Should The American Bad Ass Return For One Last Ride?

[CM Steel]

The Undertaker's wrestling days are coming to an end. We've seen three different charactor's that were the Undertaker.

1. The Phenom
2. The Lord of Darkness
3. THE AMERICAN BADASS!

The Undertaker will always be known as the Phenom (of the WWF/E). The Lord of darkness Undertaker was the worst part of the Undertaker's career as taker would say in interviews. But the american badass Undertaker was just who Mark Callaway (the Undertaker) is. The american badass Undertaker spoke his mind on the mic, changed his wrestling style up, would ride to the WWF/E ring on a too sweet motorcycle.

Since this is the Undertaker's "last ride" in the WWE. Should the american badass Undertaker make one last return in the WWE?

 

[HBsam31]

I wouldn't mind seeing it, but here is the thing. His current version of the phenom is more outspoken than in the past. Has more of a human personality. Taker telling HBK that he didn't deserve to face him again at Mania as he already beat him once stands out in my mind as an example of this. Also he last to came down to the ring to the Cash song Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down. Not saying that he couldn't use that as the American badass, but it fits his last persona really well to me. One could also argue that his gimmick isn't the phenom, its really the deadman. He has been the phenom under every version of his gimmick. Could someone tell me for sure when they started calling him that. Remember he did beat then phenom Jimmy snuka at mania 7. Not trying to split hairs with you but I am interested to hear the actual history of that. Anyway with his hybrid version of the deadman he used in the last maina, I think that is how he should go out.

 

[Dr. Awesome]

No not now for the simple reason this match at wrestlemania will be his last and he should have a gimmick that he spent like 5% of his career using.

 

[justinept]

Absolutely not. You said it yourself, The Undertaker will ALWAYS be known as The Phenom. Why in the world would you want him to go out with a different gimmick?

It would be like having Hulk Hogan end his career as Hollywood Hogan ... or - to a more ridiculous extent - having Triple H give one last run with the Hunter Hearst Helmsley gimmick. Since this is also The Rock's last run - more than likely - why don't we have him go out as Rocky Maivia?

The fact is, most people will always remember The Undertaker as The Phenom. It would be ridiculous for the fan's last impression of 'Taker to be of anything but The Phenom.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

Why not finish his career as Mean Mark? I'm kidding of course. The American Bad-Ass was his worst Undertaker gimmick. The Lord of Darkness was when he had some of his best feuds and angles.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I think if he's in the HOF or has a retirement send off on TV I think he should be himself, which basically what the American Badass represents anyways. As a character on TV, the Deadman/Phenom is great as it is.

 

[trashboy]

Absolutely not. You said it yourself, The Undertaker will ALWAYS be known as The Phenom. Why in the world would you want him to go out with a different gimmick?

It would be like having Hulk Hogan end his career as Hollywood Hogan ... or - to a more ridiculous extent - having Triple H give one last run with the Hunter Hearst Helmsley gimmick. Since this is also The Rock's last run - more than likely - why don't we have him go out as Rocky Maivia?

The fact is, most people will always remember The Undertaker as The Phenom. It would be ridiculous for the fan's last impression of 'Taker to be of anything but The Phenom.

Actually that would be awesome if Hogan retired as Hollywood, since that was his best gimmick ever.

And to the topic, no, a million times no. American Bad Ass Taker was horrible. His worst gimmick by far, even worse than Mean Mark Callous.
He definitely needs to retire as The Phenom, The Dead Man, not the guy that runs around saying, "Boy this my yard" and vrooms around on a motorcycle. I"m not sure why alot of people on here want ABA to return, it wasn't that great of a gimmick. I was a huge fan of Undertaker back in the day, mainly his Ministry gimmick (such a bad ass gimmick that was, even though Taker himself thought it was too evil, what can i say, I just love "evil things") but once he started doing the ABA gimmick I kind of lost interest and was waiting for the day that he died and was resurrected as The Phenom. Even though he never was quite the same, he looked like The Phenom (sort of) but ran around the ring like the ABA.

