The Undertaker is one of WWE‘s most legendary superstars, and over the years he’s gone through a transformation several times, and each time the change revitalized his career. The Deadman has gone through a number of notable phases, and while every WWE fan has their favorites, there’s one era that Undertaker’s Mark Calaway credits for rejuvenating the character and getting him through the Attitude Era, and the answer might surprise you. Calaway revealed what that persona was on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s new show The Broken Skull Sessions, and it turns out it was the American Bad A** (via SportBible).
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That’s right, the motorcycle-riding tough guy era, which didn’t actually last that long (it topped out around a year), is what Calaway credits with being the fresh look and feel he needed to keep the character alive and well through the Attitude Era, noting that he had started to feel stale in his previous role.
“I always felt like, if I started feeling stale, my audience is probably feeling it before me,” Calaway said. “You get wrapped up in what you’re doing. So, the small changes, the breaks at the right time, but I don’t think I would [have] made it through if I hadn’t changed when I did to go to the American Bad A*s. The character, I don’t think, would have lasted through the Attitude Era.”
It’s surprising for sure, as this era of the Undertaker’s career isn’t the most popular. That would be the Deadman era, which Calaway has played with quite a bit throughout his career, tweaking and changing the gimmick along the way.
Some thought Calaway would bring back the American Bad A** character at some of his previous appearances this year, but it never happened. While Undertaker’s appearances are rarer these days, there’s always a chance he brings the gimmick back, so you can never truly say the American Bad A** won’t return.
