Now this isn't a "best gimmick" thread. Rather I'm curious as to which gimmick you think Taker was most charismatic. I was watching some old matches, particularly when Rock & Sock won the tag titles from The UnHoly Alliance, and if you recall Taker w/ Paul Bearer walked out on Big Show, and all the way up the ramp he was cursing/complaining, and this was when he was Ministry Taker, if it were the Deadman gimmick he would have been silent. So it made me think of this thread. In my opinion I think Ministry Taker was the most charismatic. I realize American Badass Taker was around a lot longer and talked alot more, but it was Ministry Taker that had me most interested. Unlike most I'm not a HUGE fan of Taker (Im one that thinks SOMEONE should beat the streak, just to see exactly would happen riot wise lol) so whenever he got on the mic as the deadman it was hit or miss for me, and American Badass just annoyed me, but when he was in the Ministry, he had me all ears. So what do you guys think? Which Taker was most charismatic for you?
The Most Charismatic Undertaker
- Thread starter SMKM
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gunnascott
Occasional Pre-Show
it was def the Big Evil heel run of 2002. The way he punked Flair and went toe to toe verbally with Austin, Triple H, and others made me believe that his promo work is grossly underrated. I wish that long had of been a little longer since it made him cool again......to me at least
One to Remember
Championship Contender
the american badass undertaker was so non canon. I didn't hate it but maybe he should had came back as mean mark or sumthin. The WWF never intertwined isaac yankem with kane or scott hall with razor ramon or x pac with the lightning kid.. the most character rich undertaker was the one with the mask and the one right before that. He was younger, more built, quicker, deader, just fresher.. well as fresh as a zombie can be.
Have to agree, though he was more on the losing end and being made to look like a jobber to Austin during that period, the acting and mic work was by far his best performances.
Second for me would be his American Bad Ass gimmick, he had comedy and bad ass worked into one during that period.
for visual entertainment you can't go past the Ministry or the Phenom so much was spent on the visual/atmospheric feel of his entrances over his career.
you mean 123 Kid which they did both in that case and Scott Hall, they did mention who they wrestled as in the past
not offhand did they atleast on programming mention that Issac Yankem became Kane, but to alot of fans that was common knowledge anyway soon as he lost his mask you could see the resemblance. Why would they want to anyway it would be career suicide for the Kane gimmick, since he was meant to be Taker's brother that was burn beyond recognition and yet a few years earlier he had a full head of hair, no scars and was an evil dentist?
wheras Xpac it doesn't matter that he was 123 Kid that has no impact on his XPac character (it's obviously the same person)
same with Razor Ramon, Scott Hall never dropped the cuban accent and was still billed to be from Miami. and everyone who was there during the start of the attitude era new it was him.
5 seconds of google for anyone can tell you who's who too.
JWGunslinger
Warrior Forever
I loved every form of The Undertaker but personally I thought that he was most charismatic as Big Evil, I felt like he really got to open up a bit with that gimmick and be himself. I specifically thought that his feud with Diamond Dallas Page was cool because you saw more of his personal feeling in that one since DDP had become an obsessive stalker of Taker's wife Sara. Also during his feuds Big Show and A-Train were good shows of his charisma, I think that Taker shows a ton of charisma no matter what character he's playing but as Big Evil he was more open and really felt like he was having fun.
But for what though? Apart from Kane. What's difference between Scott Hall and RR? Nothing apart from the ridiculous fake accent. When i was stationed in Texas i watched Sean Waltman wrestle Jerry Lynn and a few other lightweights. SANS the crotch chopping there is no difference between Lightning Kid and Xpac.
TheITFactor
Dark Match Jobber
So basically one of the WWE's biggest stars of the last 9 years at the time, gets brought back as a completely new character with no mention of the Undertaker? Yes that would have drawn....(sense the sarcasm)
TWJC: The Beginning
Royal Rumble Winner
Charisma isn't talking a lot. Deadman undertaker is just as charismatic. It's about carrying a presence, which Taker ALWAYS carries.
