Know who the Undertaker should lose the streak to?

[Stevolutionary]

Been thinking about this for a while, and I have a good answer - himself?

No, not cause himself to lose the match, but to pass the torch on to The Undertaker 2.0 as it were - a debuting, or just debuted wrestler to carry on the gimmick, or a close relation, once Mark Calloway retires. We all know the Undertaker gimmick is a relic of a bygone age to a degree, and is only currently ongoing due to the continuity of Mark Calloway having played the role and been a mainstay for so long that his presence manages the enourmous task of suspending disbelief, but how then do you fill that hole when he's gone?

It could be argued (in very simplistic terms, and to different degrees) that Cena is Hogan 2.0. Swagger is Angle 2.0. Mason Ryan is Batista 2.0. Del Rio is JBL 2.0. Big Show is Andre 2.0. Orton is Stone Cold 2.0. All have their differences, from slight to major, but from a creative standpoint it's easy to see they were moulded in some way by to attempt to fit those character archetypes before evolving further - as wrestling is nothing if it isn't essentially a battle between the same good and evil archetypes over and over. It's such a common device in long-running storytelling (especially in comics) to do this that there's even a term for it - an Expy. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy/ProfessionalWrestling

Now here's where the Undertaker comes in. Losing such a central pillar to the company will be a huge blow unless they can somehow fill the hole he'll leave. As mentioned earlier, his gimmick stays tolerable because it has essentially unbroken continuity since inception (yes, he's altered it slightly along the way, but the DNA remains intact) He needs to be replaced by someone carrying the same spirit of the character, and the only way to do it is to dovetail his retirement with their rookie year, culminating in a break of the streak and a passing of the torch in my opinion. He must physically endorse his successor, on screen, while still an active threat himself, for it to have a chance of working on someone else.

Make the character the Undertaker's son in Kayfabe terms or something (like Big Show was in WCW to Andre the Giant) have him "absorb his spirit" at the end of the match of something that fits the inherent comic-book nature of the character. I believe only by passing the torch in this manner can you sucessfully Expy (to a degree) the Undertaker. Do it right, get someone who has the look, has in-ring skill, and has the passion for a 20 year career himself, and you may just get away with it. Whether they should Expy him is another matter entirely, and not one i'm actually making a decision on either way, but if they decided to, this is the only way IMO they'd have any chance of success as such a thing being accepted - continuity is key. Unless you pass the torch to a similar character, it will become nigh on impossible to ever introduce a similar character again in the future.

People may find this disrespectful to Mark Calloway - but it isn't. Even Ric Flair, held by many to be the greatest wrestler of all time, was an Expy of "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. This whole process is a traditional part of the business, and this thread is simply about how to sucessfully Expy what actually risks being a laughable gimmick outside of Mark Calloway's hands in the modern world, but is arguably too successful a one to retire.

Please understand that and keep comments respectful! This topic is about if or how you could successfully retain the Undertaker's gimmick once he leaves, not whether you should or not. On that, I have no opinion either way.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I see your point, but the gamble would be huge.

Guys like Warrior and Lesnar got the push of a lifetime and just uppin' left. For Taker to lose his streak is a big BIG deal. If the E even consider to pass it down to another darker character, he has to be everything Taker is and a bag o' tricks more. Hard to find, harder to keep'em streamed for the next 20 years.

 

[Stevolutionary]

I completely agree - you're essentially betting the house on a unknown quantity, which is why you'd need to spend a year, minimum, "casting" such a person.

Get someone who lives and breathes the company. Someone you can trust, and who grew up as a wrestling fan and would see the opportunity as the highest honour possible. Someone who has no ambitions outside the ring - no major Hollywood ambitions and zero MMA ambitions. Basically another guy with a John Cena mentality and level of commitment. No easy task.

It may seem a strange comparison, but look at the Bond films. Every 15 years or so they need to replace Bond. Sometimes it misfires, sometimes it works brilliantly, but for the character to continue it has to be done, and this is a multi-billion film franchise, so not one taken lightly.

Apart from continuity though, the other major definer of the Undertaker is the streak, which is why I think he should lose to a designated successor. What better way to introduce a new version of the character than have him go 1-0 at Wrestlemania and retire the Mark Calloway interpretation himself?

