Defining the Moment: The Undertaker

[LSN80]

I feel this thread series is off to a good start based upon the number of responses Ive received in the HHH, Edge, and John Cena threads of the same nature. I truly enjoy seeing different perspectives on the same man's career, as it really shed some light as to how we, the IWC, view said wrestler. it was great to see so many viewpoints on the same wrestler, as there were some moments I had never even considered, and some that had simply slipped my mind. That's what I was hoping to accomplish when I started this series, and all of you have made that happen. The fourth installment of the series is The Undertaker.

As Ive previously described, a career defining moment is that time in a wrestler's career that made you take notice more than any other. It's the special moment in said wrestler's career that made you look at them differently, as more then the average wrestler. Please don't confuse it with the moment you took them seriously as a main eventer, as that's an entirely different subject whatsoever. This is the moment you believe the wrestler will be remembered for when all is said and done so far in their career. It's not confined to a match either, as it can be a promo, segment, a series of events in a row that lead to an amazing climax, or an incredible match. There's no set criteria for this, just your personal opinion. Whether we like the wrestler is immaterial, and this isn't a "first" list. It has everything to do with what really stick out as the crowing moment of said wrestler's career(to this date) when it's all said and done.

When looking at the Undertaker, any championship he's won has been overshadowed by the Streak, in my opinion. When Undertaker retires, it will be the one thing fans will look back upon as the pinnacle of his amazing legacy. I thought of using the match that started the Streak against Jimmy Snuka, the first time the Streak was really emphasized against Randy Orton, and his epic battle at Wrestlemania 25 battle against HBK. In the end though, there's truly only one moment I can personally label as Taker's defining moment, and that not only extended the streak, but ended the career of the greatest Superstar of all time the following year in HBK. To me, this truly is Undertaker's defining moment. Here's the best video I could find to accentuate my point.

[YOUTUBE]IYQZSoGS2K4[/YOUTUBE]

Undertaker's match with HBK is his carrer defining moment up until this moment because of the ramifications for it. Not only did it put his 17-0 WM record on the line, but Shawn's career was on the line as well. It was high drama, and the psychology at the end was absolutely brilliant. Noone will ever forget Undertaker's show of mercy, followed by HBK mocking his throat slash, and the super Tombstone 'Taker delivered. It may not have been the better wrestled match, but it may very well have been better in terms of ring psychology. To me, Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker, career vs streak, has been the defining moment of his 21 year career. Now I throw the question to you.

What was the defining moment of Undertaker's career? Im looking for more then just an example, as I want an explanation as well. I want to know why you feel the way that you do. And as always, have fun with this!

 

[nbrew2119]

For me...im gonna go a little old school here.

My career defining moment for the Undertaker was when he stuffed the Ultimate Warrior in the casket back in the 90s. Im not if a lot of people took the Undertaker seriously before this, but, now, one of the top guys in the company was now "unconscious" in the casket, thanks to this new guy.

Now granted, there have been SO many moments, but, for me, this was it, it went perfectly with his gimmick, and got him started, even more than he already was.

 

[Long Island Iced D]

this tread idea is great. you sir deserve a rep!. i would have to say the victory over hogan for the wwf championship at Survivor Series 1991 to become the youngest champ ever was his defining moment. Although he had help from Flair, it put Taker into the title picture and it was a win over the biggest star of wrestling. For close second would be the win over Michaels at WM 26 because it showed the respect from Michaels to have his last match.

 

[The Brain]

It’s really hard to pick a certain moment for someone who has been with the same company for twenty consecutive years. There was one really obscure moment where I started to look at Taker differently. I’m not really sure it fits in with the term defining moment as it’s not really something that most people will remember Taker for if they even remember this moment at all. It was however memorable to me.

Taker entered the WWF in 1990 and was booked pretty strongly from the start. After demolishing Jimmy Snuka at WrestleMania VII and becoming the new phenom he set his sights on The Ultimate Warrior. Surprisingly he actually got the best of Warrior during their feud and earned a title shot against Hulk Hogan actually defeating Hogan for the title for a brief six day reign. Taker looked like the real deal. Shortly before WrestleMania VIII he turned face and while I wouldn’t say his career went downhill by any means he did seem to fall out of the main event scene. For the next year and a half he feuded with guys like The Berzerker, Kamala, Giant Gonzalez, and Mr. Hughes. He was always popular but when you thought of world champions or contenders names like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Bret Hart, and Lex Luger stood out while Undertaker was an afterthought. Then this happened.

