~THE UNDERTAKER-BY JIM ROSS~
I first saw Undertaker in the late '80's when he was comepeteing in Dallas for the Von Erich family. I was working for Turner's WCW in Atlanta, and we were on the lookout for new talent to bring to TBS. If memory serves me correctly, he was wrestling under a mask as "The Punisher."
I remember that this tall, rangy masked man reminded me of the Spoiler(a.k.a Don Jardine), one of the greatest masked men I ever saw. Even back then, Taker was walking the top ropes 'a la the Spoiler, and it certainly was an eye-openr. After seeing this rugged big man in a few matches at the Dallas Sportatorium, I recommended that WCW hire him, and they did.
Money was tight in Dallas at the time, so when Taker got his new deal from Turner, he could at least eat regularly~~something he wasn't doing while working for the Von Erichs. It's amazing what a string of three meals a day will do for an athlete, as this 6'8 Texas native began to fill out to around 280-290 pounds. While he put on size, he still retained his quickness, agility, and athleticism. He became "Mean Mark" Callous and was managed by Paul E. Dangerously. He quickly started getting more opportunities for TV exposure.
Mark's facial expressions were often stoic in those days, but his amazing athletic ability never failed to impress people. Paul E. was a heat-seeking missile when it came to talking and acting up at ringside. In my view, this package was potentially one of the WCW's best presentations. I arranged for Mark's pay to be doubled as it is very rare to find such a combination of extraordinary size and athletic ability. We had it in this young guy who, I thought, was going to do nothing but improve.
For some reason, however, there were those in the WCW hierarchy that didn't agree with my opinion. I'm not sure if it was just politics and they wanted me to lose this battle; if they wanted Paul E. gone; or if they really didn't like Mean Mark as much as they professed. I remember one particularly spirited conversation I had with then-booker Ole Anderson, a great in-ring competitor in his day. Ole was adamant that this tall, young kid would "never draw a dime." I disagreed, but I also lost the argument.
Mark was given his notice, so he called Vince McMahon to set up a meeting. Obviously, the meeting went pretty well. Vince had this vision for Undertaker's character that included the vintage attire and haunting music, as well as the physically intense and athletic in-ring style. With the addition of Paul Bearer, a real-life mortician, the package was complete. They became one of the business' most enduring presentations. The guy who it was said would "never draw a dime" became one of the most consistent box office attractions ever in WWE with a staggering worldwide fan base.
The grind of the virtually not-stop traveling, they physical wear and tear on his body, as well as father time, are all challenging Undertaker these days. But, he still has significant fuel left in his tank to contribute in the ring when the situation arises. His Hell In The Cell match with Brock Lesnar this past October at "No Mercy" is proof of that. My sense is that Taker, who will no doubt be in the WWE Hall of Fame someday, will continue to wrestle a more limited schedule as he finishes out the final couple of years of his current contract. After that, we will see him in the ring in a very limited, but important, role. This man will always be a part of this company and will continue to teach and lead our young talent for many years to come. I eqate Taker's legacy to the Yankees having Mickey Mantle around for the young players to learn hitting from. Over the years, he has established himself as a leader in our locker room and spends much of his time at events consulting with and listening to our younger talent who realize they have a wonderful asset from which they can learn.
In the future, Undertaker may not see the amount of action we are all accustomed to, but when we do get to see him, it will be even more special. Moreover, his legacy has been solidly established. His place in the history of our business is etched in granite, and his influence on our talent will last a lifetime.
