Arn Anderson On Whether The Undertaker Character Would Work In Modern Wrestling
The wrestling industry has been home to many supernatural gimmicks throughout the years, but The Undertaker is undeniably the most popular of them all. Until his retirement, the WWE Hall of Famer was known for always staying in character and overcoming the hokier elements of his gimmick through his commitment to the bit. Furthermore, Arn Anderson believes that the character would still work in modern wrestling.
On a recent episode of the "ARN" podcast, the veteran revealed that there's a place for supernatural characters in wrestling, as long as people understand that there's a real person underneath the costume. Additionally, he believes that characters of this ilk shouldn't be portrayed as too over-the-top.
"The thing about the Undertaker, it was everything from when you first saw him, his size, and then you would go, 'Oh god, look.' It's like when he would walk to the ring, it was almost like he was floating on air. But it was him pulling that off. It wasn't personal effects or any of that sci-fi stuff. It was just the way that he perceived that character, and the slower the better. And letting you soak in the look, the complexion of his skin... I think there would be a place for another one of those guys as long as you didn't push the hocus pocus stuff too far."
Generally speaking, however, Anderson believes that supernatural characters struggle to reach the apex of the wrestling business. He said that the top stars are those who cut regular promos, and many supernatural-themed characters tend to be silent types.
These days, the Undertaker is more open about the business. However, he has claimed that he's still reluctant to break kayfabe in his wrestling afterlife.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "ARN" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.