NES (which is a shitty rip off of SMB3), it just makes you wish you were playing Super Mario Brothers 3.

In theory finding a new Undertaker could work, but only if whoever they found was even better than Mark Calaway and could play the gimmick itself better than Mark Calaway. That's a near impossible feat. Mark Calaway as The Undertaker is one of the top 5 greatest of all time, the best big man there ever was, good luck finding another Mark Calaway. But then again Buddy Rogers was considered one of the 5 greatest when Ric Flair took the Nature Boy gimmick so its possible, highly unlikely but possible.

If I was WWE I wouldn't try it, guys like Mark Calaway are 1 in a billion, anyone else who took that gimmick would be seen as a rip off and ultimately, it would just make you want to see the original.

EDIT: Basically what Jack-Hammer Said, maybe next time I will read everyone's responses instead of just the OP's before replying.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Don't let the naysayers get you down Paper, while it would be a huge challenge to duplicate the UT character effectively, it is no reason to not try. We've had the honor to watch his character all of these years and there is no reason the character can't be carried on with a new Superstar. I don't know how the story goes (relative, imposter, mentee, magical passing of his powers) but it could work.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I vaguely remember a thread like this was made sometime last year.

You have a pretty good memory Jack. That was me, although the thread was merged.

http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showpost.php?p=2768163&postcount=14

Anyhow, for anyone who is not willing to read that entire post, my suggestion was for Undertaker to pass on the gimmick to another guy. Obviously not many people agreed because not only The Undertaker, but Calloway is also an institution. It is very hard to see anyone succeeding in this role because Calloway has played this so well.

I still may be in the minority who thinks this is a good idea and should be tried out. After all, The Undertaker is supposed to be immortal, why not let him be that way? This way, The Undertaker gimmick can continue for as long as WWE exists. Yes, I do understand that Undertaker does not wear a mask but his look is such that it can look almost the same on two people. My arguement, as you would find in that post is that James Bond movies did not stop once Sean Connery stopped playing the role. Same for Michael Keaton and Batman or Christopher Reeve and Superman.

The biggest stumbling block, I feel, would be the internet. I can so easily see this move being pulled off in the days when wrestling sites did not exist. If this were to happen today it would be announced much before the change actually took place and the IWC would come all over the place. The New Taker would be booed all over the arena as a fake by the smart fans. Some people have said that the new wrestler may not be able to perform as well as Calloway but regardless of that, the truth is, that he would not be given a chance to.

 

[lazeric]

IMO the only way this could work was if the Taker character was a masked wrestler. Mark Calloway's facial expressions and mannerism are what makes the character but if he had wore a mask for his entire career then ppl wouldnt be so attached to the thought of it being only Mark as the Undertaker. Mexican and Asian masked wrestlers do this all the time but here a wrestler's face is so attached to their characters due to the fact thats what we see all the time.

 

[covieo81]

he could use the hair he was showing being cut in his vignette a couple weeks to create a clone like dr. frankenstein lol. i think it would be a hard thing to pull off but it could work. never say never.

 

[AwesomeRko]

I don't think that they could have someone just step in and act as if its a seamless transition they would have to acknowledge that the new undertaker was different in some respect. This would work best if they could get paul bearer involved and perhaps run a story in which undertakers spirit after he has eventually been vanquished or disappeared possess a new young superstar. It would tie in with the immortal thing and he could be pushed as an unstoppable mega-heel similar to Taker in the MOD days with bearer as his manager.

 

[Jdulemba1001]

If they wanted to try to bring in a "new" Undertaker, they would have it acknowledge it as such. Maybe someone retires him and says they will fulfill his legacy or something. But the idea of him stepping out and someone just seemlessly acting like its Calloway wont work.

 

[midgensa]

You no ... at first I wanted to be like "Hell no!"

But then I got to thinking ... which might have been stupid.

This might actually work. It would take an immense talent to pull off. Take a ridiculous amount of work. And it would need the writing to be flawless. But ... just maybe.

About 10 years ago when I was an even bigger idiot than I am now I thought it would be cool for the WWE to look for a Taker clone for UT to take under his wing. A similar sized, athletic guy. They could simply call him "The Phenom" and have Taker mentor him and take him to new heights for a few years before the "split" pays off with a couple solid matches.

That would be tough to do now because Undertaker does not have the time to be a full-time mentor in a storyline. But it definitely could work with the right guy.

That all said ... I would not trust WWE to pull it off.

