There is no doubt that over the last quarter century the Undertaker has carved out a legacy that is second to none. Considered to be one of the most respected pro wrestlers of all time, Taker is also a seven time World Champion, a multi-time tag champion, and multi-time Slammy Award winner, and certainly a future WWE Hall of Famer. And, of course, there is the matter of the Wrestlemania victory streak, a milestone that will never be duplicated, even if it was broken. When the day comes that Undertaker finally does retire back to the dark side, he’ll be remembered for all these accolades, along with for all of the famous matches he fought. However, one of his most enduring legacies may actually be the match stipulations he helped create. Though out the years, the Undertaker has been involved in some of the most famous—and infamous – gimmick matches in WWE history. Looking over his career, the Deadman has more unique stipulations tied to his character than any other individual who has come through the WWE. He was a trail blazer for a lot of concept matches, and many of them were created especially for him or for a feud he was involved in. Some of those matches were great, others not as much, but they were always memorable and have left an indelible mark on Undertaker’s Legacy and WWE history. As we approach the Undertaker’s 25th Anniversary at this Sunday’s Survivor Series, let’s take a look back at the Undertaker’s gimmick match legacy with some of the matches he made famous, and vice versa.
The Casket Match
The first and, in a lot of ways, the most logic match stipulation to ever be associated with the Undertaker is the casket match. Right to the point- beat up your opponent, stuff him in a casket, and close the lid. It seemed like WWE did a million of these matches throughout Undertaker’s career. More important than the matches themselves, however, was the stigma around it. Who can forgot the vignettes of the Undertaker in his original “Old West Mortician” get-up building the double wide, double deep casket for Yokozuna, or the eerie presence of the Undertaker pushing the casket to the ring flanked by torch wielding druids? It wasn’t exactly the most exciting or the most brutal of gimmick matches ever conceived, but it made so much sense for the character and his feuds. WWE hasn’t run many of them in the last few years, and it seems unlikely it will see a lot of use after Undertaker retires, but the casket match is intrinsically tied to the legacy of the Deadman. No casket match jumps to mind as being an instant classic, but the casket match that the Undertaker had with Shawn Michaels at Royal Rumble 1998 is an important part of wrestling history. Not only is it a match between two icons of the sport, it is also the match where HBK suffered the injury that ended his career after a bad bump on the casket. It’s a tragic moment, but no one argue that the casket didn’t forever change the direction of the business and WWE history.
The Buried Alive Match
In a lot of ways, this was a natural evolution from the casket match. If Undertaker is putting guys in caskets, why doesn’t he bury them alive? The first Buried Alive match was held at the aptly named “Buried Alive” pay per view in October of 1996 and was part of an on-going feud Undertaker was having with Mankind. The Undertaker would still end up buried at the end of the match, leading to his iconic “raising from the grave” moment. In some aspects, this could be considered Undertaker’s true “trademark” match, as he has wrestled in all five Buried Alive matches WWE has held. Ironically, however, his track record in these matches is a rather dismal 2-3. Either way, Buried Alive was a unique concept in the wrestling business and it played an important part in a few different Undertaker storylines. It’s unlikely that the match will get much use once Undertaker retires, but it’s even more unlikely it would have been created at all had it not been for the Undertaker.
The Boiler Room Brawl
The Boiler Room Brawl was created to be the trademark match for Mankind, but it was first used—much like Buried Alive—during the Undertaker/Mankind feud. Undertaker became the first person to ever fight and to everlose a Boiler Room Brawl match at Summerslam 1996. While the match has been used a few more times by WWE, the first one was the only Boiler Room Brawl that Taker was involved in and really the only one that sticks out in my mind. As a stipulation match, it didn’t quite live up to the hype, feeling more like an extended backstage segment than an actual match. That said, the ending was truly a shocking moment as Paul Bearer turned on the Undertaker and joined Mankind. With that act of betrayal, the Undertaker and his former manager would start down a path that lead to the debut of Kane and the creation of a number of other match stipulations on this list. On top of that, while the match itself hasn’t been used in over 15 years, it was in a lot of ways the spiritual forefather of various backstage matches like the parking lot brawl. Odd as it may seem, the Undertaker’s first foray into the Boiler Room was actually a very historically significant moment for the WWE.