[YOUTUBE]GHkCiLbiQPQ[/YOUTUBE]

Now that might not seem like anything too special but at the time I thought it was awesome. Undertaker just appearing when the lights went out hadn’t happened yet so it wasn’t expected. Looking back it seems natural to think of Undertaker when Cornette was claiming no one could beat Yokozuna. As I mentioned though, Taker was just a gimmick guy who always feuded with other gimmick guys and he just wasn’t thought of as a title contender. It’s not that no one would take him seriously. It just wasn’t his role at the time. This opened my eyes and make me think “why not Undertaker.” I began looking at him differently and looked forward to seeing him challenge for the title. This interview took place shortly after SummerSlam 93 and somehow it was kind of swept under the rug. The weeks went by without any mention of this challenge. Yoko’s rivalry with Luger continued and the main event was set for Survivor Series without Taker. Then due to a (kayfabe) injury to Tatanka Undertaker found himself as a replacement and opposing Yokozuna’s Survivor Series team. Taker and Yoko had a brief showdown and ended up getting counted out together. Yoko wasn’t going to be able to dodge Taker anymore as the title match was set for Royal Rumble 1994.

Taker didn’t win the title and actually wouldn’t win it for over three more years. After the feud with Yoko, Taker went back to feuding with guys more on par with the likes of those from before his title match. However, it was that promo where he challenged Yokozuna that caught my attention and made me realize Undertaker could be a viable challenger for the world title at any given point in time.

 

[gunnascott]

It is without a doubt beating Jake The Snake Roberts @ WM8. Jake was the ultimate evil at the time and had mega heat after the Macho feud. The beating that he gave Roberts is legendary and made the undertaker the unstoppable force he is today.

 

[Ultra Awesome]

Honestly, I'd have to say that the defining moment in the Undertaker's career would have to be his entire career. Don't get me wrong, Undertaker has delievered some phenomenal moments in his long time with the WWE. But we're talking about 'defining moment' - not 'best moment' (although the two can intermingle). And when I think of 'defining' in terms of the Undertaker, I think of the longevity that is his career.

Undertaker has been in the year for over twenty years - that's more than anyone in the wrestling business. From his debut as the Undertaker, to his teaming with Kane to become the Brothers of Destruction, to the Ministry of Darkness, to the American Bad-ass gimmick, and then back again to the Deadman Persona--the Undertaker has delivered more exciting, extravagant feuds the likes of which we have all enjoyed. Sure, there were a few hits and misses in between, but overall Undertaker has had a career to be desired.

Add that to the legendary undefeated streak at Wrestlemania, and you have one fucking amazing career. So, yea, for Undertaker's defining moment, I have to with his entire career - it's all been one hell of a ride.

 

[Xemmy]

The Undertaker is a living legend, and defining his moment is so incredibly difficult because so many stick out, and will be played back long after he's gone. He's had moments with nearly all the icons throughout wrestling history in the last twenty years. Hogan, Warrior, Savage, Flair, DiBiase, Nash, Hart, Michaels, Foley, Austin, Rock, Jericho, Cena, Lesnar, Edge, Batista, and Orton. Picking a single moment is damn near impossible. I'm not even going to try- so I'll point out two.

The first one is most important to me. It's the moment that made me a fan of the Undertaker in my childhood. On December 7th, 1998- Along side Paul Bearer, The Undertaker carried the unconscious limp body of Stone Cold Steve Austin up the ramp to waiting Druids and a symbol. He draped him over the symbol and the druids strapped him up, raising the symbol. In the ultimate symbol of dominance, the Undertaker crucified the helpless face of the company.

[youtube]ny75ciSI-44[/youtube]


However, although it's not my favorite moment, the true defining moment of most careers is their first world championship. A year after his debut, the Undertaker went 1 on 1 with the Immortal Hulk Hogan. The Undertaker was dominant throughout the match, and he beat Hulk Hogan for the championship with help from Ric Flair. Although it was with help, The Undertaker beat Hogan at a time when Hulk Hogan was unbeatable, and it cemented him as an always lurking threat to World Wrestling Federation title after he lost it.