 

[Defekt]

The Big Evil gimmick was a sign of times, but do you really want to see The Undertaker riding out on a motorcycle to a 10 year old Limp Bizkit song? Might as well have Steve Austin work his last match as The Ringmaster, or HHH revert back to a posh snob.

The American Badass gimmick was prolly the low point of UT's career. I mean, he was always booked strong, but feuding with Maven and A-Train, and working in the tag division aren't exactly his career highlights.

 

[kabby420]

does it matter thaaaat much...i dont think it does...badass was kinda stupid...but if this ends up being MARK's last run then i dont care what it is...hes done enough, give it a rest already..its just a gimmick, it wont change what his match will end up being at mania, then he retires or comes back in another 6 months to a year and does it all over again...does the gimmick really matter that much?

 

[relentless1]

i dont know why everybodys hatin on the american badass...i admit i didnt like it at first but the second version of it (big evil) was awesome...and if you wanna talk career highlights, big evil undertaker was UNDISPUTED CHAMPION, career highs dont get much higher lol....

 

[pr1celess]

Personally, I think a bit of a mix between the Biker and the Deadman would be awesome. You could have him perhaps wearing more 'normal' clothes (still all in black of course) and speaking in a more normal voice. I remember seeing that WWE were selling 'Last Outlaw' merch, which I think would fit his theme perfectly.

I must say I do worry his last run will be a little undercooked, as he hasn't got long to build toward what will surely be his last WWE match. Also, do you guys think it will be the main event, or will Rock/Cena end 'Mania?

 

[24fawwe12fa24]

Fuck 'The American Badass', 'The Lord of Darkness' should return, I was 1 year old when this whole gimmick started, therefore I obviously didn't watch it at the time, but I've got all the PPV's and the like Specials from then, and it looks as if that was a great character, promotes a big stable, gets more superstars being used, and creates a decent stable again, with a veteran as your leader, the main thing in this though is that Undertaker would need to be a Heel, this would fail if he was a Face..

 

[SaveUsCMPunk]

I wouldn't mind seeing it. I also don't get all the hate "Biker Taker" gets. The "Deadman Undertaker" was great when I was a young kid in the '90s and when ABA Undertaker debuted in 2000, it was basically an extension of Mark's real life personality. The Undertaker that came back in 2004 was just a little too silly and far-fetched for me. (Maybe it was a sign of me getting older. If they really wanted to go the nostalgia route, they should've gone with the first incarnation of the Undertaker. (with the gray, rubber gloves.)) IMO, any version of Undertaker prior to Wrestlemania XX > the Undertaker we've seen since then.

 

[LegendKiller716]

I really like the Last Outlaw gimmick he was portraying last year. It really wasn't too different from his normal phenom gimmick, but it emphasized the fact that he didn't have superpowers. It showed vulnerability, and for the first time in his career, Taker had to win by being resilient. I know it's not really a huge difference, and the character may not return, but I really liked it. Just the way he carried himself, and the way he delivered promo was awesome.

So after all that, no I don't think the American Bad Ass gimmick should return. At this point in his career it doesn't make sense for him to rehash an old gimmick that he admittedly didn't like. I think he should stick with the Last Outlaw, or bring it back old school with the purple boots and gloves and the button up shirt, etc. Maybe even his mask.

 

[VinnieSunshine]

No.

The American Bad Ass gimmick was a small portion of his career and didn't last very long. From that he transitioned into Big Evil and then went away before coming back as the Deadman, or a version of it.

Mark has always changed up the Undertaker gimmick everytime he comes back, its never ben the same thing.

I would like to see him come back as an immortal character. No matter how many times he goes away, he always comes back anyway. Thats ALWAYS been the legend of the Undertaker is you can't put him down.

Say IF he were to to retire this year, have him win, 20-0. Come up with a way for him to retire honorably. The lights go out as he's doing his kneeling thing in the ring and on the screen it says R.I.P....? and then you here Undertakers laugh with a bolt of lightning striking his symbol and setting it on fire on the stage (its WM so maybe the druids could bring it out or something). Lights come back on and Taker is gone.