 

[UltimateHitman]

I think the answer to this would be, nobody. Let's face it, if Taker lost his 'Mania streak this late in the game, it would be extremely disappointing. Other people have had some kind of legacy remain intact over the years, so I think it would be proper and fitting to honor Taker's dedication and allow him to retire with an undefeated 'Mania streak.

That being said, there's still something to be said about the passing of the torch. I think if they had waited until Taker was closer to retiring to bring out the Mordecai character, it could have been a nice segue into continuing that type of character. It would have fit into the cartoon-ish nature of the gimmick, and could have been transitioned to be a Taker-type of character to carry on.

Sure he might not have had the phenomenal success and support as the original Taker, just as the other "2.0" characters aren't the same as the original counterparts, but it could have been something to fit the bill and would have fit perfectly storyline-wise. He could have "purged", or "exorcised" the Undertaker, and later seen the error of his ways or some such nonsense after being a monster heel committing all kinds of chaos and destruction.

 

[The HEEL JuiceLee]

I agree that WWE should create some1 to takeover the undertaker gimmick.But i dont think that new dark character wrestler should end "THE STREAK".Nobody should end the streak,not even CeNa!!!I think after WRESTLEMANIA that WWE should finish the Undretaker & KAne fued.During the fued i think Paul Bearer should debut maybe
Tyler Black or some1 else with the size of the Brothers OF Destruction,Have Paul say he has speacial powers like Taker & Kane,say he is from the dark side,say he is now the devils favorite demon,not Kane...Let Kane destroy him,& Taker can mentor him to be the new UnderTaker..Taker can tell him he wants him to keep his legacy..But this dark wrestler should have nothing but respect for Taker & they should never fued.He should actually start his own streak at MaNiA28!!!

 

[SalvIsWin]

You can't retain the Undertaker gimmick, but for the sake of argument, even if you could, it should die when the Undertaker retires. A storyline like you're saying would be hokey even in the era of wrestlers like IRS, Isaac Yankem, and the like. The Undertaker is a hokey gimmick in itself, but it's been toned down a lot over the years, and because of the nostaglic factor of the Undertaker, it's still remained popular. Remember when he was introduced from Death Valley? Or the makeup to make him resemble a cadaver? That kind of stuff is over, and no one would buy that. In my mind, what you're suggesting would flop worse than when they tried to recreate the Diesel and Razor Ramon characters.

That being said, if they want a similar gothic, undead/immortal gimmick at a later time once the Undertaker retires, I think they can definitely make it work, but that character is going to need their own uniqueness, the WWE can't get away with just shoehorning the Undertaker gimmick onto a wrestler we know isn't the Undertaker.

 

[SalvIsWin]

You can't retain the Undertaker gimmick, but for the sake of argument, even if you could, it should die when the Undertaker retires. A storyline like you're saying would be hokey even in the era of wrestlers like IRS, Isaac Yankem, and the like. The Undertaker is a hokey gimmick in itself, but it's been toned down a lot over the years, and because of the nostaglic factor of the Undertaker, it's still remained popular. Remember when he was introduced from Death Valley? Or the makeup to make him resemble a cadaver? That kind of stuff is over, and no one would buy that. In my mind, what you're suggesting would flop worse than when they tried to recreate the Diesel and Razor Ramon characters.

That being said, if they want a similar gothic, undead/immortal gimmick at a later time once the Undertaker retires, I think they can definitely make it work, but that character is going to need their own uniqueness, the WWE can't get away with just shoehorning the Undertaker gimmick onto a wrestler we know isn't the Undertaker.

 

[Stevolutionary]

You can't retain the Undertaker gimmick, but for the sake of argument, even if you could, it should die when the Undertaker retires. A storyline like you're saying would be hokey even in the era of wrestlers like IRS, Isaac Yankem, and the like. The Undertaker is a hokey gimmick in itself, but it's been toned down a lot over the years, and because of the nostaglic factor of the Undertaker, it's still remained popular. Remember when he was introduced from Death Valley? Or the makeup to make him resemble a cadaver? That kind of stuff is over, and no one would buy that. In my mind, what you're suggesting would flop worse than when they tried to recreate the Diesel and Razor Ramon characters.

That being said, if they want a similar gothic, undead/immortal gimmick at a later time once the Undertaker retires, I think they can definitely make it work, but that character is going to need their own uniqueness, the WWE can't get away with just shoehorning the Undertaker gimmick onto a wrestler we know isn't the Undertaker.

