What would you say Undertaker's role has been in the WWE?

[SJM12492]

Over the years, there have been different people with different roles, such as faces of companies, fall backs, stepping stones and probably a few more. For example faces of the company are Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, John Cena whist stepping stones include Jamie Noble, Super Crazy and sadly Kane.

I want to discuss what Undertaker's role has been in the company. He's been in the WWE for a real long time and has surpassed veteren and legend in my opinion. Since he has, in my opinion, transended to the point where none of these roles fit him, I want you guys to come up with a new term to describe the Undertaker which fits in with his decades of experience, main event performances and almost immortal career...

What is Undertaker's role in the WWE?

In my opinion, he should be known as a 'Gaurdian Angel' of the WWE. He's always been there when needed, his performances are off the charts and without him, the WWE will have big shoes to fill...

 

[Ferbian]

I believe this word has been used before, not for Undertaker though, but for guys like Triple H, although I don't see Triple H as above Undertaker, I will go ahead and use this word for Undertaker, and the word is "Cornerstone" yes Cornerstone, he's one of the men in WWE today that I feel holds together the company, while I know WWE will be just fine without Undertaker when he retires, Undertaker is and has been for a long time, a person to tune in to watch, a highly respected person both on-screen and backstage.

The Undertaker is someone you can always count on when it is and that is also backstage and on-screen (not as much on-screen but I think we can say you can count on him in the way of putting on a match and performing even through injuries etc) and that is why I'll call him one of the cornerstones of WWE, while he is above some of the other cornerstones of WWE, which would've been a guy like Shawn Michaels, Triple H most likely also, Undertaker remains the superior one, one of the longer veterans, and the longest veteran in WWE (if we count a consistant on-screen personality and seeing as Shawn Michaels wasn't a consistant on-screen personality throughout 98-2002 although he was commissioner at some point, but not long enough to fill out the 4 years that Undertaker got time to step above Shawn Michaels in the length spent with WWE)

 

[Super Crazy]

The Undertaker's role within the company is not only that of a cornerstone, but also that of a nostalgic wrestler.

He's a cornerstone because he has been around for 20 years and is one of, if not the most respected individual within the company whose name is not McMahon or personal ties do not involve the McMahon family. He's been loyal to the company and every year he pushes his body to it's limit just to entertain the fans.

This leads into the nostalgia act. At this point in the Undertaker's career, he's basically around for 6 months months or so, and then takes time off. To me, this is somewhat of a nostalgia act, as we all know each year they have something big for The Undertaker at Wrestlemania and Summerslam, the WWE's big two. And each year, at these two shows, he goes out and puts on the performance of a lifetime, pushing his body to the limit, just to entertain the fans and put on an amazing show.

He is also a nostalgia act as I feel that The Undertaker is the last true remaining star of the Attitude Era. Now, you can say Triple H is one so I'm wrong in saying the previous statement, but Triple H didn't really come into his own until the end of the era, whereas The Undertaker was starting to garner attention just as the Attitude Era kicked in. That being said, someday he will retire, and any real remnants of the Attitude Era will be gone from the WWE.

 

[Davi323]

Undertaker's role can be summed up with one word. Anchor.

Since he debuted, the Undertaker has been the rock solid foundation of the WWE. He is a leader in the locker room, having the Undertaker respect you is one of the most beneficial things that could happen to a young wrestler, and he has been the one guy who isn't afraid to lay a verbal beat down to ANY wrestler stepping out of line, whether they are seen as favored by Vince McMahon or not. The Undertaker can speak his mind, criticize anyone in the WWE locker room he wants, and his opinion is respected.

While I never subscribed to the idea that HHH has all the power backstage, if its true, then you can only say that HHH has half the power. You would have to conclude that the Undertaker is the Yin to HHH's Yang. If the Raw locker room belongs to HHH, then the Smackdown locker room clearly belongs to the Undertaker. The Undertaker was there pre-Attitude, Attitude, and post-Attitude. Not only is he a WWE lifer, (the idea of him wrestling anywhere else is completely unfathomable), but if the WWE decided to make him a Hall of Famer right now, while he is still actively wrestling, would anyone really be able to dispute it? Flair doesn't count, he was retiring the very next day. But, they could induct him tomorrow, and he still wrestled for another 4 years, and nobody could say shit about the decision, because his worthiness is undebateable.