Honorary Mention: "Spirit of the Undertaker, Royal Rumble 1993"

The Undertaker's been in so many great fueds and matches, that it's hard to call anyone wrong when they pick, so long as it's not flat out stupid. The man defines wrestling itself. He is the greatest of all time, and his moments will last forever.

[youtube]Ic0H4qnwMq8[/youtube]

 

[mrhexum]

Man.... all of the moments I was thinking of have been mentioned...

-Beating Hogan for the belt leading to an "emergency" pay-per-view
-Feud with the Warrior
-Face turn/Jake the Snake feud
-The streak

All are great...and there's countless others but I'm gonna have to go with his debut at Survivor Series. He has captivated us many times, but, I think that initial look was more defining than anything.

 

[Newman]

This might seem awkward however, I think this video speaks volume about how highly regraded The Undertaker is :

[YOUTUBE]HThUwz5WyZQ[/YOUTUBE]

After Khali pinned the Deadman, the announcers went berserk over it. "I can't believe this, I can't believe this!" screamed Michael Cole. "What the hell, are you kidding me?" echoed Tazz. Lets throw kayfabe out of the window here. A 7 foot 3, 420 pounds monster destroying someone smaller than him is nothing alarming. However it is The Undertaker and that's the reason why it is shocking. It is certainly not a career defining moment, not even a standout moment of Taker's career. However, this video just about illustrates what The Undertaker is all about.

 

[caesarmacdaddy]

I remember a lot of those moments very fondly, but I didn't really jump on the Undertaker bandwagon, until the early 2000's when he stepped up his ring game to a new level.

When he became Big Evil, a heel version of the American Badass, I really became a fan. His ring game became great and added new moves and a new level of brutality. I remember when he used a chair to spear people on throat after matches (Jeff Hardy, RVD, Maven) when he was Hardcore Champion.

 

[Dave]

The moment that propelled the Undertaker into super stardom, for me, was his win over Triple H in 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven. However, this one takes a little while to explain, so please bare with me whilst I try to give you my true feelings on the matter.

In 2001, I had been a fan of wrestling for around a year. Yes, I was one of the minds captured by the Attitude Era and although I had watched wrestling before, it was never to the extent of this time. I didn't have Sky (the place where it was shown), so it was difficult for me to watch the WWE. However, people at my school would talk about it as if it was the second coming of Christ. I tried my best to get a hold of everything that the WWE were doing and wouldn't let it go. Finally, I managed to convince my cousin to record the shows for me onto VHS and drive an hours journey to me every Sunday with my tapes of Raw and Smackdown. When he managed to do it, which was a lot surprisingly, I was the happiest person on the face of the planet.

However, when he couldn't manage to make the drive, I was infuriated that I had to miss an episode. The reason that I was so angry was because I had missed Triple H and what he was doing that week. Yes, I know that Stone Cold and The Rock were around then and no one seems to believe that I would pick The Game over them but that is what happened. Even then, no one at my school sided with me when we talked about who would be the most successful (a debate which I feel I have won over time). Triple H was the epitome of the WWE for me and just managed to draw me into the product with his performances. Nothing has changed in that time but that is a different story for a different time.

With that being said, Triple H was running an angle that he had beaten everyone that he could beat in the WWE. He had recently beat Austin in a “2 out of 3 falls” match at No Way Out, which said a lot because Austin was heading towards the biggest match of his career and an era-defining match with The Rock. Triple H was saying that he had beaten everyone, only to be interrupted by The Deadman who informed The Game that he hadn't beat him and the match was set.

At the time, I didn't realise how big a match this would be for either man. It put Triple H on a list of people that The Undertaker would go over at WrestleMania, which has become somewhat of an honour these days, a honour which Triple H might be doing again in the near future. However, I was sure that Triple H was going to beat The Undertaker. SO much so that I bet one of my friends at school that I would give him my Triple H action figure that I held so dear, When the match was upon me, I was still sure that Triple H was going to be the man coming out of the match with his hand held high in the air. However, it was not to be. The Streak was held faster than ever and I believe that this match is the moment that the streak became proper and legitimate.