 

[FightOwensFight]

The character lends itself to being something that could last beyond Mark Calloway, but the problem is that it would be obvious it was someone else. They could be the same size, have the same costume, move the same way, and even talk the same way, but the issue is we know what Mark Calloway looks like and it would be obvious it wasn't him. If it was a masked character (or even one with face-paint) it would have a chance at working but with his face being so well known you wouldn't be able to pull it off.

 

[Cebeards]

This would only be possible if passed down from the Undertaker in some way. I think Kane only took off the way he did because he was introduced on the piggy back of Undertaker's already illustrious career.

If they introduces a new character and aligned him with Taker for a year or so then you have the capabilities of creating an Undertaker-esque character. I don't honestly believe that having him take the title of Undertaker and run with it would be successful, but having Undertaker vouch for a new monster with a similar gimmick would help fill a corner of the void that Taker will leave. This style of push would require a heavier schedule for Mark for a little while. Have him lead his new protege into Wrestlemania against someone worth beating for his first win in a new "streak".

You need an Intelligent, Agile, Strong, Sizable Athlete. You also need a blood in WWE man, not someone that will turn tail in a few years to make movies or try out MMA.

Hell, you could even start up a ministry like faction for a bit so you can try out a few different guys simultaneously and thin it down to one.

But, these are just ideas.....we'll see.

 

[Wrestlemania 20-0]

i've see one guy for to make this it's the Underfaker managed by Ted Dibiase,imagine his resurection when Taker leave the WWE.
Maybe Brian lee must to play for an second time Undertaker in his career with the help of dibiase.
The carachter of the Undertaker is unique and his future descendant will be different with an something of darkness more pure.
i' m not persuaders that Mark Calaway give his ledgments for this,he has work 21 years old for that.

 

[Cats Pajamas]

Good evening, ladies & gents...it's been a long day in the blossoming northeast & I consider myself privileged to be able to discuss this fascinating idea with my WrestleZone colleagues to wind down the night. Alright folks, here goes...

I don't think this idea is implausible, not by a long shot. In fact, I really wish more guys would take a page out of the Undertaker's tome. What is Undertaker besides a themed caricature of a legit badass, Mark Calloway? His on screen persona is a type of character we've all seen in the movies; Undertaker's depiction of it coupled with fans utmost reverence for Calloway have made it entirely convincing. Admit it… Taker's expressions come off so natural you'd assume he truly has been completely desensitized by being enveloped by tombstones and carcasses his whole life.

I'll reiterate after that tangent: I do think it's entirely possible replicate the Deadman... but a few things have me worried. Even if christened the "new" Phenom by Calloway himself, the audience could possibly be stricken by sequel syndrome. After an unparalleled 20 some odd year legacy, it would be a lotta years before some young gun looks legit & not like a toddler in his dad's loafers. The Undertaker is just that damn good... Would Mr. McMahon become disenchanted with this story before it could catch on?

Also, with the extraordinary kind of multi-platformed talent it would take to replicate the Undertaker gimmick, I'd have to wonder what that performer could have done with an original character. Instead of taking years of unmitigated hate from fussy, stuck-in-their-ways viewers, what could they do to build their own, unique wrestling epic?

This is actually one of my favorite wrestling related fantasies. I've always wondered if they could give a performer the "graveyard" theme rather than a "dead man". I'm a HUGE fan of all things N’awlins and I'd love to see a Cajun Gravedigger; complete with voodoo-esque superstitions and bayou antics. Cookin’ up gumbo, raisin' the spir'ts from the dead, and managed by none other than (the deathly delicious) Roxxy Levioux (instead of Paul Bearer)! Oh, and don't forget that obligatory bayou vernacular!

That's all my opinion, though... take a tough guy and give him vibes of mortem. Then hope to Hell that Hollywood or the Octagon doesn't offer him more money. Thanks Ghosti, you made my evening brotha! Until next time use all-natural toothpaste, stay out of graveyards after dark, don’t trust anyone named “Beetlejuice” and best regards, wrestling fans.

You found the secret message! "Never adulterate your evil..." Harry Shearer

 

[WWEvsJosh]

lol and i mean lol because i wrote a thread asking would there ever be another Taker or Kane.

Someone wrote on my thread about Taker having a son and having him take the role. I like that idea. I would like for him to have a different name but do pretty much everything Taker did.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

You have a pretty good memory Jack. That was me, although the thread was merged.

http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showpost.php?p=2768163&postcount=14

I, have never seen (sniffs finger), that thread in all my life.

Good evening, ladies & gents...it's been a long day in the blossoming northeast & I consider myself privileged to be able to discuss this fascinating idea with my WrestleZone colleagues to wind down the night. Alright folks, here goes...