I should state that I mean the new character should have a different name and not an identical look, but keep the most popular traits. In the same way Jack Swagger is essentially playing Kurt Angle but with a different spin on it.

Get someone to be a modern Undertaker, but obviously don't try to claim they're the same person or anything. Just get the Undertaker to mentor him, or be retired by him while still an active member of the roster so as to keep continuity with an ongoing storyline, and modernise some of the more outdated elements, in the same way the Undertaker has done to his own gimmick along the years.

If he retires however, and people are given a couple of years off the gimmick, it'll be nigh impossible to introuce something similar again, and I feel that'd be a shame.

Yes, it can be silly, but any more silly than people being able to fight 50 weeks of the year with no visible injuries or fatigue inbetween, despite being smashed through tables and thrown off scenery, when MMA fighters and boxers only fight 2-3 times a year and are a bloody mess afterwards?

I think if we can suspend disbelief at that, we can still go that little bit further...

 

[Jack-Hammer]

We doin' another one of these??? Uuuggghhh....

Seriously though, I do see where the OP is coming from and, in my head, I've thought something similar in the past. Have The Undertaker "pass the torch" and "his powers" to another "Undertaker" at WM and have this wrestler carry on as The Undertaker. It's one of those ideas that sounds intriguing and downright interesting in your head but, in a practical sense, just simply wouldn't work.

You can't really package the gimmick of The Undertaker. Mark Calaway will ALWAYS be The Undertaker to wrestling fans and most would just balk at the idea of the WWE replacing him with someone else doing, essentially, the same character. Marvel Comics has done something similar with their Captain America character over the course of the last 25 years or so. Every now and then, they'll have someone replace Steve Rogers as Captain America for whatever reason the storyline gives. They'll wear the uniform, carry the shield, be the symbol, etc. That's all well and good but, to any comic book fan, Steve Rogers will always be the one and only Captain America. The Undertaker is a unique gimmick that Calaway made work and became intwined with on such a level that it's simply impossible to replace him with someone else. Wrestling insiders and fans from all walks of life would give Vince McMahon hell for even trying it and rightly so.

I don't think The Streak should end to be quiite honest. It's become part of what makes WresleMania special. Even during Manias in which Taker's opponents haven't been seen as major threats to end his streak, fans have still cared about seeing and watching the match. Why? Because it's something of an unofficial WrestleMania tradition. It also came about as something of an accident. It's one of those great booking ideas that came about by circumstance rather than bookers and writers sitting down around a table and throwing out ideas.

 

[MinistryDeadman95]

I actually thought of this a while back. The way I can see this working is like this:

Undertaker returns to SD! to get revenge on the Nexus, mainly Wade Barrett, and he gets some revenge until the numbers prove to be too tough for him, and they beat his ass badly, "injuring" him.
Next week on SD!, Wade goes to cut a promo and brags about how he took Undertaker out not once but twice, and on and on. Light go out, and Undertaker's voice appears and he talks about how The Nexus has taken him out over and over again, and he ain't putting up with it. He says he has gotten some backup (remember, the lights are still out), in fact Barrett, he is standing right behind you. Lights go back on, Barrett turns around only to get his ass kicked by this freak monster who is later revealed to be Undertaker's "son".
At Wrestlemania, it could be Undertaker and his son Vs all of Nexus. Of course, Taker wins. After the match, Undertaker does his kneeling taunt where he raises one arm, and in this case, with that hand, he is holding the urn which he gives to his son, signaling the passing of the torch to another Undertaker. And after, they find him a good manager.

How is this idea? I thought of it on the spot lol.

 

[Xemmy]

This is of course unrealistic, and will not happen.

But IF it could be done- this is the way to do it. Unlike alot of other wrestlers, The Undertaker is pure persona. He's different from every other wrestler alive in this essense. He's a symbol almost. The Undertaker is alot like a DC or Marvel character. And this is probably just pathetic fanboy hope, but I truly think that it could be passed on. It won't be as effective as the original, but I feel like it HAS to exist. Like the Batman suit.

(Also if it could be done, I certainly wouldn't want him to lost at 'Mania. I'd see the new guy defending the Streak if anything. It's part of the Undertaker now.)

I've sort of felt that way ever since the Royal Rumble in '94.

"The spirit of The Undertaker lives within the soul of all mankind. The eternal flame life that cannot be extinguished. The origin of which cannot be explained."- Batman

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I agree with PaperGhost on this one. Its too big of a risk to take. I can never see "a replacement to The Undertaker" going down too well with the crowd. Nor will ending the streak for that matter.