I like the most recent Undertaker. He does little things and gets over on the little things. I like subtle characte traits. I feel like if you have to cuss, talk loud, talk in 3rd person, and use homophobic jokes written by a 14 year old you really aren't that good. If you can walk down the aisle stoicly and stare down someone and get a reaction, making them believe you're the baddest motherfucker on earth, you're pretty good.
I like the most recent Undertaker. He does little things and gets over on the little things. I like subtle characte traits. I feel like if you have to cuss, talk loud, talk in 3rd person, and use homophobic jokes written by a 14 year old you really aren't that good. If you can walk down the aisle stoicly and stare down someone and get a reaction, making them believe you're the baddest motherfucker on earth, you're pretty good.
Fear&Loathing
Occasional Pre-Show
The Prince of darkness Ministry of Darkness Taker is the most charismatic he was bad-ass and played the evil leader awesome definitely with the abduction and wedding with Stephanie that was definitely an entertaining time 
'Taker was at his most charismatic during his Big Evil heel run in 2002. He was amazing to watch.
He held his own on the mic with guys like HHH, Austin, and The Rock; and he was putting on some pretty damn good matches like with Flair at 'Mania 18 or with Jeff Hardy in that ladder match. Now during this time I personally missed the 'Deadman' gimmick; however, I never over looked 'Taker's work.
He held his own on the mic with guys like HHH, Austin, and The Rock; and he was putting on some pretty damn good matches like with Flair at 'Mania 18 or with Jeff Hardy in that ladder match. Now during this time I personally missed the 'Deadman' gimmick; however, I never over looked 'Taker's work.
I see that a lot of you are confused as to the difference between charisma and mic skills, which doesn't surprise me as I had a feeling the responses would be like this when I entered the thread.
A lot of you are citing Big Evil as the most "charismatic" Undertaker because he had the best mic skills. And I agree. He got to talk a lot more during that time and showed that he has it on the stick, which is not necessarily something he's had as much of a chance to show throughout his career than other top stars. BUT, the most charismatic incarnation is the one that elicits the strongest response from the crowd. For that, I see no other answer than the Deadman. He is ridiculously over as that character despite not even having to talk at all.
It's like trying to say that the rapper John Cena had more charisma than the current one. He may have had more freedom as to what he could say (i.e. he can't make sex jokes anymore like he used to) but that doesn't mean he was more charismatic then. He certainly had nowhere near the fan following, or the haters, that he does now. He gets those people emotionally invested in him more than just about anyone else. That's what charisma is.
A lot of you are citing Big Evil as the most "charismatic" Undertaker because he had the best mic skills. And I agree. He got to talk a lot more during that time and showed that he has it on the stick, which is not necessarily something he's had as much of a chance to show throughout his career than other top stars. BUT, the most charismatic incarnation is the one that elicits the strongest response from the crowd. For that, I see no other answer than the Deadman. He is ridiculously over as that character despite not even having to talk at all.
It's like trying to say that the rapper John Cena had more charisma than the current one. He may have had more freedom as to what he could say (i.e. he can't make sex jokes anymore like he used to) but that doesn't mean he was more charismatic then. He certainly had nowhere near the fan following, or the haters, that he does now. He gets those people emotionally invested in him more than just about anyone else. That's what charisma is.
The Golden Sledgehammer
Dark Match Jobber
The American Bad-Ass for me, he was the most entertaining IMO, The Deadman i don't care about unless its WrestleMania season.
One to Remember
Championship Contender
Yankem's aestetics could not be reconciled with the backstory the wwf had given kane.. X Pac has a far darker persona and far more heelist mentality than the 1 2 3 kid/lightning kid/cannonball kid.. razor ramon was based off of al pacino, scott hall is based off a guy off the streets of a rough urban city up north.
i dont even think the undertaker had charisma. you gotta have a mouth for that and in his prime he used a mouth piece. who was big evil supposed to be? a hells angel from hell?? a demonic biker demon? all im saying is once u transition from the type of character we seen in 1990 to the one in 2000 you cant go back. the undead cant be alive.. again.. even with the ministry undertaker as a buffer between the two personas it diverged to far. thats y i cant even accept the new undertaker as even being related to the undertaker of circa 1991.
