The Undertaker is a wrestling legend who came out of the last years of kayfabe and is one of the last bastions of a time when kayfabe wasn’t only alive but healthy. In speaking with BT Sport, The Undertaker discussed how the “Deadman” gimmick would be hard to get off the ground in these modern wrestling times.
The Undertaker Shares Why “The Phenom” Persona Wouldn’t Work Today
In the Undertaker’s case, his gimmick worked because there were generations of fans who were familiar with “The Phenom” because they either grew up with him always being around or WWE’s production and features kept the legend relevant.
However, if the gimmick—supernatural in nature—was presented in this decade or even the end of previous one as a fresh gimmick or to new viewers without the history behind it, it probably wouldn’t go as far as it has. While he later gives the advice for wrestlers to live their gimmick “a little bit”, he also acknowledges that everyone has a camera via their phones now. During his rise and peak, that technology wasn’t as accessible or instantaneous.
The Undertaker explained it to BT Sport:
“It would be very difficult just because everyone [has] a phone that has a camera. I was able to live this character because I didn’t have to worry about that. I didn’t have to worry about sitting in the airport in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and somebody being like, ‘Oh, look, The Undertaker.’ I didn’t have to worry about that. Everybody sees somebody and immediately they want to film them and see what’s going to happen.”
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6twuNKSbiBc