But I was reading Salvis' post and he mentioned that technically the Undertaker gimmick can never retire and I agree with him. What could be done is that when Mark Calloway decides to hang up his boots, WWE could just have another man play the role of The Undertaker without referencing the change on television. They do not need to reference the change because Mark Calloway has never existed in the WWE, it's always been The Undertaker.

Now I know that there are roadblocks in this idea, the biggest roadblock being us. The internet fans will know very soon that Mark Calloway has been replaced and that might lead to the new Undertaker getting booed. But I feel that this idea might work, especially if the new Undertaker happens to be as good a big man wrestler as Mark Calloway.

 

[Undying777]

I too believe that there needs to be a Undertaker/Sting like character for the new generation. Or as you guys are calling Undertaker 2.0.

Lets face it, Undertaker and Sting are going to be hanging up the boots soon. It will be a shame for us wrestling fans to never be entertained by that kind of gimmick ever again.

However, they just cant debut a new wrestler and call him the Undertakers son and expect people to care about him. IMOP, there is only one way for this to work and its going to be a long process.

"RESPECT" Respect is the key for this so called passing of the dead man's torch will ever work. The recipient of the torch has to be a wrestler that the fans have come to love and respect over a period of time. Its got to be somebody who can have 5* matches, somebody with heart and a never say die attitude in the wring.

Take a look at our current 2.0 stars. According to many of you, Cena is Hogan 2.0, Randy is Stone Cold 2.0, Swagger is Angel 2.0, and some might argue that Morrison is HBK 2.0. The only reason why we as fans can except those superstars as respectable replacements is because over the years we have come to love and respect the hell out of them as wrestlers and superstars. If the Undertaker gimmick get replaced, it needs to be done by someone who has the respect of the fans or it will just fall flat.

So here is my idea...

Lets take a freshly debuting Tyler Black.

I choose him because I feel he has what it takes to eventually garner the respect of the fans. I saw a lot of his wring work in ROH. The man can wrestle. He is definitely capable of putting on 5* matches. His mic work is passable. In time, I am sure it will improve. IMOP, He also has the look to pull of a darkish kind of gimmick.

So Black is the newest member of Wades faction. Over time he proves to be a little rebellious but effective for the group. With in time he becomes IC/US champ. He could be the one guy in the group who insists on doing things on his own. He dos not want any help winning his matches. During the group beat downs, he becomes the one member who is more stand offish, kind of how Sting was in the NWO.

A year passes since Mania 2011. Wade then becomes number 1 contender to the man he could not beat the streak from a almost 1 year ago. Wade is more then convinced that with his faction stronger then ever, he will dethrone the Undertaker at RR.

However, the chink in the factions armor is Tyler Black. Undertaker happens to be the one superstar that Black has looked up to growing up. During the beat downs on the Undertaker, Black is more stand offish more then he has ever been.

As punishment, Wade issues a match between Black and Undertaker. It is a competitive match with many near falls for Black on the Undertaker. However Black made it clear to Wade and the rest of his faction brothers that he dos not want any help. During the end of the mach, Black shows Undertaker the same fighting sprit that has made the Undertaker the man he is in the WWE.

Undertaker has come to show respect for the fighting underdog and at this time, so has the fans. It seems like Black is about to put away Taker and suddenly the faction runs down to the wring and ends up getting Black DQ'ed. The faction then starts to dismantle Undertaker in their last final effort to soften him up for his match at RR against Wade. Only this tame an enraged Black wont let the faction attack the already gas out Undertaker. Undertaker then stands up and offers his hand of respect to Black. Black just walks away.

Back stage Wade ask Black why he came to the Undertakers aide. Black simply tells Wade that he already handed the Undertaker a huge beating during their mach. Anything further cold have put Undertaker on the shelf and Wade would have been out a championship match.

At the Royal Rumble... The faction interferes in the the no dq match up between Undertaker and Wade. Just as Wade is about to deliver the waste land to Undertaker, in retribution for costing him his match, Black kicks Wade in the balls,(You know the fans would go nuts) or something like that to allow Undertaker to retain the tittle.