Although it might not be saying a lot to many of the people who come on here, the win over Triple H was what put The Undertaker into the upper graces of my mind. No longer did I think that he played second fiddle to anyone. This was the moment that I believed he was a phenomenon and I have never changed that mindset in the entire time I have been watching since. The match, whilst not ending the way I wanted it to, was absolutely incredible; it had everything that you could possibly want from a match. It was well-contested, fiercely-fought and compelling from the start to the end. In all of my time watching the WWF, I don't think that any match has given me that much pleasure before. After the match, I knew that The Undertaker was for real and although it probably didn't mean a lot to many people here, it meant a lot to me and it will make WrestleMania 27 all the better when they meet again.

 

[Takerfan93]

I usually would be able to pick a moment, for most wrestlers, but not The Undertaker.

There is no one moment which I think is his defining moment, because I think from the moment he debuted, he just had it, and everyone knew that this guy was something special. He was NEVER anything less than a main-eventer IMHO - first world title a year after his debut (which really was a big deal back then), competed in a Wrestlemania a few months after his debut (and destroyed JIMMY SNUKA, a very well established veteran). With his dominant gimmick, you just couldn't have him going anywhere but the top.

His defeat of Hulk Hogan (the face of the WWF), his first Wrestlemania win against Jimmy Snuka, his defeat of Jake the Snake Roberts at WM, his casket match and "rebirth" against Yokozuna, the Undertaker vs imposter Undertaker staredown, his 2nd world title win against Sycho Sid at WM13 (I'll always remember the moment where he did his signature post match pose lifting up the title), his first feud with HBK (specifically the first HIAC match), his feud with Mankind, most definately the HIAC match with Mankind (everyone will always remember that), his crucifixion of Stone Cold, his kidnapping of Stephanie McMahon as part of the Ministry, his return as the American Badass at Judgement Day 2000, his match against HHH at WM17, the image of him grabbing a bloody Ric Flair's throat while in the figure four at WM18, his return as the Deadman at WM20, his 2005 return at Survivor Series, his 2007 Royal Rumble win, his World Heavyweight Championship victory at WM23 (which was huge because it was his first title run since returning as the Deadman and his first in 5 years, and first WM title match in 10 years. I remember one of the commentators saying "it's been a while since we've seen this theme at a Wrestlemania" or something like that), his rivalry with Batista (which I absolutely loved, it was the first time in so long I had seen Undertaker in a huge world title program), his World Heavyweight Championship victory against Edge at WM24 (A PPV which I loved, and this main evented it), his WM25 feud/match with HBK, his WM26 rematch with HBK (and the moments after) are all moments which I remember him for

In all, there is no one moment for this Legend, who I consider to be the greatest of all time. No one moment can capture just how awe-inspiring he is; there are just so many.

 

[MaddMatt]

Two moments. The original face turn, when Jake the Snake Roberts slammed Taker's hand in the Casket, and Undertaker chased after him dragging the casket behind him. It illustrated his gimmick perfectly, and established that there was nothing that could stop him; nothing that could hold him down; no one that could hope to get the better of him, at least not for long.

The other moment was his selection to the All Americans Survivor Series team in 1993. Prior to this, he was rarely used in a tag team fashion. He always had his own agenda and his own interests. Obviously, because of the gimmick, his involvement tips the scales in favor of anybody he sides with. This moment established him as a top face. The crowd reaction was tremendous. The American flag on the inside of the trenchcoat was clever. His role in the actual match was less than spectacular - sweet countout/staredown - but his introduction to the team was quite the opposite. That was when the wrestling world took notice of him as a potential threat to whoever the champion may be, and cemented his main event status that would carry forward for the next (nearly) 20 years

 

[Ferbian]

There's a lot of great choices out there for what defines Undertaker's career, and what ultimately put him as one of the top of the crop guys in this business, and eventually made him into the legend he is today.

However, there's one specific event that I would at least like to see mentioned, and that would have to be the very first Hell in a Cell match.

I'm sure everybody remember this little situation. Not only was the Hell in a Cell designed for something that Undertaker would be associated with, but this very match more or less set the bars for future Hell in a Cells (And I must admit it is still my favorite). Shawn and Undertaker really showed how it's done inside a cage with very little limitations. We also had the first fall of the cage, which certainly didn't hold a candle to Mankinds fall, but still counts for something.