Cena may be the face of the WWE, but the Undertaker is its heart and soul.

 

[dionlyone18]

For the Undertaker i dont one word describes his role..Anchor,Cornerstone, all great ones, but you cant really pigeonhole him in one word...theres this saying ive heard J.R use only for hbk and taker, when it comes to greatness, they may not be at the top of the role, but it doesnt take long for them to hear their name called..meaning, hbk and taker may not be the reatest in the wwe if you made a list but there not far from the top...i personally think they are tied for the top spot in the wwe..i look at the wwe like a house...meaning there are four walls, those four walls are the big four in the wwe hhh,hbk,taker,austin..and vince is the foundation...now we have lost two wall so far...does this mean the house will fall, no you try to find a replacement,which is darn near impossible to duplicate any of those four stars

but i got off subjuect

Undertaker is not one word..ive never seen one wrestler garner so much respect from the wwe fans or wwe in general....hes the awsome like myth..that only comes once in a while..i honestly dont think ive ever heard anyone say anything bad about this man...

you know what i just thought of a word to describe taker..its actually three words....

World Wrestling Entertainment

 

[T Dub EPT]

It's been said and i'll say it again... The Undertaker is the face of the WWE... not in mainstream so much, but as a character completely 100% WWE. He has been through many ups and downs with the company for just under 20 years.

The company has gone through extreme legal matters, financial woes, almost going outta business, creating controversy if there was none, and The Undertaker stayed through all of it. With all the loud mouths in wrestling who love to bash others, i have never heard one single negative thing about Taker. He is not A locker room leader, he is THE locker room leader. He has evolved a character that at one time would be considered a joke if he debuted next monday. Now i am by no means saying its not a great character, but a zombie type guy that feels no pain, would not get over these days. ((Look at all the crap people give Cena for winning all the time)) He still has the ability after all these years (which i have seen every one) to make you suspend reality completely and still deliver top quality matches. Even when he came back as a biker, it took awhile but we got into it... you know we did. Now even if not as a face... heel biker Undertaker, Big Evil, Booger Red even, was an awesome kick ass dude! Never, publicly at least, caused any trouble or complaining, or politicking. Consummate Professional Personified!

Sorry, I could go on and on... but let me just try and sum it up. He is not a cornerstone... Wrestlemania is the foundation of WWE and the undertaker holds up the walls for all other characters to feed off. Because i don't care who you are... even to this day, on any show or PPV you face the Undertaker, people are looking at you... they will see you... and he can elevate you... but you will have to URN it (see what i did there) Many others made lots of money... but in 1991 fans were buying Undertaker T-shirts and today fans are buying Undertaker T-shirts. He has made the company some money. It's just never spoken of... probably because he doesn't want it to be. I don't know. Pure and simple... The Undertaker is WWE... he never has to retire because he is "dead" so he can always come back... he never even has to announce retirement. Just go away... he's dead. H.O.F.ers wrestle so thats not stopping him... as long as Mark Calloway is alive, we will have The Undertaker in the WWE and we are all better for it. He is above ranking, he's better than many and as good as most, He's the deadman, he is THE UNDERTAKER!! >>GONG<< >>GONG<<

 

[Takerfan93]

Completely AGREE with all the above comments. Undertaker is the cornerstone of the WWE. He has to be the most consistent wrestler in WWE. I don't recall him ever having a bad period so to say. All of his gimmicks have been so different from each other and all of them have been fantastic, his in ring work has been consistently up to a good standard his whole career, he has helped younger guys get pushed as well as performing as a main eventer throughout his whole career. He has worked through injuries, and is the most respected guy in the lockeroom.
His whole character is so unique and will never be forgotten because there never has been, nor will there ever be anyone like it again. Lets not forget, he has also wrestled through 4 generations of wrestlers, he began with the 80s guys like Hulk Hogan, Jake the Snake Roberts and Jimmy Snuka, then in the mid 90s once all the 80s guys were in WCW he began solely working with wrestlers of his own generation (90s) such as Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, Mick Foley and the Rock. Towards the end of the Attitude Era he began to work also with the next generation such as Edge, Christian, Bradshaw, Kurt Angle, Triple H etc, and since post Attitude Era he has worked with various wrestlers of the current generation such as Randy Orton, Batista, Mr Kennedy and CM Punk. And now we are coming up with the next generation like Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre and Ted DiBiase and he will soon work with them too. The key word is adaption, Undertaker has adapted his style and persona throughout his career to adjust with the times and so he has never got stale.
Another term I would say for him would be what JR used to call him "The Conscience of the WWE" - and he truly is. He is a higher power prescence of sorts, due to his character, legendary status and tenure.
When he retires, his absence will be sorely noticed because it's such a huge void to fill. His character is so unique and so when he is gone, I think it will feel quite empty because it will be so noticable that he is gone. He is the last wrestler left in the WWE who was there on the first episode of Monday Night Raw who is still there today, the last man of that generation left so to speak. I have always said when we lose HBK and Undertaker it will be a hard hit to take, and now we've lost one of them, I reckon in 2 year maximum Undertaker will retire.