The next night Black is attacked back stage by Wade and his former brothers. They destroy Black so bad that he needs to be carted out by an ambulance. As the ambulance is about to leave the arena, Wade and his faction ambush the drivers.They take the vehicle out of the arena where they set it on fire with Black inside. (kayfade)

The next show. It its made clear that when the fire was put out and the smoke was cleared, there was no body inside. However, Tyler Black is missing. Somebody took the body.

And that somebody is the Undertaker. Undertaker retrieved Blacks body and resurrected it from beyond with part of his own spirit.

Its Mania 2012.. Wade won the tittle at elimination chamber. Not only is Undertaker the #1 contender but his streak is also on the line. Wade being the champion makes the match a no Dq. During the mach Wades faction interferes and it looks like Wade is about to end the Streak. The lights go out, eerie music plays in the back round. Then emerges Tyler Black with a new dead man like look. Black clears the wring of the faction. delivers his finisher to Wade and places Undertakers body on top for the 1,2,3.. Streak is not broken. Undertaker then paces the rest of his spirit to Black.

He would have a new look, maybe longer hair. A couple of months off would give him good time to pack on some more muscle. Maybe some face paint or something to make him look darker. I think a half face mask would be awesome. You could also have the Undertaker security mentoring him in the dark arts or something like that. passing on the gift of the darkness..

I know that many, "MANY" of you will hate this idea. But its just how I would have the undertaker pass on his gimmick.

Any thoughts... ?

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

We all know that Mark Calloway has perhaps two or three years left to offer to pro wrestling. The Wrestlezone Forums have always been abuzz with ideas as to how Mark Calloway should retire. However from a storyline point of view, none of those ideas are too appealing to me.

There is the suggestion that The Undertaker should lose his last match by cheating. But do you think that The Undertaker is that type of character who will take a cheating lying down? No. The way the character of The Undertaker has been designed, he will come back to haunt all those who have ever done him wrong. Similarily, I cannot see him winning his last match and riding off into the sunset. There is also the suggestion that WWE should create another dark character just like The Undertaker and have him beat The Undertaker. However such a character will take a lot of time to create and there is no guarantee that it will be accepted by the fans as much as Undertaker is.

My solution is a much simpler one. The Undertaker is immortal and so he does not have to retire. When Mark Calloway decides to hang up his boots, just have another man, who is as good a wrestler as Calloway, take up the role of The Undertaker. There is no need to reference the change on television because Mark Calloway has never existed on television. Its always been The Undertaker. Same gimmick, same moves, perhaps a slightly different attire but a different man.

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.

The reason I think this is the direction that WWE should go forward with this idea is that it makes sense from a storyline perspective more than the other ideas do. The Undertaker is immortal; so keep him that way. In this way, a legendary gimmick can go on for as long as pro wrestling exists.

Think of it this way. Batman movies did not stop when Micheal Keaton stopped playing Batman. Same with Superman and Christopher Reeves and James Bond and Sean Connery. Undertaker is just as much of a brand in pro wrestling as these guys are to movies.

It's not that I cannot see the problems with this idea. For one, where do you come up with a wrestler of the same build and agility as that of The Undertaker? But I think that if WWE thinks in this direction, with their vast resources they could dig up a guy who fits all the requirements needed to play The Undertaker.

The second problem is us, the IWC. This idea would have worked perfectly in 1993 as few people would have discovered if The Undertaker had ever been replaced. That is not the case now and people will start to shit on the "new" Undertaker as soon as they come to know about it.

This is a comicbook-ish solution to a comicbook-ish character. It might not be the solution that a wrestling purist might like but The Undertaker is not a character for the wrestling purists.

So after reading through all the pros and cons do you think that this idea will work? Do give this a read.

 

[Kosugi19]

Good post but their is only one Taker!

I dont see this happening but lets say your right and WWE wants to do this. I can see Wade Barrett dawning the long black hair and hat. I can also see Cm Punk becoming a darker character like the Undertaker I think he is showing flashes of it right now.

I think after Taker goes 20 and 0 at Mania he hangs them up. His name should not be used on another performer. Mark Calloway is not going into the HOF the Undertaker is.

 

[Sparky]

No way could this work. The undertaker should end with mark calloway. The undertaker is one of the biggest gimmicks in wrestling. replacing the wrestler will just make it more boring. what if the guy they choose fucks it up? the name's tarnished forever. it's not like the movies where they can continue making money by replacing the actor, Mark is the Undertaker he was chosen originally for the character and he made the character what it is today.