 

[Raiden46]

This is a ridiculous question. The Undertaker is the Phenom. Always has been and always will be. If anything, he should go back to being the taker form the early to mid 90's when he had long hair drooping over his eyes and was damn near unbeatable. The only thing I hate about Taker now is how he wears black eye shadow.

 

[AndThat'sTheBottomLine]

I didn't hate the american badass gimmick. It wasn't my favorite but he had some memorable matches with it. Ric Flair, triple h to name a couple. He was also the undisputed champion. But if he is retiring then he should go out as he came in. Undead and unbeatable. I can hear the argument now lol why not bring back rocky mavia or the ringmaster? I'm not saying everyone should go out with the character they came in with but the undertaker has always had great gimmicks and characters from start to finish. So i wouldnt mind the purple gloves and the button up shirt hell bring out paul bearer with him. It'd be fine with me and it signify the end of an awesome career.

 

[Scofield]

I have said this time and time again, this idea of bringing back the American Bad Ass gimmick is f*cking stupid. He is in the very last stages of his career why would he revert back to being the American Bad Ass...especially when really gimmicks of his kind are a dieing breed.

People please tell me how much sense does it make for Undertaker for the last 6 years of his career to be coming out as the Deadman then for the last 20 minutes of his career pop out at the RAW before Wrestlemania and say hey guys look at me I'm riding a bike again and I'm the American Bad Ass once again. Sounds f*cking stupid right? He came in the Deadman, shall leave the Deadman. Period.

Hey for the record why don't we bring back Hunter Hearst Helmsley, hell what about lets bring back Kane as Isaac Yankem DDT?

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Hey for the record why don't we bring back Hunter Hearst Helmsley, hell what about lets bring back Kane as Isaac Yankem DDT?

Wow, you are just all kinds of annoying, aren't you?

I've given a lot of thought to this in the past, and what I've come up with is that is really just matters what they intend to accomplish during his final run in the WWE. Is this his last WrestleMania, going 20-0? Does he have one or two matches left in the tank? Basically, what does the Undertaker have left to contribute to the wrestling business before he truly retires.?

I say let him decide. If the man behind the character wants to ride off into the sunset on his motorcycle, or walk into the shadows, that should be completely up to him! He has contributed more to this industry than most would if they doubled or tripled their entire career. The only people who I can safely say did just as much work for pro wrestling, if not more, are Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. So personally I think the decision should be first and foremost in the hands of the Deadman.

From a creative approach, I'm not sure why the would want to bring back that character. He's more relatable as the American Badass, and it does reflect the man more than the Undertaker character, but is that the way he wants to go out? Is that the way he wants to go 20-0 at WrestleMania? As a fan I wouldn't mind seeing it again, but I also can't fathom the Undertaker's final moments being performed through anything but the Deadman character. It has evolved throughout the many decades he has been a part of, but it's also the most consistent things fans will think of when they hear the name "Undertaker". I think the purist would say that having him go out with anything less than that gimmick would indeed be a travesty. It's not that the American Badass is a bad character, and as I said I really would be interested in seeing it again, but it pales in comparison to the history of the Deadman.

And by the long shot that they want to use his last match, whether it be this year, next year, or the year after, to "put over" another Superstar in a huge way, I don't think they want to do it as the American Badass. It may devalue the streak coming to an end, and many people will point to the gimmick as the reason he lost. If it were to end that way, they're going to be under enough fire from the fans for killing the streak as it is.

 

[xavyer]

Well, it really doesn't matter wich character he uses in his last match, Mark Calloway is talented in every character that he used, but it would be awesome to see the American Badass one more time, he not only had memorable matches like in wrestlemania 19 when he defeated the Big Show and A train, but also memorable moments and promos, like when he started his feud with Triple H before wrestlemania 17, that was awesome too, because is a more real character, and also unbeatable, but in a different way, like some of you said, is a more real life gimmick for him, shows the real Mark.......

 

[Headman]

I thought the cult leader Undertaker was the best thing he ever did. Strange that it's so unpopular. With that said, I never ever want to see the American Badass again. Easily my least favorite gimmick he's ever used.

