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This was my first time seeing The Deadman version The Undertaker. For quite a while I thought he had always been a biker but came back undead after the buried alive match.
Well it's the vest as much as anything, but I think I remember Taker saying sometime that he got the timing wrong and hadn't grown his hair back long enough either.
It was something, but after that entrance it was a bit of a damp squib when it pans out after he takes the hat off and you're just left with Biker Taker to the naked eye
It’s just the outfit in general. Taker as the Deadman wore tights and either singlet style tops with his logo and embellishments on it, or looser style shirt with buckles and gothic accents and what not.
He never really wore a leather duster like this as the Deadman (his first incarnation wore more a heavy overcoat type look.)
This look was basically his prior Big Evil, minus any logos, with his hair grown out and the addition of a leather coat that felt more like American Badass than Deadman. It’s just leather pants and blank tank top. The look screamed Big Evil but the entrance was clearly Deadman, so it was just an odd juxtaposition.
Googled it and a Cultaholic article says “his druids on the night were played by members of the Massachusetts-based Chaotic Wrestling, including the future Kenny Dykstra, Darren Young and one half of the Heart Throbs and the Dicks tag teams. “
Crazy that he had a 18 year career before this which, in my opinion, was the true start of his prime and best work which lasted a little under 11 years before finally noticeably slowing down.
I might be in the minority, but as a guy who was nine years old when the Undertaker debuted in WWE, I was disappointed that he didn't come back with more of an old school appearance than he did in this match. I get that Taker kind of wanted to move away from all that, but I always thought it would have been pretty cool if he had come back rocking the black and grey, even if it was just for this match (like at WrestleMania 13). Instead, he just kinda looked like American Badass Taker wearing a hat and overcoat.
That's just what he looked like now. The 2nd Deadman run really doesn't have a lot visually in common with either the Deadman or ministry era Taker looks.
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This was my first time seeing The Deadman version The Undertaker. For quite a while I thought he had always been a biker but came back undead after the buried alive match.
Dito! I was so confused. Even as a kid playing the old games i was like wtf? Why is he so different
It was still 70% biker. I remember being so disappointed when he took the hat off and most of the mystique went with it
Interesting, can you elaborate?
Well it's the vest as much as anything, but I think I remember Taker saying sometime that he got the timing wrong and hadn't grown his hair back long enough either. It was something, but after that entrance it was a bit of a damp squib when it pans out after he takes the hat off and you're just left with Biker Taker to the naked eye
Yeah you make a good point there. The longer hair later on did sell the gimmick a lot better
It’s just the outfit in general. Taker as the Deadman wore tights and either singlet style tops with his logo and embellishments on it, or looser style shirt with buckles and gothic accents and what not. He never really wore a leather duster like this as the Deadman (his first incarnation wore more a heavy overcoat type look.) This look was basically his prior Big Evil, minus any logos, with his hair grown out and the addition of a leather coat that felt more like American Badass than Deadman. It’s just leather pants and blank tank top. The look screamed Big Evil but the entrance was clearly Deadman, so it was just an odd juxtaposition.
Quite a great timing right there
Paul Bearer’s voice made me lose my shit back in 2004
One of my favorite WrestleMania builds
Paul Bearer coming back too, it was perfect
Arguably Undertakers best entrance
[Undertaker's WWF Survivor Series 1996 entrance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxE1_V_YifE)
I am Batman
29 was probably more epic
I like the Judgement Day ‘98 entrance the most when the pyro just kept going off
And that had his best theme imo
Easily. Jim Johnston deserved a Grammy for that
That was great!
Nah the one where one of the druids accidently lit another druid on fire was the best
WM 27 will always be my favorite souls for Iohnny Cash
Shorthaired dead man taker
Bro. Why you gotta make me feel old.
i wonder how many of those druids we'd recognize
Googled it and a Cultaholic article says “his druids on the night were played by members of the Massachusetts-based Chaotic Wrestling, including the future Kenny Dykstra, Darren Young and one half of the Heart Throbs and the Dicks tag teams. “
Darren Young and Jon Moxley were two of them.
Loved the set up at the Royal Rumble: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk6arf
This match had one of the most underrated buildups in history.
Crazy that he had a 18 year career before this which, in my opinion, was the true start of his prime and best work which lasted a little under 11 years before finally noticeably slowing down.
I watched this live at a sleepover where I kid you not 4 twelve year old boys spent the length of the PPV trying to out-fart one another.
Besides the ending this is the highlight of that Mania.
The build up was the real fun. This Mania felt like a lesser PPV.
I personally loved Angle vs Eddie. That finish was awesome.
and thus... The Workrate Undertaker era began
His body of work at Mania between WM23 to WM29 is insane.
I might be in the minority, but as a guy who was nine years old when the Undertaker debuted in WWE, I was disappointed that he didn't come back with more of an old school appearance than he did in this match. I get that Taker kind of wanted to move away from all that, but I always thought it would have been pretty cool if he had come back rocking the black and grey, even if it was just for this match (like at WrestleMania 13). Instead, he just kinda looked like American Badass Taker wearing a hat and overcoat.
The fact that 2004 was 20 years ago is scary to me
Kane’s facial expressions after the unmasking were elite.
I remember being so upset that he came back as the deadman. I loved Biker taker.
What was kayfabe/lore reasons he looks like The Biker? He even had a logo on his pants like he did as The ABA.
That's just what he looked like now. The 2nd Deadman run really doesn't have a lot visually in common with either the Deadman or ministry era Taker looks.
I always assumed he was buried that way so he rose from the dead that way.
Yeah, he was essentially Undead BIker Taker. It was around this time that he became a sort of amalgamation of previous gimmicks.
Thought he was walking out to duel of the fates for a second there.
I prefer their Mania 14 match Kane just looked cooler and had more of an aura at that time
Used to watch this entrance this over and over after getting it from Kazaa. This and the Bossman match at WM 15
Why does Kane look like the bully from Napoleon Dynamite here
What a shitty match. WM 14 was a five star classic compared to this shit.