The Inferno Match
Much like the Boiler Room, this was not a match designed to be an Undertaker trademark, rather it was designed for one of his adversaries; Kane. However, Undertaker was in the first two inferno matches and holds a 2-0 record, making him the master of the inferno. It’s a simple concept—to win, you need to set your opponent on fire. Admittedly, the inferno match is an idea that works better on paper than it does in real life, but that doesn’t make it any less intense. So, when the Undertaker and Kane met for the first time in the inferno at Unforgiven 1998 it was exciting to watch. There wasn’t much the two could do with a ring surrounded by flames, but the sense of danger was very real, an aura certainly suited for the Undertaker. Ultimately, this paved the way for the Ring of Fire match used at Summerslam 2013, a similar concept except for the fact that the victory condition was pin or submission instead of light your opponent on fire. Who knows, maybe WWE might use the Ring of Fire stipulation again, but it seems unlikely we’ll see a true Inferno Match any time soon, leaving the Undertaker as the only man with 2 inferno match victories.
The Punjabi Prison Match
Of all the matches on this list, The Punjabi Prison has to be the most outlandish. Actually, scratch that, it has to be one of the most outlandish matches in WWE, ever. For anyone who doesn’t remember, the Prison consisted of 2 bamboo cages with bamboo weapons and an ultimate goal of escaping both structures. Had it not been for the Undertaker’s somewhat questionable feud with the Great Khali this oddity of a match never would have come to fruition. Strangely enough, the first time the double wooden cage was built at The Great American Bash in 2006, Khali wasn’t medically cleared to complete so the Big Show had to fill as a substitute against the Deadman. It was odd for sure, but it was still a first for WWE and Undertaker has the distinction, dubious as it may seem, of being the first man to win a Punjabi Prison match. With Great Khali no longer working for the WWE it seems unlikely we’ll see another Punjabi Prison match, but the sheer spectacle of the stipulation made it quite a memorable moment in the career of the Undertaker.
Hell in a Cell
Saving the best for last—Hell in a Cell. One of WWE’s most popular concept matches, it is also arguably the one Undertaker has become most famous for. Taker has seen 13 Cell matches, more than anyone else, and he is tied for the most wins at 6. Beyond just the numbers, the Undertaker has been involved in some of the very best HIAC matches ever seen. Few people will forget the first Hell in a Cell match, an instant classic from Badd Blood 1997 between the Phenom and Shawn Michaels that ended with the debut of Kane. He was also involved in one of my favorite Cell matches, the 6 man HIAC from Armageddon 2000 where he famously tossed Rikishi from the top of the structure. And of course, there was King of the Ring 1998, one of the most famous and brutal matches in WWE history where the Undertaker pitched Mankind from the top of the cell, through the top of the cell, and into a pile of thumbtacks. Add to that a solid resume of other cell matches including his bout at Wrestlemania XXVIII with Triple H and his most recent match with Brock Lesnar at Hell in a Cell 2015 and it becomes perfectly clear just how much the legend of the Hell in a Cell was crafted by the Undertaker. Of all the matches on this list, HIAC is the one that WWE will surely continue to use going forward. However, no matter who steps into the Devil’s Playground, they will always be looking to live up to the legacy of the Undertaker, though it’s highly unlikely anyone ever will.
Maybe the craziest part about this list is that it isn’t all encompassing. The list of Undertaker’s concept matches goes on and one: a Body Bag Match, an Armageddon Match, a Rest in Peace Match, a couple of Last Ride Matches, a Biker Chain Match, a Concrete Crypt Match. Some of these were one-off gimmicks, and some were Undertaker themed variations of other more common stipulations, but they’re all worth mentioning. Undertaker was has a ton of more “common” stipulations on his resume of matches, including No Disqualifications Matches, a Ladder Match, even a TLC match. He wasn’t the innovator of all of those, of course, but the Undertaker certainly brought something special to all of them. It’s fitting that the man with perhaps the greatest gimmick of all was involved in so many gimmick matches. It’s equally as fitting to think that once the Undertaker walks out of the ring for the last time, many of these gimmick matches will also rest in peace.