Then to go on and top it off with the fact that the anticipated debut of Undertaker's kayfabe brother Kane came around. Certainly you could say then "But Ferbian, wouldn't that mean it's just as much one of Kane's defining moments?" well, certainly it could be considered that. But the sheer fact that the Kane character was designed for Undertaker, and the sheer fact that Undertaker's character as a whole got a deeper meaning in the terms of both kayfabe, as well as the overall wrestling storylines revolving around Undertaker, due to Kane's presence in WWE.

And with all this in mind, this is why I think that the first Hell in a Cell is a defining moment for Undertaker's career.

 

[achromat666]

I could attempt to pick one match. promo or gimmick change that defines the Undertaker, but frankly the gimmick itself is what unlike virtually every other star on the roster has completely defined this man for 20 years now.

I'll take it one step further. I'm old enough to remember when Calloway as Mean Mark Callas wrestled in the NWA/WCW briefly before coming to the WWF/E with Danny Spivey I believe. An intimidating presence to be certain for size alone, but largely unremarkable and didn't really have much time to develop before getting the axe.

Then his debut, and the WWE machine doing what it did best in a very different way. The Undertaker gimmick was created, a mysterious, imposing, remorseless figure whose very gimmick was decidedly darker than what most other wrestlers were doing at that time. You've had the likes of Kane, Abyss, Mankind, Raven, and countless others since, but this was unique. In the Rock n' Wrestling era this simply stood out. Replace brother love with Paul Bearer and now you have this bizarre and still unexplained connection to the dreaded urn that fuels him somehow, drives him even when he seems incapable of going on (continues to give people goosebumps by rising as if from the dead to this day) and you've witnessed the true birth of something that stood out in it's time in a way nothing else did, made to work by a wrestler who was given no chance to truly hone his craft elsewhere but settled into this like a glove. The world could have simply seen the Undertaker fade and let the era of Attitude rise in its place, like most of that era of performers did. Gone shortly thereafter were the Jake the Snake's, The Ravishing ones, the American Dreams, The Macho Man's and so forth to be replaced seemingly by a batch of new up and coming performers ready to make their place in wrestling history.

And one gimmick survived.

Enter the era of Attitude, the Stone Colds, Great Ones and Games were rising quickly through the mid card, and The Heartbreak kid broke out of the Rockers mold to become one of the greatest in ring competitors to grace said ring. New, more raucous and racy programming came in to delight and surprise, and a powerful new era of sports entertainment was ushered in. And in that era was still the Darkness of the grave, was still the deep graveled voice of the Deadman who became the Phenom. Even a brother rises from the Ashes to become his foil and sometimes friend.

Still the gimmick endures.

Out of the Attitude era into our current PG Era, despite not even being on TV as much as he was, without a Paul Bearer and often without a Kane, The Undertaker survives intact after many adaptations and differing looks without ever being anyone else. Michaels did not endure this long while continuing to compete and started as a tag team performer that became singles competitor gold. Hulk Hogan went from Hulkamania to the NWO and back but wasn't active the whole time and hasn't competed at his best in years. Ric Flair has a legacy all his own but in and out of the WWE. As powerful and iconic as the Rock and Stone Cold became they didn't stay with us for as long and didn't start as early.

The Undertaker endures in the mind of an audience largely different from the one he started with surviving injury, changing faces in the business and a slew of performers to come and go in 20 years without ever being anyone other than the Undertaker. The man from Death Valley, the Phenom, the American Badass, Big Evil, and always the Deadman has all been the same person, heel or face, played by the same man. In one company.

The dedication and sheer will it takes to do this is in and of itself staggering. He could have easily retired years ago and no one would have spoken ill or batted an eye. But his love for this business and willingness to do what's best for it is what keeps him and drives him. And it is unmatched.

The streak is incredible, the matches have been amazing (especially performing the way he does at his size), and his many feuds legendary, but a 20 year run as the same person never losing relevance or strength in a notoriously fickle industry is nothing short of extraordinary and in so many ways eclipses any one feat.

