An Undying Legacy: Undertaker is One of the Most-Loved Wrestlers of All Time

For a fan like myself who spent his teenage years rooting for the Undertaker who brought never-ending terror to his opponents including Randy Orton, it's safe to say that Taker's announcing his retirement after three decades in the ring was perhaps was one of the saddest moments for millions of fans. And while winning streak in WrestleMania has been snapped by one Brock Lesnar, you can't take away the fact that the Undertaker's streak at WrestleMania is one of the many reasons why fans have come to love what his opponents came to fear. And there are other things that Taker, or Mark Callway in real life, did in his professional career that made him one of the well-loved and respected wrestlers not just in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Inc. but in the whole of the sports entertainment industry. 

Who could not forget whenever the lights go out in the venue and the Undertaker's entrance would ring? That's the perfect entrance for a legend such as Taker himself. And that's something that would stay in the minds and hearts of fans because there's no other like it. His theatrics. Those things that he would do in the ring and even outside the ring made him one of the most exciting wrestlers of all-time. Who could not forget Taker pushing  Mankind from atop the cage during a Hell in a Cell match? And yes, it was the Phenom who was among the first competitors to fight in a Hell in a Cell match in 1997 only to lose to Shawn Michaels. Still, Taker introduced a wide variety of tactics to scare off opponents which included the "Buried Alive" Match and yes, it was also Mankind who happened to be Taker's victim in 1995. And speaking of Randy Orton, Orton was subjected to the Phenom's mind games which even led Orton begging for the games to stop. And those were definitely hilarious more than anything else. The Undertaker's ability to excite fans goes beyond his way of spreading fears among his opponents. It's about the uniqueness of the theatrics.

Another aspect of the Undertaker's career that made him the legend that he is now is his ability in the ring as well as his resilience over the course of his final years in the business. For those who don't, Callaway stands at seven-foot and weights at 300 pounds. That makes him one of the biggest wrestlers in the history of wrestling but the beauty of it, he didn't rely on his height advantage alone. He was able to work it up with move sets that some of us may have tried to imitate. His moves were beyond the usual wrestling moves of the old. More importantly, his resilience, especially in the later parts of his career, made the Undertaker remained as one of the most popular wrestlers in the business. Even in his advanced age, Taker was able to put up a good match despite all the physical beatings that his body absorbed. He was called the Deadman for nothing.

But perhaps, the most important reason why the Undertaker will remain popular even in his retirement is his streak or as we call it, "The Streak" Broken or not, the Phenom's winning streak at Wrestlemania- 21 straight victories, will stand the test of time. And that alone is one of the reasons why the Undertaker is legendary.  

Photo is from The National