The Undertaker is inching towards the end of his career after three decades of success in WWE. Fans most know Undertaker for the Deadman character that he most used in his career. However, the run of the American Badass helped showcase a different side of success. Both characters were beloved for different reasons with fans each having their own preference for their favorite.
We will look at reasons why one would enjoy the respective characters from their perspective. American Badass fans loved the change of pace with a few strong reasons for it having an edge over the well-known one. Others prefer the longstanding Deadman gimmick with many reasons to love it most. Make your own decision for your favorite after reading five reasons why we prefer American Badass Undertaker along with five reasons for the Deadman.
10 American Badass: Cut Real Promos
The Deadman gimmick of The Undertaker always restricted his promos. Undertaker still was able to cut impressive promos, but they were all from the perspective of the Deadman character. The change to the American Badass allowed Undertaker to show more of his personality.
Phrases like his threats to “make people famous” or referring to the ring as his “yard” would become quite popular even when he went back to the Deadman character. Undertaker was finally allowed to have full promo privileges like the other top stars which was a huge positive for the American Badass era.
9 Deadman: Made Him a Legend
The legacy of the Deadman gimmick is what Undertaker a legend in WWE. Years of outstanding work and memorable feuds would see Undertaker become a top legend after his first stint as the Deadman. Fans viewed him as a top superstar even when he was outside of the title picture.
It is impossible to tell if Undertaker would have ever become such a legend in the sport if he started out with the American Badass gimmick. The Deadman era will always get the boost of having the legendary aspect of his legacy due to the instant success and eventual longevity.
8 American Badass: Incredible Introduction
The introduction of the American Badass character would see fans greet Undertaker with one of the biggest pops of his career. Undertaker was off television for many months recovering from an injury with the new character giving him an interesting return.
The crowd reacted huge when Undertaker appeared as the American Badass character with a new look. Undertaker interfered in the Triple H vs Rock Iron Man match destroying Triple H and the McMahon family. Unfortunately for Rock, he lost due to Undertaker’s DQ giving Triple H an extra victory.
7 Deadman: Helped Build New Stars
WWE tested new stars against Undertaker in his Deadman phase to find out if they had the ability to thrive in the main event picture. Wrestlers like The Great Khali and Giant Gonzalez failed even when Undertaker helped them out due to their lack of stills.
The better wrestlers to become stars after working with Undertaker were Mankind and Kane. Legendary characters would see their careers take off thanks to having great performances against Undertaker. A rising star doing well against Undertaker essentially guaranteed success.
6 American Badass: Motorcycle Entrance
The addition of a motorcycle to his entrance was one of the biggest instant changes for The Undertaker to become the American Badass. Fans of the gimmick appreciated Undertaker riding to the ring in an entertaining fashion.
Undertaker also used the motorcycle to add to the overall character and stories. There were a few instances of him trying to run over other wrestlers on stage. Heel wrestlers like Triple H and Kurt Angle would even try to vandalize the bike to add to their stories.
5 Deadman: Iconic Entrance
The entrance in general for Undertaker during his Deadman gimmick would see fans fall in love with him. This showcased the pageantry side of professional wrestling. Undertaker slowly walking to the ring in darkness as the spooky theme played set the tone for his matches.
Many pundits and wrestlers consider this the greatest overall entrance in wrestling. Fans still mark out today for the rare appearances of Undertaker due to the entrance providing an experience. This is one of multiple reasons for WWE bringing back Undertaker in his old age.
4 American Badass: Limp Bizkit Theme Song
This may be hard for younger wrestling fans to believe today, but Limp Bizkit was among the most popular acts in the music industry back in 2000. The Undertaker scored a huge coup when the hit song “Rollin’” would get the rights to be used as his entrance theme as the American Badass character.
Few wrestlers had entrance songs that were featured daily on MTV or top rock radio stations. Limp Bizkit even appeared a couple of times to perform the song for Undertaker’s entrance. It set the tone for him as “Rollin’” was the perfect theme of the time.
3 Deadman: Still Relevant Today
The Undertaker is still a beloved and successful figure today after 30 years in WWE. It would be hard to envision the American Badass solely reaching this level of longevity. Undertaker often struggles to have good matches anymore, but his star power carries him.
Fans react with love for seeing such an iconic performer and act. The theatrics of the Deadman allows Undertaker to put out entertaining performances even if it’s just cutting a promo. Many fans have wondered why the American Badass never returned, and the success of the Deadman’s comeback moments explain it.
2 American Badass: Made His Matches More Realistic
The Undertaker often had a different wrestling style in the early portion of his Deadman character. With the more literal definition of him being a dead man, Undertaker would consistently no-sell moves from his opponents and it led to limited matches.
The American Badass change allowed him to be more of himself in the ring as well as the microphone. A passion for MMA would see Undertaker making his fighting style different as he loved engaging in strikes and even a few submissions. Luckily, he kept a lot of his improved in-ring changes in the act when returning to the Deadman.
1 Deadman: Most Successful Character in WWE History
The Undertaker character is often in the conversation for the best in WWE history. No one would have predicted a dead man gimmick would get over on such a historical level, but the performance of the man behind the character made it come off effectively.
WWE felt the character was too valuable to lose for too long. Undertaker would change back to the Deadman after just four years and never went back to the American Badass. The character work of Undertaker made him one with the Deadman to have an all-time run in WWE.