I don't think this idea is implausible, not by a long shot. In fact, I really wish more guys would take a page out of the Undertaker's tome. What is Undertaker besides a themed caricature of a legit badass, Mark Calloway? His on screen persona is a type of character we've all seen in the movies; Undertaker's depiction of it coupled with fans utmost reverence for Calloway have made it entirely convincing. Admit it… Taker's expressions come off so natural you'd assume he truly has been completely desensitized by being enveloped by tombstones and carcasses his whole life.

I'll reiterate after that tangent: I do think it's entirely possible replicate the Deadman... but a few things have me worried. Even if christened the "new" Phenom by Calloway himself, the audience could possibly be stricken by sequel syndrome. After an unparalleled 20 some odd year legacy, it would be a lotta years before some young gun looks legit & not like a toddler in his dad's loafers. The Undertaker is just that damn good... Would Mr. McMahon become disenchanted with this story before it could catch on?

Also, with the extraordinary kind of multi-platformed talent it would take to replicate the Undertaker gimmick, I'd have to wonder what that performer could have done with an original character. Instead of taking years of unmitigated hate from fussy, stuck-in-their-ways viewers, what could they do to build their own, unique wrestling epic?



That's all my opinion, though... take a tough guy and give him vibes of mortem. Then hope to Hell that Hollywood or the Octagon doesn't offer him more money. Thanks Ghosti, you made my evening brotha! Until next time use all-natural toothpaste, stay out of graveyards after dark, don’t trust anyone named “Beetlejuice” and best regards, wrestling fans.

You found the secret message! "Never adulterate your evil..." Harry Shearer

I wish color show in quotes, AH! Nice! No idea who Harry Shearer is. I know an Alan Shearer though.

You know who I thought could actually have gone into the new Deadman gimmick...

You know, I don't do things half-assed like Rattle. I will give you some names. I will give you his name. His name is Kassius Ohno!. I know it's brilliant. I thought Chris Hero was brilliant still. And I apologize to Rattle. I think all this Taker talk is Brown Syndrome. And Rattle is awesome-chutney.


Anyway, yes so if anyone could actually take over, and I peek my head tp see through the crowd, I do see this guy. I can play fantasy booking but here is how it should/could/would go:

It can all come about in a very simple manner. Say Mark Calloway loses his last match, a buried alive match against a heel at Survivor Series. Heading upto Wrestlemania our heel brags about how he has ended Undertaker's career when cue gothic voice. The gothic voice says " Foolish man. The Undertaker is Immortal". At that moment the gong strikes, and the druids come out with a casket. The casket opens and Undertaker appears with a slightly different attire. The only other difference being that The Undertaker is not Mark Calloway.

I think everyone has reacted rather marvelously as to how open they're to a new person filling in the new casket, so in short you are underselling the IWC. Sure we are a bunch of idiots but if someone can be good, the majority of us will call him good. The minority who wanna act like goth-*****es, will find fault in a flower bloom in spring. Kassius Taker will pray for them.

lol and i mean lol because i wrote a thread asking would there ever be another Taker or Kane.

Someone wrote on my thread about Taker having a son and having him take the role. I like that idea. I would like for him to have a different name but do pretty much everything Taker did.

Grr I mean grr, I almost thought you ripped me off, but reading your thread did give me a realization that it might be impossible to create Kane. Know why? Kane is Taker's brother. He has a very rich history that revolves around Taker. Kane can never be done. The Undertaker can because he is an independent character. Hell, I even imagined a whole dark coronation ceremony where Kassius would come down, bow before Taker and Paul Bearer could take his hat and then put it on Mr. Yoko Ohno's luscious locks.


Kane, no. He was burned, that's why he wore a mask. And all that. Impossible to do Kane, even more ludicrous if you do a new Kane with a new Taker.

It's not a rite of passage to burn your little brother to become the Undertaker.

Don't let the naysayers get you down Paper, while it would be a huge challenge to duplicate the UT character effectively, it is no reason to not try. We've had the honor to watch his character all of these years and there is no reason the character can't be carried on with a new Superstar. I don't know how the story goes (relative, imposter, mentee, magical passing of his powers) but it could work.

Yes, see that's it. Even as a 24 year old I wanna see the dark, mystical stuff; and then come here and totally lie through my teeth as to how gay that segment was. It wasn't. Gays are fine and so are druidy hoods and fire. I absolutely loved the whole Deadman gimmick over the years. Yes the internet is strong and maybe young'uns these days break kayfabe virginity earlier than we did, however this character, deserves to live on. And live on the shoulders of someone who can carry it out with everything. Poise, persona, move-set...everything.