So in all honestly, simply being the time enduring Undertaker, a gimmick that would have long since died in the hands of any other person is a legacy, and is in many ways more definitive of any single accomplishment in it.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Debut: I think that The Undertaker's debut was his most defining moment. Till he debuted we had never seen a character like him. That eerie entrance gave children nightmares and they were only accentuated by Undertaker's in ring skills. He was so big yet so agile and intelligent. The children feared him while the adults thought it was one kickass character. A total win for everyone.

Royal Rumble 2002: The other defining moment of his would have to be Royal Rumble 2002 and the assault he subjected Maven to when he got eliminated by him. Those chair shots were pretty stiff and its unarguably the best thing Maven has ever done in his career. Undertaker's Big Evil character is a very underrated one in my opinion though that can be expected considering the success of his Deadman gimmick. I have heard many arguements about how Stone Cold deserved to main event WrestleMania 18 but I have not heard a similaar arguement for The Undertaker. The Undertaker was absolutely hated and feared in his Big Evil gimmick and I think that he was a better choice to face Triple H than Chris Jericho or even Austin. And that is coming from a huge Stone Cold fanboy.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

This is a really hard choice, because Taker has had so many great moments throughout his career, but I would have to go with his Wrestlemania 25 win over Shawn Michaels.

Undertaker and Michaels had squared off in the past before, but the Mania 25 match was a classic. This was a great match that took place on the grandest stage of them all, and this was one of those rare times where you could seriously believe The Undertaker's streak was in real jeopardy. He had to go through a very tough battle to preserve his legendary undefeated streak, and Michaels could be looked at as Taker's toughest Mania opponent ever.

Another honorable mention would be his 2007 Royal Rumble win. Taker entered at number thirty. He was able to take out The Great Khali, he fought off Orton and Edge, and he survived one of the most thrilling Rumble finishes I've ever seen with Shawn Michaels. Taker winning the '07 Rumble was a great moment, and The Deadman would go on to defeat Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 23. The match with Batista was outstanding, and 2007 really was a good year for Taker.

 

[LSN80]

I look at this thread and read each of your fntastic responses, many of which I will rep as per my custom. I always am appreciative of the and it brings back to memorey one of the things I said early in my post. Initially I hd chosen the moment of wrestlemania 26 in the careeer vs streak match as his defining moment, but I had also kicked around the idea of his first Wrestlemania match with Jimmy Snuka, and when the streak was first emphasized, against Randy Orton. Then i recalled something I had typed at the beginning of my explanation of criteria.

It's not confined to a match either, as it can be a promo, segment, a series of events in a row that lead to an amazing climax, or an incredible match.

Generally I think of a series of events taking place over a couple of weeks, and months at most. With Undertaker, it's been so much more then that. The series of events Ive been referring to is The Streak, of course. The streak transcends any championship that 'Taker has won, irregardless of opponent. I know he took the title from Hogan, and had epic battles over the years with HHH, Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle, and Hogan, to name a few, but the Streak transcends any battle. There have been some clunkers along the way(Mark Henry and Giant Gonzalez come to mind), but in the end, the sum is greater then its individual parts in this situation. The Streak is iconic, and will surely go down in history as one of the greatest moments in WWE/F history, and is surely the highlight of Taker's career, in my opinion,. When it comes to "defining the moment" with Undertaker, there is no greater one then The Streak.

 

[JGlass]

Jeeze, with a career as long and as diverse as The Undertaker's it's really hard to pick the moment that defined or redefine him. However, I have to go with his debut. He was billed as an undead wrestler, impervious to pain, and nearly unstoppable. In his debut at Survivor Series as part of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Team, he used his Tombstone Piledriver, a brutally dominating move that took took care of Koko B. Ware only mere minutes into the match. He also went on to eliminate Dusty Rhodes, and the only reason he was eliminated is because he got himself counted out when he chased after Dusty.

This set the stage for the beginning of one of the most dominant careers in WWE history, and that is why it is The Undertaker's defining moment.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

Wow...LSN...what a legend you have created. A Phenom, this man is one that is nearly impossible for me to pick just one defining moment. Honestly, his whole career has been pretty much a defining existence among the generation that I've lived in. I've known of him ever since I was a little kid. My daddy raised me on the wrestling lifestyle. I watched all the old school feuds, Undertaker-Hogan, and many others. I seriously cannot pick one moment. Everything about him is amazing to me. Most men of his size, stature, and persona would seem to turn people off, but no, he seemed to have the crowd from the moment 'GO.'