 

[Taker123]

I think there are many words that you could use the describe the Undertakers role in the WWE...cornerstone, legend, the cheif whip, the ring general etc..however one word I would use is: The Yardstick to which all other wwe superstars are measured against. Whether that be mentality, behaviour, etiticate. He behaves how one should, comes to work does his job and goes home. Doesn't need to be involved in the spotlight of mainstream media at all times, doesnt get involved in off-screen scandal. Due to his impecable performances on and of screen he has gained the respect of the IWC, and the Wrestling community of past, present and future stars and those who run the business and, dare i say it the icon of the WWE Universe !!

For all those reasons he is the Yardstick in the WWE! and the wrestling world.

 

[legenddkiller]

The "Golden Standard". The Undertaker has been at the peak of WWE's success throughout the years. His amazing matches at WM's and unforgettable runs at World Championships while remaining loyal to the company reserves admiration from up and coming WWE superstars.

 

[safeco1999]

The Undertaker brings the Nostalgic effect but not because of the Attitude Era. Undertaker gained attention in the early 90's, especially after beating Hogan.

Notice how older fans jammed the stadium when Hogan came back. That's where the nostalgia is, and thats where the long-time fans are. The attitude era brought along a lot of fans who no longer watch WWE or care about it. But we're talking about the fans who used to watch the Hogan era in the late 80's-early 90's.

Watching Undertaker, and his entrance, and all the memories he brings is where the nostalgia is.

 

[mustafa33]

i believe undertaker's role has been to elevate the risings stars to new level e.g brock leasner,shawn michaels,triple h,randy orton and you can find many more wrestler in this list.undertaker has kept passing the torch to others but due some other proud personalities WWE is now short on Mega stars.

 

[KoC417]

Undertaker is EVERYTHING everyone has said:
Anchor
he IS wwe
cornerstone..
But IMO he is so much more than that. As HHH said in the "Mania of WrestleMania" extra on the WrestleMania XX DVD set. Undertaker was there when they were performing for smaller crowds. When the popular thing to do was go where the "money" was (meaning WCW handing out ridiculously fat contracts to people). Taker remained not only loyal to Vince, but to the fans that showed him his due respect. In my honest opinion nobody in WWE, past, present, or future can lace up the boots and take on the role that Undertaker did. Whether it was losing in a championship match, and allowing a star to be put over him, WINNING a championship and making the person he defeated "famous" and making them look great. Taker has done it all. When Undertaker retires there will be a HUGE void to fill. Because let's face it... when the WWE needs to build a star they set the person up with a feud with the Undertaker..why? Not because beating taker is a huge boost to a career, but because Undertaker will put on an incredible match with said star, and go down cleanly 1,2,3. Taker is a business man, a constant professional. You don't hear of him bullying backstage performers/noobies (as stories had circulated about JBL and even Benoit..if im not mistaken.... being bullies to the rookies). People claim that Hulk Hogan made wrestling what it is today... but IMO it was Undertaker that helped drive WWF/WWE to that next level. His classic matches at WM NEVER disappointed people. Taker has wrestled so many matches injured. He is a role model to all the future stars. That is what wrestling needs! People who aren't afraid to go out and give it their all. If every match at Mania was as high caliber as an Undertaker match believe me the WWE would have sooo many more buys! To sum it all up...
When you need to build a mega star who do you turn to? Undertaker
When you need a 5 star caliber wrestling match who do you turn to? Undertaker
When you need a man to carry a title, put on an amazing match, and potentially drop the title to that person? Undertaker
Undertaker IS the standard bearer & Undertaker IS the pecking order! If you want to be ANYBODY in wrestling, you have to go through the Undertaker!