 

[ECW Sandman]

Simple answer No that gimmick sucked I understand Mark Calaway The man loves bikes but when he's portraying The Undertaker it did not fit the name or what everyone is use to, The gimmick of American Bad Ass should have been for his Mean Mark character back in WCW not in the WWF/E.

 

[Scofield]

Wow, you are just all kinds of annoying, aren't you?

I've given a lot of thought to this in the past, and what I've come up with is that is really just matters what they intend to accomplish during his final run in the WWE. Is this his last WrestleMania, going 20-0? Does he have one or two matches left in the tank? Basically, what does the Undertaker have left to contribute to the wrestling business before he truly retires.?

I say let him decide. If the man behind the character wants to ride off into the sunset on his motorcycle, or walk into the shadows, that should be completely up to him! He has contributed more to this industry than most would if they doubled or tripled their entire career. The only people who I can safely say did just as much work for pro wrestling, if not more, are Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. So personally I think the decision should be first and foremost in the hands of the Deadman.

From a creative approach, I'm not sure why the would want to bring back that character. He's more relatable as the American Badass, and it does reflect the man more than the Undertaker character, but is that the way he wants to go out? Is that the way he wants to go 20-0 at WrestleMania? As a fan I wouldn't mind seeing it again, but I also can't fathom the Undertaker's final moments being performed through anything but the Deadman character. It has evolved throughout the many decades he has been a part of, but it's also the most consistent things fans will think of when they hear the name "Undertaker". I think the purist would say that having him go out with anything less than that gimmick would indeed be a travesty. It's not that the American Badass is a bad character, and as I said I really would be interested in seeing it again, but it pales in comparison to the history of the Deadman.

And by the long shot that they want to use his last match, whether it be this year, next year, or the year after, to "put over" another Superstar in a huge way, I don't think they want to do it as the American Badass. It may devalue the streak coming to an end, and many people will point to the gimmick as the reason he lost. If it were to end that way, they're going to be under enough fire from the fans for killing the streak as it is.

Annoying? What's annoying is seeing the American Bad Ass Bring Him Back thread that pops up every year before Mania. Seriously what sense does it make bringing back old transitional characters?

 

[justinept]

Actually that would be awesome if Hogan retired as Hollywood, since that was his best gimmick ever.

Agreed with everything you said except for the part about Hogan. His Hollywood character was great - it revived his career. But the Immortal Hulk Hogan is ICONIC. In 50 years, when people talk about Hogan, they'll talk about the Hogan from the 80's ... then they'll bring up how he stayed on top with one of the great heel turns of all time.

To a lesser degree, when people talk about the Undertaker, they'll mention The Phenom - the guy that was unbeatable, that simply rose up every time you thought he was hurt. Then, they'll mention his American Badass gimmick.

 

[Voice of Reason]

Let me preface this by saying that The Undertaker has been my all-time favorite wrestler since I was 5 years old. I've loved all of his gimmicks from The Deadman to The Lord of Darkness to Big Evil. I was even a fan of the American Badass gimmick; it served the purpose that it was supposed to serve at the time which was simply to give us something new. That being said, I do not think that he should go back to any of those because I think he's reached the point in his career where there is no going back.

Let me explain.

I think that any wrestler who has been in the business as long and met with the same level of success as The Undertaker eventually reaches a point where (at least to an extent) they rise above gimmicks and simply are who they are. Hulk Hogan reached that level. Ric Flair reached that level. And now, I think The Undertaker has reached that level, so any change that he undergoes at this point should simply be him acting more like himself. And if that happens to include him riding in on a motocycle, then that's fine with me, but it's not gonna be the American Badass. It's gonna be another step in his evolution as a legendary wrestler.

Now obviously, I'm not saying that he should suddenly stop acting like The Undertaker. However, I am saying that The Undertaker and Mark Calaway have become inextricably bound together. Who he is as a wrestler and who he is as a person are going to continue to meld and grow. So whoever he decides to come back as, I don't think it's gonna be the same as anything we've previously seen. We all simply need to have faith in him as a wrestler and a performer. He won't let us down.