Again it might work for movies but has there ever been an instance on a tv show where they replaced the actor and it turned out better? Look at bewitched the original darren was better and it wasn't the same, the Australians and the UK people would know about Dechlan off of Neighbours, the second one don't fit the character. They're better off retiring the character when Mark does.

You remember 8 simple rules?

This guy dies and the character died with him. because he made it. The Undertaker is the same way. the WWE should hopefully do the same thing.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

I'm not going to bash this too badly... but I'll politely say that this is the most absurd idea I've ever heard. NO way anyone will ever play the Undertaker. Mark Calloway IS the Undertaker and the Undertaker IS Mark Calloway. They're one in the same. It's not like Taker wears a mask and any ol' tall dude can be put in his spot. It can't happen.

The Undertaker is an institution and for anyone to mess with that and possibly replace Mark Calloway with some random tall person and call him Undertaker would be a slap in the face to almost 20 years of dedicated service to the WWF/E. I like your thought process and your case, but it's comparable to building a case for having someone else come out and be called Sting or for the Miz to come out and proclaim himself, Nature Boy, Mike Mizanin.

It would never ever work...period.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I'm not going to bash this too badly... but I'll politely say that this is the most absurd idea I've ever heard. NO way anyone will ever play the Undertaker. Mark Calloway IS the Undertaker and the Undertaker IS Mark Calloway. They're one in the same. It's not like Taker wears a mask and any ol' tall dude can be put in his spot. It can't happen.

The Undertaker is an institution and for anyone to mess with that and possibly replace Mark Calloway with some random tall person and call him Undertaker would be a slap in the face to almost 20 years of dedicated service to the WWF/E. I like your thought process and your case, but it's comparable to building a case for having someone else come out and be called Sting or for the Miz to come out and proclaim himself, Nature Boy, Mike Mizanin.

It would never ever work...period.

Look, I know that this idea will seem revolting to most but I think you gotta understand that The Undertaker gimmick has a limitation. It cannot be retired like a Ric Flair or a Shawn Michaels. It's a supernatural gimmick but the man playing it is not supernatural.

Yes, we all respect Mark for what he has done for the business. But at the end of the day there is nothing greater than the business. If a character like The Undertaker leaves, it will leave a huge void in the WWE which might never be filled. It might take years to make another legendary character like The Undertaker.

My main thought process behind this idea is that The Undertaker cannot be retired. I have already listed the possibilities how The Undertaker may be retire. All those ideas are pretty half baked and none offer a reasonable explanation as to why The Undertaker has quit wrestling. I am looking at it from the characters' point of view rather than the man's point of view.

Also while you might think that it will be a slap on Mark's face, I feel that this move might immortalize Calloway. Look at Sean Connery and James Bond. People still say that Connery was the best Bond. Mark will always remain in the memory of the fans as the first guy to have played this legendary role. The longer the gimmick goes on, the longer Mark will be remembered.

As for the new guy who plays it being a success or a failure I do not think you can say that without trying this idea out. The new guy might turn out to be better than Mark for all we know.

Sorry if I sound disrespectful in any way.

 

[Sparky]

Look, I know that this idea will seem revolting to most but I think you gotta understand that The Undertaker gimmick has a limitation.

But Mark made his character. He would of tweeked it to be what it is today. you get a new guy and it will be tweeked again so it will just end up being a watered down version of what people like.

It cannot be retired like a Ric Flair or a Shawn Michaels.

Yes it can, Mark has perfected the things that make the undertaker the undertaker. He know's the timings to appear in the middle of the ring, he knows how to put the emotion into it, he deserves to have his gimmick retired just as much as HBK and ric flair.

Yes, we all respect Mark for what he has done for the business. But at the end of the day there is nothing greater than the business. If a character like The Undertaker leaves, it will leave a huge void in the WWE which might never be filled. It might take years to make another legendary character like The Undertaker.

I'm not saying you but what is it with people wanting replacements? Why not try and make new stars instead of getting people to replace somebody famous. I doubt there would be a wrestler out there that would want to take on the responsibility of the undertaker role seeing if they was to do it they would be stuck. this gimmick can't be made better, it's already at the top. Remember you can have to much of a good thing. it will ruin the name, the character that is the undertaker.

