Thank You Taker

Gong............Gong

For the last thirty years, that sound in the Wrestling business meant one thing. The arrival of one of the greatest forces (and characters) that the business has ever witnessed. It signaled the arrival of The Undertaker

November 22nd 1990, the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The 4th annual Survivor Series. The second match on the card that night saw The Dream Team of Bret Hart, Dusty Rhodes, Koko B. Ware, and Jim Neidhart, square off against The Million Dollar Team, of The Honky Tonk Man, Greg Valentine, Ted DiBiase, and a mystery partner. That mystery partner was a 6'10, 325 pound giant from Death Valley in the form of The Undertaker.

This was the first time anybody had seen Mark Calaway in this role, and its the one that would make him a made man the rest of his career, which lasted for three decades. And what a run it was. It's had some transformations over the year. He started as a western mortican, then went to a horror-themed, macabre entity who employed scare tactics and held links to the supernatural. He would transform into a biker gimmick known as the American Badass, before transforming back into the horror themed entity, to a degree, that we saw early in his career. It has earned him a Royal Rumble win in 2007, a six time tag team champion, a three time world heavyweight champion and a four time WWE champion. He's pretty much seen and done it all in this game.

There's so many matches that are in the wrestling business now, in some way shape or form, that have come from the Dead Man. Hell in a Cell, Inferno Match, Casket Match, Boiler Room Brawls. That's just to name a few of the match types that you associate with Taker. This also goes to show one of the greatest traits of the man and the performer. You saw his character always changing with the times. He was able to change up his super powers as the deadman. He went on to modernize the look with the American Badass. He then went back to the supernatural gimmick but with a modern twist. 

He had that ability to capture your attention whenever walked into an arena, or on yo9ru TV screen. It was a look and a style that you can never take your eyes off. When I was a kid, he gave me the creeps, but was a gimmick that I had to watch. The fights he had with the likes of Kane, Mankind and HBK were stuff that will be talked about for years. the two matches with HBK at Mania were two of the greatest matches that have ever taken place at the show of shows, which is saying a lot.

When he made his debut on that night in Hartford, I was just over two years old. He's had my attention and imagination ever since. Even sitting here writing this, its a little tough to put into words exactly what the character, and the man playing the role perfectly I might add, has meant to me as a fan. So for now, I will say this.

There's never been anybody to pull this career off any better. Thanks for the memories Taker.

REST. IN. PEACE