The Undertaker's 5 Biggest Contributions To WWE

Although he'd been relegated to the role of part-time deity for the better part of the last decade, The Undertaker cast an omnipresent shadow over the WWE landscape regardless. As WrestleMania season began its annual groundswell, we wondered who would be next to challenge "The Phenom" on the grandest stage. When it appeared that his final match may have been nigh, we all wondered how WWE could exist without Undertaker's presence in some form. When you're tethered to the promotion from 1990 until today, and you assemble the legacy that Mark Calaway has, people understandably ponder what the day will be like when the epitaph is chiselled.

No doubt, The Undertaker changed the WWF in so many ways, some positive, others equipped with two edges. His impact on the promotion leaves a deep footprint, and his legacy in and of itself is one that will likely never be equalled.

As we recall our fondest memories of The Undertaker as a character, here's my list of what I find to be his five biggest contributions to WWE during his 30 years with the company.

Although he'd been relegated to the role of part-time deity for the better part of the last decade, The Undertaker cast an omnipresent shadow over the WWE landscape regardless. As WrestleMania season began its annual groundswell, we wondered who would be next to challenge "The Phenom" on the grandest stage. When it appeared that his final match may have been nigh, we all wondered how WWE could exist without Undertaker's presence in some form. When you're tethered to the promotion from 1990 until today, and you assemble the legacy that Mark Calaway has, people understandably ponder what the day will be like when the epitaph is chiselled.

No doubt, The Undertaker changed the WWF in so many ways, some positive, others equipped with two edges. His impact on the promotion leaves a deep footprint, and his legacy in and of itself is one that will likely never be equalled.

As we recall our fondest memories of The Undertaker as a character, here's my list of what I find to be his five biggest contributions to WWE during his 30 years with the company.

5. Special Entrances

It's true that custom entrances existed before Mark Calaway donned the black garb (see: Macho King on the throne), but they took on a whole other appearance when Undertaker emerged from the curtain. First, it was pitch darkness with a sole spotlight, and then they evolved.

Before long, there were spellbinding lighting effects, ghostly mist, simulated lightning, and other ambient twists. To properly imbue a character of Taker's magnitude, WWE stepped up their already state-of-the-art production, and it's noticeable for other wrestlers as well.

4. Macabre Storylines

This is where things kinda go off the rails a bit, but as we've come to learn, Undertaker's practically coated in Teflon, so even the worst storylines couldn't destroy him. But because Taker portrayed some kind of zombie-like mortician, WWE invoked oodles of "creative license."

Buried Alive matches, casket immolations, the summoning of lightning, attempting embalmings - The Undertaker's lifespan is filled with plenty of moments that tested the limits of "surreal". His presence opened the door to WWE putting Fangoria fan-fics into use for angles.

3. A Replacement For Andre

As the eighties wore on, the legendary Andre the Giant's body continued to erode and break down. The mythic figure was himself seen as irreplaceable, a big of part of why WWE continued to use him in high profile spots, long after his frame had devolved into virtual ruin.

When Andre finished up in WWE as a wrestler in 1990, there came a colossal void, and not just any monster could fill it - they needed to be larger-than-life. What 'Taker lacked in immensity, he made up for in execution and mythos, making him Andre's genuine successor.

2. A New Standard For Giants

WWE has long been a "big man" territory, even before Vince McMahon took control of New York from his father. Andre was one of many leviathans that roamed the McMahonscape, but most others shared a similar trait: they were so-so at best in the ring, with their size their ticket.

When Undertaker dropped the "impervious to pain" part of his act, his matches drastically improved, and few of his approximate size have put together the portfolio of in-ring work that he has.

Undertaker's WrestleMania resume alone is filled with true classics. And speaking of...

1. The Streak

Broken or not, it's a massive part of Undertaker's overall legacy. Though it might have taken until the eighth or ninth win for somebody in WWE to realize, "Hey, we've never had Taker lose at Mania", the Federation understood there was something there to capitalize on.

As coveted as any championship in the promotion was the right to say, "I beat Undertaker at WrestleMania." From the time The Streak was first acknowledged, Undertaker's match on the grand stage became an annual attraction unto itself, an indelible part of WWE lore.