Your first reaction on seeing The Undertaker

[Albino Heat]

Was on total awe. The first WWF show I remember watching was his Superstars debut , and I was a fan from day one.

He totally had me when he locked Warrior in the casket. I was 8, and it seemed like he was in there for an hour. I was shocked .

Still my all time favorite.

[Lancers]

I remember realizing immediately that he was Mean Mark Callous over in WCW. It's weird to see photos of him now back in those days when he was teaming with Dan Spivey finishing his opponents with the HEART PUNCH!!!! rocking the black trunks with red trim.

In spite of this, I still managed to suspend belief at my young age. Plus, the dude creeped me out a few times when he'd get bug-eyed. The best example was the casket cam at the 1994 Royal Rumble.

[Harry The Arrow was Wrong!]

I was 10 and I first started watching wrestling around Nov/Dec 98, so Taker was feuding with Austin. My first reaction? Holy shit, this guy is cool. I liked him even more as Ministry Taker and loved everything he did including his match with Bossman in the Cell.(Hey, I was only 10)

[willywonka666]

I was 15 at the time and watched all kinds of wrestling. I didn't have a satellite, but my best friend's grandparents did and he told me his grandmother mentioned a tall guy with red hair as the big surprise and I immediately thought of Mean Mark.

I was cool with it. I didn't like him beating Hogan though.

[RowdyRobbyPiper]

Nov 3, 2013 18:06:45 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

I thought he said it out of turn, as in it wouldn't be revealed until maybe Superstars or Prime Time. And then he realized the mistake and covered it with saying "I think..."

Don Muraco used the same style piledriver for his face run but I don't recall it being called anything special except maybe a reverse piledriver. Tombstone almost has to indicate a move associated with an Undertaker-like character.

1. Muraco always did that piledriver.
2. Prior to Undertaker, I always associated the inverted piledriver with Don Muraco.

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

Nov 3, 2013 18:06:45 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

I thought he said it out of turn, as in it wouldn't be revealed until maybe Superstars or Prime Time. And then he realized the mistake and covered it with saying "I think..."

Don Muraco used the same style piledriver for his face run but I don't recall it being called anything special except maybe a reverse piledriver. Tombstone almost has to indicate a move associated with an Undertaker-like character.

I swear I heard the move called the tombstone prior to Taker using it. My memory is notably terrible

I could easily see Vince and co. Going he's The undertaker of course he finishes people with the tombstone piledriver.

Regardless the name Tombstone piledriver was not as ubiquitous pre-taker.

[squaredcircle]

Undertaker was the beginning of the end for me as a big wrestling fan. just too ridiculous.

[Phil Parent]

He was impressive of course, so big. Didn't get the link between Brother Love and him though. Paul Bearer fit him like a glove, later.

Many mentionned it, but locking the Warrior in the casket was THAT moment for him, his Austin 3:16 or his pipe bomb. That is when he became something else than another one of the monster heels Hogan would fight in the 80's. This guy was staight up EVIL.

And in my opinion, the greatest WWE wrestler of all time, stuck with the company through thick and thin and is good for one MOTY candidate per year, which nowadays is his one match a year. Which is AWESOME, since the guy manages to wrestle once in a year and get MOTY consideration for it.

When Vince hands the company to HHH and Stephanie, I hope it's in the deal that Undertaker is taken care of for what will be a pretty painful old age. The man will be in constant pain for years as he ages, if he isn't already. And I'm thinking, he already is.

[Phil Parent]

Nov 4, 2013 11:44:35 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave is Correct said:

Nov 3, 2013 18:06:45 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

I thought he said it out of turn, as in it wouldn't be revealed until maybe Superstars or Prime Time. And then he realized the mistake and covered it with saying "I think..."

Don Muraco used the same style piledriver for his face run but I don't recall it being called anything special except maybe a reverse piledriver. Tombstone almost has to indicate a move associated with an Undertaker-like character.

I swear I heard the move called the tombstone prior to Taker using it. My memory is notably terrible

I could easily see Vince and co. Going he's The undertaker of course he finishes people with the tombstone piledriver.

Regardless the name Tombstone piledriver was not as ubiquitous pre-taker.

Don Muraco used it, not sure what he called it.

[Deleted]

Mean Mark's a zombie now? That's cool, I guess.

[Professor Chaos]

Thought he was creepy at first. After he locked Warrior in the casket I thought he killed him and was terrified of him.

[Banjo Is Broken]

F-Bomb warning

["Gentleman" AJ Powell]

Seeing as I started watching in the late 90's-00's, it was probably something along the lines of "Whoa, this biker dude's awesome! He's just going out and beating the crap out of random people!"

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

How much does this guy weigh?

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I don't recall, though I watched Survivor Series 90 live.


I'm glad people recall him in other promotions, because I was starting to feel wicked old.

[Aceorton]

Thought the zombie gimmick was super cheesy and have not wavered from this opinion in 23 years. Spats? Really? He has spats on his boots? And embalming gloves? He rolls his eyes up into his head? Why? When Paul Bearer arrived, I was wincing with embarrassment for myself and every wrestling fan who had to try to explain to friends and family why we watched this stuff.

I've also never bought that Taker is some kind of marvel in the ring. He could do a handful of unconventional spots for a big guy (the rope walk, the leaping clothesline, landing on his feet after being clotheslined over the top), but take away those and what do you have? Punch, choke, kick, chokeslam, tombstone and later the Last Ride. Oh, and a couple of submission holds they've tried to give him in more recent years. I've always found him slow and boring, made worse by the fact that he's supposed to be slow and boring because he's "dead." The only time I've ever really enjoyed him consistently was during the "Booger Red" era. He makes a fabulous mean bully.