Also while you might think that it will be a slap on Mark's face, I feel that this move might immortalize Calloway. Look at Sean Connery and James Bond. People still say that Connery was the best Bond. Mark will always remain in the memory of the fans as the first guy to have played this legendary role. The longer the gimmick goes on, the longer Mark will be remembered.

the undertaker name is already up there with the rock and hogan. kids new to the WWE will still always remember this character, it's not like he will be forgotten.

As for the new guy who plays it being a success or a failure I do not think you can say that without trying this idea out. The new guy might turn out to be better than Mark for all we know.

Remember it's also the moves that made the undertaker, "old school" "Tombstone pile driver" "the last ride" Nobody else attempts a piledriver now days, unless it's against the undertaker, there is no way that the new kid could be better then Mark. Imagine the heat in the back over somebody walking in the undertakers footsteps?

Sorry if I sound disrespectful in any way.

I'm just hoping this is just a thread to generate discussion and you don't actually want this to happen

 

[Undying777]

LOL.. This is the second thread like this this week. I posted this in that one. I will post it again in this one.

I too believe that there needs to be a Undertaker/Sting like
character for the new generation. Or as you guys are calling Undertaker 2.0.

Lets face it, Undertaker and Sting are going to be hanging up the boots soon. It will be a shame for us wrestling fans to never be entertained by that kind of gimmick ever again.

However, they just cant debut a new wrestler and call him the Undertakers son or The New Undertaker and expect people to care about him. IMOP, there is only one way for this to work and its going to be a long process.

"RESPECT" Respect is the key for this so called passing of the dead man's torch will ever work. The recipient of the torch has to be a wrestler that the fans have come to love and respect over a period of time. Its got to be somebody who can have 5* matches, somebody with heart and a never say die attitude in the wring.

Take a look at our current 2.0 stars. According to many of you, Cena is Hogan 2.0, Randy is Stone Cold 2.0, Swagger is Angel 2.0, and some might argue that Morrison is HBK 2.0. The only reason why we as fans can except those superstars as respectable replacements is because over the years we have come to love and respect the hell out of them as wrestlers and superstars. If the Undertaker gimmick get replaced, it needs to be done by someone who has the respect of the fans or it will just fall flat.

So here is my idea...

Lets take a freshly debuting Tyler Black.

I choose him because I feel he has what it takes to eventually garner the respect of the fans. I saw a lot of his wring work in ROH. The man can wrestle. He is definitely capable of putting on 5* matches. His mic work is passable. In time, I am sure it will improve. IMOP, He also has the look to pull of a darkish kind of gimmick.

So Black is the newest member of Wades faction. Over time he proves to be a little rebellious but effective for the group. With in time he becomes IC/US champ. He could be the one guy in the group who insists on doing things on his own. He dos not want any help winning his matches. During the group beat downs, he becomes the one member who is more stand offish, kind of how Sting was in the NWO.

A year passes since Mania 2011. Wade then becomes number 1 contender to the man he could not beat the streak from a almost 1 year ago. Wade is more then convinced that with his faction stronger then ever, he will dethrone the Undertaker at RR.

However, the chink in the factions armor is Tyler Black. Undertaker happens to be the one superstar that Black has looked up to growing up. During the beat downs on the Undertaker, Black is more stand offish more then he has ever been.

As punishment, Wade issues a match between Black and Undertaker. It is a competitive match with many near falls for Black on the Undertaker. However Black made it clear to Wade and the rest of his faction brothers that he dos not want any help. During the end of the mach, Black shows Undertaker the same fighting sprit that has made the Undertaker the man he is in the WWE.

Undertaker has come to show respect for the fighting underdog and at this time, so has the fans. It seems like Black is about to put away Taker and suddenly the faction runs down to the wring and ends up getting Black DQ'ed. The faction then starts to dismantle Undertaker in their last final effort to soften him up for his match at RR against Wade. Only this tame an enraged Black wont let the faction attack the already gas out Undertaker. Undertaker then stands up and offers his hand of respect to Black. Black just walks away.

Back stage Wade ask Black why he came to the Undertakers aide. Black simply tells Wade that he already handed the Undertaker a huge beating during their mach. Anything further cold have put Undertaker on the shelf and Wade would have been out a championship match.

At the Royal Rumble... The faction interferes in the the no dq match up between Undertaker and Wade. Just as Wade is about to deliver the waste land to Undertaker, in retribution for costing him his match, Black kicks Wade in the balls,(You know the fans would go nuts) or something like that to allow Undertaker to retain the tittle.

