Opinion

The Greatest Of All Time? Making A Case For The Undertaker

Published

7 years ago

April 3, 2018

When it comes to the debate of who the greatest professional wrestler/WWE Superstar of all-time is, it’s very likely you could poll upwards of fifty people and get a multitude of different answers. The most common names to the question would undoubtedly be Shawn Michaels, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Rock, Bret Hart, John Cena, Triple H, Chris Jericho, with the likelihood of a modern-day “super-mark” throwing out a name like Roman Reigns (he may be in the conversation one day, but let’s be honest…not yet).

I can’t quite argue against any of the aforementioned Superstars, but there is one man that has a very strong case for being the best to ever lace-up a pair of boots. Of course, some will answer with his name, however I feel as if he’s often overlooked in this category. Why? In my opinion, I think the fact that he’s near seven-feet tall and over three-hundred pounds gets held against him, among other reasons. Today, I’m going to tell you why he not only deserves to be in that grouping, but why he very well could be at the top of the heap. Of course, I’m talking about none other than ‘The Demon of Death Valley’, ‘The Phenom’, ‘Big Evil’, ‘The Deadman’ himself, The Undertaker.

Longevity

Outside of ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair, there’s not anyone who has performed at such a high level for this long of a time and as much as I’m a big fan of ‘Naitch’, he had lost a step a good ten years (at least) before he finally retired in 2008 (from WWE). Leaving Undertaker’s brief run with World Class Championship Wresling and World Championship Wrestling out of the conversation, his full-time run with the WWE spanned from late-1990 until late-2010 before becoming exclusively part-time in 2011. While some will complain that he should have walked away at that point, you can’t deny that his return for WrestleMania after WrestleMania has not only brought excitement to the WWE Universe, but has given us some classic matches against Triple H (WrestleMania 27 and 28), CM Punk (WrestleMania 29) and Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XXX).

He’s seen many people and generations come-and-go from his start during the tail-end of the dawn of sports-entertainment, through the New Generation years, the Attitude Era, the Ruthless Aggression Era, the PG Era and into today. There’s not another man who can lay claim to that. He also had the ability to do something that many talents cannot do and that’s reinvent his character with the ever-changing times. He basically started as a zombie that never spoke a word, evolved slightly into the mid-90’s, tweaked himself even more when longtime manager Paul Bearer left his side, turned into ‘The Lord Of Darkness’ for the Attitude Era, returned from a hiatus as ‘The American Bad Ass’, then came back full circle as ‘The Demon of Death Valley’. That is something that is surely to be marveled at.

Respect

In all of my years following wrestling, there’s not any man who has garnered more respect than ‘Big Evil’. Not that I’ve heard anyways. I can’t ever recall a single person having a bad thing to say about The Undertaker. A man who started as just another one of “the boys” in 1990 ended up becoming the locker room leader through all the different eras his career has spanned. He’s always been a guy that veterans and rookies alike not only have respect for, but view as the clear spiritual leader who just leaves the example, the guy who always knew exactly what to say and was willing to help whoever approached him for an opinion.

Whether it’s taping a flak-jacket to his torso to perform with broken ribs, stepping into the squared circle with a Phantom Of The Opera-esque mask because of a broken eye socket or getting knocked near cold because of a bad floor bump in the Superdome, there’s no questioning his heart or commitment to the business, which has earned him that respect along the way. When others jumped to WCW for more money during the Monday Night Wars, Undertaker stayed loyal to the company that gave him a chance, something that many others can’t say and certainly only adds to the amount of admiration he has earned.

Undertaker

Quality Of Work Inside The Ring

Early on in his WWE career, ‘The Deadman’ was often saddled with monstrous opponents who’s level of skill was far inferior to his (minus WWE Hall Of Famer Yokozuna). I think I can say with confidence that many men I previously spoke of before on the greatest ever list would not have put up with that for as long as Undertaker did. Facing guys like Giant Gonzalez, King Kong Bundy, Brian Lee (Fake Undertaker – SummerSlam ’94) had to be frustrating. Hell, he even dealt with it later in his career against men such as The Great Khali and Heidenreich. It’s forgotten that the reason these matches are even bearable is because of the skill of Undertaker himself. The list of guys who could pull that off with opponents like that is very, very short, if not exclusive to only ‘The Phenom’.

Later on, he battled more skilled giants like Sycho Sid and Diesel, then really got to show off his technical abilities against Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Also, don’t forget the fact that this near seven-footer could leave a crowd in awe with his agility and high-flying by soaring off or even over the top rope with Old School or a suicide dive. No man his size has ever taken to the air with the same kind of grace.

We’ve gotten many classics from ‘Big Evil’ over the course of his career and some could point to the quality of his opponent (Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania twice comes to mind). He’s also been able to elevate others to give high-quality performances like he did at WrestleMania 23 against Batista. Also, don’t forget his very underrated bout against Edge at WrestleMania 24, a match I witnessed first-hand and is often forgotten about in WWE lure.

Gimmick/Character

To me, it’s a no-brainer that The Undertaker is by-far the best gimmick/character in the history of professional wrestling. If you were to approach anybody else with the idea for that character he will forever be synonymous with, I can almost guarantee you that it certainly wouldn’t have had the longevity and very likely would not have worked at all. While there definitely is a part of him that relates to the character in order to make it work, you could also argue that he may have pulled off any gimmick that Vince McMahon gave him purely based off commitment and love for the business.

Some may find this to be a stretch, but if you told Mark Calaway he was going to be Doink The Clown, I think we’d probably be talking about Doink as a certainty for the Hall Of Fame. I have the utmost confidence he would have found a way to make it work. Mind you, the depth of The Undertaker character was so good that not only will he be in the WWE Hall Of Fame someday, but it also put Paul Bearer there and without question gave a career to another big man who will be in the Hall, ‘The Big Red Monster’ Kane.

The Kane character very easily could have been a major flop and while Glenn Jacobs is absolutely a talented performer, the association of his gimmick with The Undertaker is what made his career. Let’s be honest here folks, Mr. Jacobs won’t be going into the Hall Of Fame for his role as Fake Diesel or Isaac Yankem, D.D.S. Plus, would Mankind have been so successful or even become a multi-time WWE Champion had it not been for his initial feud with ‘The Phenom’? Mick Foley clearly is no poster boy for the perfect body, but Undertaker legitimized him to the WWE audience and even Mick himself would be the first to tell you so. Then of course, there are the multiple gimmick matches that we likely may have never seen like Hell In A Cell, Buried Alive, the Inferno and Casket matches. These worked and made sense because of the nature of The Undertaker character.

Statistics

Personally, statistics like title reigns don’t mean as much to me, but I know that a lot of people will point to title reigns in number and length to make an argument for or against a given Superstar. We all know that Ric Flair and John Cena are 16-time champions (although it’s technically more than that), but how do Undertaker’s numbers stack up? First and foremost, his WrestleMania streak may have been broken in 2014, but we can say with absolution that nothing will ever come close to it…ever, which already gives him a step on some of the competition.

‘The Demon of Death Valley’ is a 7-time WWE World Champion, more times than Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan (excluding his WCW Title reigns) and Chris Jericho. He’s also a multi-time Tag Team Champion alongside Austin, Rock, Kane and Big Show. Mind you, this is a man who like ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper didn’t really need a title. Just being ‘The Deadman’ was a title unto itself.

In closing, I don’t think there’s any denying that Mark Calaway will go down as one of the best to ever do it. Is he THE greatest ever? Quite frankly, it depends on your criteria, but you’ve got to put him in the coversation. The prosecution now rests.

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Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

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Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1