 

[Razor]

Taker is a pillar of the WWE. Not because his matches have always been good (They haven't. Don't delude yourself.). Not because he's hella over. But because the man knows what's best for business.

He refuses to break character often. That scene you saw with Taker and HBK at the end of their match at Mania? That was the first time he broke character...well, in that last 5 years I've been watching him. He won't go to the Hall of Fame ceremonies because he views it as a massive breach in character. You can see the same thing in Batista, who went, but was very patronizing and had a look of "Who gives a fuck" during the entire thing.

He keeps the younger guys in check. He is the undisputed Veteran in the locker room. He teaches them valuable lessons, and he keeps them in line. Remember when CM Punk got too big for his beard and said something like "I don't have to dress up for public events, Cena doesn't have to?" Taker took him to town, and rightfully so. You don't be a bitch to the WWE Creative Team, and Punk needed Taker to step in and tell him so.

His mere presence pushes wrestlers. Swagger would have an instant push if he got into an argument with the Undertaker and somehow survived. Hell, Cena would. Batista would. Everyone sees Taker as immortal. If you can somehow get away with telling Taker "No" then the fans instantly see you as about 5 ranks higher. A match with Taker would push Swagger even further than his match with Cena. Cena pushed Swagger to the stars on the 3-hour Draft last year, and Taker would do the same. Except it would sink in a lot further from Taker. Taker is...well, he's the closest thing to God any wrestler is going to get to. He can control lightning and is immortal, after all.

Taker is a "Pillar" of the WWE. But that's not to say he is irreplaceable. We go right on without him for a few months after every Mania, for instance. His absence is not felt. Ratings keep going along. But the minute he pops up, everything takes a notch up on the Excitement Scale. Just like HBK isn't irreplaceable, neither is Taker.

 

[Shocky]

Why do I post a picture of Andre? The Undertaker has become the Andre the Giant of the last generation. He is a man, like Andre, that never reached the top of the business as "The Guy", but the fans bought into as the guy that could kick everyones ass he got in the ring with if he so chose it.

The Undertaker filled the void that was created when Andre left. Just a special attraction that brought a larger then life quality to the business, and unfortunately looks to be the last of this kind of wrestler. Andre and the Undertaker are two guys that you could watch and completely lose yourself into them, because the WWE did so well with making them larger then life.

Both, from what I've read, have been fiercely loyal to the Mcmahon family, and both have been known to go stiff on no selling douchebags or new talent that needed their egos broken in (looking at you Kurt Angle). They also were talent enhancers. A win over the Undertaker is huge no matter how you cut it, and looking good against Andre made someone look incredibly credible.

 

[eezy1]

The deadman has been the WWE`s rock if u`ll pardon the expression. The guy they can count on most and a consummate proffessional, the other stars and stars in the making can look up too. Hes literally walked through fire for the company. Hes the model employee and 1 tough muhfugger.

 

[WWE Manster03]

OP, just gotta say good topic. Now, from the Undertaker I think you would use either Anchor or Cornerstone as stated above. Another word I would use is Sheriff. The reason I say that is because he and HHH have the most power/pull/sway in the back. HHH, however, can't really take the pulse of the locker room because of his involvement in creative. Undertaker though, can give his input to Vince about storylines and he would listen, but can also be the father figure/disiplinarian for the boys in the back. I watched Off The Record with the Undertaker(youtube it if you haven't seen it as it is excellent) and they discussed the Wrestlemania match with Shawn vs Austin w/ Tyson and Shawn didn't want to do the job. Undertaker stood up and basically told him to do the job or there would be problems. Nobody else back there had/has the power to do that besides HHH, and as I said he is to tied to creative to do so. He also is the guy that told HHH to go ahead and marry Steph, as stated by HHH in his OTR. He means more to that company than any of us will ever know I think.

 

[BRING BACK SID!!!]

plain and simple takers role is nothing more than a quick PPV draw especially for Wrestlemainas...other then that he dont do anyhting for the company anymore. Hes a quick cash cow and thats all...end of story...

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

He's the big dog that runs the yard.