The next night Black is attacked back stage by Wade and his former brothers. They destroy Black so bad that he needs to be carted out by an ambulance. As the ambulance is about to leave the arena, Wade and his faction ambush the drivers.They take the vehicle out of the arena where they set it on fire with Black inside. (kayfade)

The next show. It its made clear that when the fire was put out and the smoke was cleared, there was no body inside. However, Tyler Black is missing. Somebody took the body.

And that somebody is the Undertaker. Undertaker retrieved Blacks body and resurrected it from beyond with part of his own spirit.

Its Mania 2012.. Wade won the tittle at elimination chamber. Not only is Undertaker the #1 contender but his streak is also on the line. Wade being the champion makes the match a no Dq. During the mach Wades faction interferes and it looks like Wade is about to end the Streak. The lights go out, eerie music plays in the back round. Then emerges Tyler Black with a new dead man like look. Black clears the wring of the faction. delivers his finisher to Wade and places Undertakers body on top for the 1,2,3.. Streak is not broken. Undertaker then paces the rest of his spirit to Black.

He would have a new look, maybe longer hair. A couple of months off would give him good time to pack on some more muscle. Maybe some face paint or something to make him look darker. I think a half face mask would be awesome. You could also have the Undertaker security mentoring him in the dark arts or something like that. passing on the gift of the darkness..

I know that many, "MANY" of you will hate this idea. But its just how I would have the undertaker pass on his gimmick.

Any thoughts... ?

 

[The Raven's Epitaph]

No, this wouldn't work. I know what you're trying to get at and I'm not saying that it's a completely bad idea, I'm just saying it wouldn't work and WWE wouldn't go for it.

The Undertaker is one of the longest working guys in WWE and for WWE to go and pull for a new guy to replace him with the exact same gimmick would just tarnish Mark's entire career and legacy that he built with his bare hands.

Would you want a random black guy to come in and be the new Rock? Would you want a random bald guy with a goatee and knee bracers to come in and be the new Austin? It wouldn't work; nor would it be a good idea.

 

[Undying777]

I dont want WWE to replace the Undertaker/Mark Calloway. I want them to create a new supernatural gimmick. eg.. Undertaker/Sting/Kane, for the next generation. All of those guys are not going to be around to much longer. I for one will miss their theatrics.

I like the OP's thinking.. but as I said , no one will care about a guy they just debut as the new Undertaker. Respect of the fans has to be built up for this to work.

 

[Ferbian]

The Undertaker should not be continued when Mark Calloway retires, that would simply be wrong to do, both towards Mark as well as the fans that has followed The Undertaker for so long.

While I'm sure we could find someone that could do The Undertaker fairly well, I don't want to see it happening. The Undertaker is and should remain a non-duplicated unique character that goes down in history, and doesn't get continues. I get that The Undertaker as a character as well as the wrestler behind him have been a good draw throughout many years, but he's just not the character that should be "dishonored" with a revival of a gimmick that should be dead and gone when the wrestler behind the gimmick retires.

The Undertaker will remain a legend in the business, and the gimmick should remain something we remember due to Mark Calloway, and not something that the next generation of wrestling fans remembers due to some other big guy duplicating the gimmick. Mark Calloway like Lariat said is The Undertaker, and The Undertaker is Mark Calloway. There's not gonna be some Jonathan Smith (Or whatever name) carrying out The Undertaker's gimmick.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

When you're talkin about Batman and Jame Bond, those are franchise films.. they will never end..

This is kinda stupid! It's like saying Terry Bollea has to retire; but why does Hulk Hogan hav to?

You get what I mean, I can go on forever! The Undertaker character is unique and it will be remembered better when it retires, even good things don't last forever.. Mark Callowway made this character what it is today and no matter who carries it on, it will never be the same.

Soo to sum up.. Mark Calloway will retire and he will take The Undertaker with him!!

 

[The Brain]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned that an idea like this has already failed. Remember the new Diesel and new Razor Ramon from 1996? Jim Ross said just because Kevin Nash and Scott Hall weren’t with WWF anymore didn’t mean Diesel and Razor couldn’t be. He found two younger guys to play those roles. You know what happened? The fans hated it. That idea lasted about four months. It was a failure back then and considering how much more Taker is respected than Diesel and Razor were I think it would be an even bigger failure now.

To be fair your idea for how this would take place is kind of cool. I just don’t see it having any lasting power.