The Undertaker Reflects On The American Badass, Evolution Of WWE Character

Before WWE Judgment Day 2000, The Undertaker had already undergone several variations his "Deadman" gimmick, but they all aligned with his gothic horror persona. At the aforementioned pay-per-view, The Undertaker ditched the black robes and became a biker-themed wrestler, and somehow it worked well enough to even have a spin-off heel gimmick known as "Big Evil."

The real-life Mark Calaway had actor Theo Rossi on his "Six Feet Under" podcast, who asked him how WWE creative worked. Calaway explained that he had input in the creation of the "American Badass" gimmick, saying, "There was two reasons why I did it: one, I was starting to feel a little stale, and two, as great as the gimmick was and the character was, I was confined."

Calaway then recalled how many of his peers at the time were cutting memorable promos, like The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, while his gimmick as the "Deadman" largely prevented him from doing so, which was another reason why the "American Badass" was born. 

"It didn't work for that original Undertaker version, so I needed to shift a little bit; I kept some elements, but then you get a little bit more of Mark Calaway with the American Badass," he explained. Calaway noted that he felt a sense of freedom with the gimmick change, which helped him stay relevant, but noted that he always had the vision to return to the "Deadman."

In keeping with tradition, The Undertaker was buried alive during Survivor Series 2003, before returning in 2004's Royal Rumble with a brand new look that many have dubbed as "Undertaker 2.0," as he'd have elements of the "American Badass" and the "Deadman" going forward. Recalling the process leading up to the aforementioned gimmick change, Mark Calaway claimed that he's retained elements of all his gimmick changes along the way.

"So, the Undertaker 2.0 there was –- even, I guess, it started with American Badass. I sort of started incorporating a lot of Jiu-Jitsu and stuff like that," he said, noting that he's always been an MMA and boxing fan. "UFC, they were growing so fast... So it just made sense."

Calaway explained that this specific gimmick change ended up allowing him to retain the dark sinister characteristics of the Undertaker while having a different style. "I was just able to continue to evolve it because wrestling fans can get real flavor of the week," the veteran pointed out. 

In hindsight, Calaway managed to keep his character relevant and only subtly changed the "Undertaker 2.0" gimmick over the years, before retiring as a new once-off variant of the "American Badass" and his "Big Evil" gimmick with supernatural elements, in the Boneyard match against AJ Styles at WWE WrestleMania 36.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "Six Feet Under" podcast, and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.