Rather than repeat the cliches that have cropped up so far i'm just going to use Taker's own description of himself. He's probably the only wrestler who could tell someone to 'get out of his ring' and the fans wouldn't do anything to voice disagreement.

'You're ring? You're ring? Who the fuck do you think you are..... oh shit, is that Taker on the mic?'
'Yeah dude, shut up before you get us both lynched!'

Regardless of what you may think of Taker's matches (and Razor's right guys, there were some real stinkers, i.e. Bossman v Taker HIAC), looking at Mark Calloway, the professional wrestler, he has done so well with such a cheesy gimmick for over 2 decades, without backstabbing or politicking, and after being fed some real nightmares for opponents i.e. Bundy, Gonzales, Khali, Henry, Heidenreich etc. etc. and has still remained one of the biggest names in professional wrestling history, and he's also been involved in the majority of WWE's innovations HIAC, Casket match, Inferno match, Buried Alive match, Boiler Room Brawl etc and has worked with the best of the best from Hogan, Warrior, Savage and Flair, to Hart, Michaels, Sid and Nash, to Austin, Rock, HHH, Big Show, and Foley, to Angle, Benoit, DDP, Kronik and Booker T, to Cena, Edge, Batista and Orton, and now he's doing work with guys like CM Punk and Drew McIntyre.

One day, there'll be a list of the greatest wrestlers in terms of drawing ability, and then there'll be a list of the greatest wrestlers, and Taker will definitely be on the latter of those two lists.

This is a guy who works through injuries, puts over talent, never breaks kayfabe despite how much he hates his gimmick, and he lives, breathes and bleeds WWE.

When Taker retires, they should dedicate an entire episode of Raw to do his send off.

 

[305wesley]

Well to me Taker is like the main deal...even the Word Championship is beneath him...I like Takers intensity and agression plus hes so hard hitting...at his age the man idk he is total respect not in the same way u respect a wrestler from past generations but in respect that Taker is one of the best in WWE currently

 

[Rated Straight Edge]

The Undertaker's role has remained the same since his debut with a brief pause during his American Badass interlude in the WWE, and that has been literally of an undertaker. He is the impossible odds that all must eventually somehow conjure the power to overcome or fail against. He is the permanent staple which will be forever used as a monument of power against which everyone also will always pale in comparison. While I see him retiring by WrestleMania 30, still undefeated, nothing more about him will change. He will continue to be the one sending all who dare face straight to hell in a hand basket. The Undertaker is a living breathing legend. His induction into the Hall of Fame is eminent, and will perhaps come with his retirement or within a few years thereof. His role is that of being what everyone also in the company can only aspire and dream to become. The Undertaker is not the Phenom because he has been scripted to become one, but because of his character and devotion to the sport outside of the rind as much as within it. He is the man who lays down the line, and serves as the example which people can only hope to follow in the locker room. Dark will be the day when he finally leaves. Darker even than the days he steps into the old square to send his opponents straight to hell by either burying them alive or planting them neck first into the ground with the Tomb Stone Pile Driver. Triple H maybe the King of Kings, Shawn Michaels may have been Mr. WrestleMania, but The Undertaker is simply what he is... THE UNDERTAKER!

 

[J.Carter]

I think that Undertaker's role has been to be the backstage leader in the WWE. I mean he's the one that keeps order in the main roster. He's the one that EVERYONE respects. I mean i do not agree with him not jobbing to PUNK but if he didn't, we might not be seeing the SES because with the title Punk would have been busy with his WHC challengers.

 

[Hawkeye]

I don't think there's anyway to descride Undertaker without riding his dick lol He's been around for everything, knows everything, is royalty in the locker room,and second to none in sports entertainment. He's such a legend that even JOBBING to him can get you over.

 

[maar130]

Well pretty much agree with every coment, except for the quick draw one.

The man is the conscience of the company, in temrs of business, he is the Most succesful active Wreslter of the WWE, why I say this?

He is the longest and most constan wrestler on the comany, has never ever caused a problem backstage or outside of the company. He keeps things in line on the lockeroomdoes not matter he share it with, could be HHH, Vince or Cena and everyone respects the guy and listen to what he has to say because the know it is no bull and he will do what is right for the Business, like putting HHH over at NWO 2009 on the EC, or Batista at Cyber Sunday 2007.

The man deserves a lot of respect and then more, like HHH said "He might be the one true legend of the WWE".