I think what sets him apart, no matter what style he does (shaggy haired early era Taker, American Bad Ass Taker, Villain Taker, Ministry of Darkness, etc.) people adore him and everything he does. He just comes in, destroys anything in his path and gets his job done. I loved that he was a huge dominating, and intimidating figure that would really strike fear into those that would think they were the entitled ones. Even when I got older, and was able to see his feud with Randy Orton come Wrestlemania 21, I was amazed to see the kid of someone I remember hearing my dad talk about (Bob Orton) and see someone my age fighting someone I grew up watching, and was still as thrilled to be watching this. The excitement was still there!! I just get taken back to the moments of me, my dad, and my dearly beloved Uncle Dennis (R.I.P.) and get to enjoy the memories. Its a generation builder.

I also am still such a huge fan of the ever famous STREAK. You can't deny that is a HUGE accomplishment, no matter what the sport(entertainment) not even NFL, MLB, or basketball team could really boast anything of that kind of distinguishment. I'd have to say also Wrestlemania 25 and 26 have been especially moving, in his matches with HBK. They were top notch matches, and especially heartfelt and emotional, with repercussions felt all throughout WWE, and throughout the WWE Universe. It even was so emotional that its brought repercussions that have led to a match at WM 27. So I'd say those are some of the few standouts in a pretty damn amazing lifetime of super accomplishments by The Deadman.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Damn, Undertaker's had such a long career that it's incredibly difficult to narrow down that career. Difficult no doubt, but I've gone with something which I feel sums the Undertaker up best.

[YOUTUBE]1iUL2-g043w[/YOUTUBE]​

The Inferno match at Unforgiven 1998 was the first time a match of that nature had taken place. The Undertaker has taken part in so many firsts in his career, especially when it comes to match types. From Body Bag matches to Last Ride matches, Undertaker has many, many specialty matches. Accompany the fact that he participated in this with his brother Kane, during what many would describe as the best storyline of it's era (if not of all time) and you have a defining moment.

 

[#hamler]

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The Undetaker's defining moment would have to be his Wrestlemania match with Kane at Wrestlemania 14. Reason being, we finally got to see Undertaker get dominated. When Undertaker arrived in the WWE, under his Deadman persona or gimmick, he was impervious to pain. Every move he took, he would sit right up. He was probably the worst seller in WWE's history, and he was suppose to be. But, at Wrestlemania 14, Kane got a chance to finally set the bar for other wrestlers to come and take on the Undertaker. Kane humanized the Undertaker here. This match showed that The Undertaker could be defeated if you worked hard enough. Even though Kane didn't win, it would be from this point on, The Undertaker would be seen a human instead of a demonic force or a phenom of sorts. This, in my opinion, is The Undertaker's defining moment during his long, illustrious career.

 

[byrnside]

Awesome idea for a thread. I have to go with this moment:

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For seven years before this, I watched and waited for The Undertaker to make it to the top. It always seemed like The Undertaker was right near the top, but rarely was he the main focus. Even though this wasn't the cleanest win for the Dead Man, it was still awesome and it began a pretty lengthy run for him as champion. Or at least in comparison to his 6 day run back in '91. This finally solidified him as the main guy in the WWF.

 

[GrandSword]

The moment for me was when he was facing Shawn Michaels at an In Your House many many years ago, and he leaped over the top rope to get at Michaels and knocked down several other officials, wrestlers etc. I was like holy crap! This guy can move.

I always thought the Undertaker was this gimmick wrestler who moved slow, when got knocked down would sit up as if he was raised from the dead, no sell shots and just win....

But this moment made me sit up and say this guy can wrestle, he can do anything. Although his gimmick is great, the man behind it, Mark Calloway is a fanattsic wrestler and deserves to be the spot he is in....

 

[#1HEEL]

My defining moment for the Undertaker was actually his Hell in a Cell match against Brock Lesnar. That HITC is my favourite of all time, it put emphasis on the violent nature of the match, the importance of the WWE title, and in that moment it made Brock Lesnar famous, yes he was famous before it, but this match said "im Brock Lesnar, and I can take a beating"

It was an epic match, and Undertaker made it so.