The Undertaker - Andre the Giant's replacement
The ultimate special attraction who didn't need the title.
Never really thought about it, but 'Taker was basically the replacement for Andre, who more or less finished with the company in April 1990.
Callaway was green in WCW and filmed the movie Suburban Commando with Hulk Hogan, prior to signing with Vince. McMahon, in a touch of genius, came up with original gimmick - western mortician/dead wrestler - then presented it to Mark after he signed. The first real OTT gimmick in WWF, but it was mysterious enough to work. Horror movie characters Jason, Michael Myers, Leatherface and Freddy had become the stars of their franchises and the WWF audience was very young. It was perfect.
I think Vince knew the character would work and trusted the man portrating it. He built him up slowly, but it seems he was 100 percent behind it. Put him over Jimmy Snuka, Von Erich and Dusty Rhodes in the early days; had him no sell nearly everybody; serious feud with the Ultimate Warrior (after a then shocking angle). Within a year he was over enough to turn babyface.
Never really thought about it, but 'Taker was basically the replacement for Andre, who more or less finished with the company in April 1990.
Callaway was green in WCW and filmed the movie Suburban Commando with Hulk Hogan, prior to signing with Vince. McMahon, in a touch of genius, came up with original gimmick - western mortician/dead wrestler - then presented it to Mark after he signed. The first real OTT gimmick in WWF, but it was mysterious enough to work. Horror movie characters Jason, Michael Myers, Leatherface and Freddy had become the stars of their franchises and the WWF audience was very young. It was perfect.
I think Vince knew the character would work and trusted the man portrating it. He built him up slowly, but it seems he was 100 percent behind it. Put him over Jimmy Snuka, Von Erich and Dusty Rhodes in the early days; had him no sell nearly everybody; serious feud with the Ultimate Warrior (after a then shocking angle). Within a year he was over enough to turn babyface.
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In my opinion, Undertaker was more of an anti-Hogan, the polar opposite of the champ at the time.
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Maybe you got a point. But the character was way more successful than Vince could've ever hoped for.
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Taker is beyond the right place, right time kind of wrestler we hear about when describing the likes of Austin and Rock. His character is so timeless yet has evolved throughout the years while still maintaining his unique aura, minus when he was the American Badass even though that still worked out very well. I wouldn't necessarily consider him to be Andre's replacement per se, but he is on the same level of being that kind of main event attraction.
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