The 12 Greatest Undertaker Entrances In WWE History, Ranked

When you hear that gong, you know it's about to go down.

On the Raw 25th Anniversary show, the Undertaker returned to the ring--not to fight, but to deliver a cryptic message. He ended his promo with a line that sounded vaguely threatening: "And now on this sacred ground, I declare for all of those who have fallen: It is truly time you rest in peace.”

What does that mean? We'll find out soon enough, but we can hazard a guess: Despite evidence to the contrary, the Undertaker has not retired. He'll probably fight at WrestleMania 34, and he'll probably face John Cena. Although the Dead Man isn't what he once was--three decades in a brutal industry will do that to you--he still knows how to make a killer entrance. And the Undertaker's entrance, by itself, is nearly worth the price of admission to WrestleMania.

It's gone through plenty of iterations over the years, with different special effects, different music, and different outfits. But it's always impressive, and it always sends a chill down our spines. Here are the Top 12 Undertaker Entrances In WWE History.

12: A Vulture Rides Shotgun

Event: WrestleMania IX

Opponent(s): Giant Gonzales

WrestleMania IX took place in Caesar's Palace, which meant it fell victim to all sorts of kitschy schtick. The wrestlers were brought out like Roman emperors by servants. Vestal virgins fed the wrestlers grapes. Bobby Heenan rode out on a camel. How, exactly, was the Undertaker going to look menacing in the midst of all this decadence? But he managed it, because he's the Undertaker. Servants pulled him to the ring in a chariot, and green smoke billowed about. And best of all, a real, live vulture flapped its wings next to him.

The actual match against Giant Gonzales was a disaster. It ended with a DQ (the only DQ in the entire Streak) after Gonzales tried to chloroform his opponent. The Undertaker's entrance was the only positive thing to come out of the entire segment.

11: Batman Descends From The Rafters

Event: Survivor Series (1996)

Opponent(s): Mankind

The New Generation era was a weird time for the Undertaker. He was always portrayed as one of the most powerful wrestlers on the roster, but he was rarely in contention for a title. Instead, mid-90's Undertaker was continuously placed in "Monster of the Month" storylines. He would be attacked by the latest monster heel, and the Undertaker would have to "kill" him. Lather, rinse, and repeat.

But then along came Mankind, and finally, the Undertaker had met his match.

This particular entrance is from that era; the Undertaker descended from the ceiling wearing a large pair of bat wings. Unfortunately, due to the tragic Owen Hart accident, these types of stunt entrances have become a thing of the past.

10: Riding A Hearse To A Casket Match

Event: SummerSlam (1992)

Opponent(s): Kamala

This is pretty understated compared to the other entrances on this list, but it slides into the Top 10 on pure class. First came Paul Bearer, looking ghoulish as ever, holding a golden urn in his hands. Then came a hearse with a wooden casket inside. And then came the Undertaker, riding on the back of the hearse, with his hat covering his eyes.

The subsequent match against Kamala, which ended in a DQ, was nothing to write home about. It's easy to forget that The Undertaker wasn't always The Phenom. Early Undertaker matches were a mixed bag; if he didn't have a strong opponent who knew how to sell for him, his performance could fall short of expectations. It wasn't until later in his career--starting in the late 90's--that the Undertaker became a legendary, transcendent performer.

9: The Beginning Of The Biker Era

Event: Judgment Day (2000)

Opponent(s): N/A

To this day, Biker Undertaker remains a polarizing, controversial gimmick change. After dressing like an undead corpse for a decade, The Undertaker showed up to Judgment Day (2000) dressed as a leather clad biker. It's the closest WWE fans have ever come to seeing the real persona of the performer--Mark Calaway--under the hat. The crowd had a deafening response, especially because WWE never advertised him as a part of the show.

The Undertaker held onto this biker gimmick from 2000-2003. By its final year, it had outworn its welcome. Fans clamored for a return to the classic Undertaker. But at the time of this Judgment Day entrance, the fans were just happy to see the man in action.

8: The Day Before The Darkness

Event: Judgment Day (1998)

Opponent(s): Kane

The most bizarre Undertaker era is the Ministry Era, when the Dead Man started fancying himself as a Satanic cult leader. But even before the Undertaker officially founded the Ministry of Darkness stable, WWE was changing the Undertaker's entrance to make him appear more villainous and intimidating. The pyro team added explosions. The costume dept gave his clothing a more contemporary, leather look. The makeup team added little touches, like drawing a single, black tear on his cheek.

This Judgment Day (1998) entrance was the day before the Undertaker founded the Ministry of Darkness on Raw, promising a "plague of evil." The best part of this clip is when the Undertaker lifts his hands at the very end. The house lights explode on, rather than getting gradually brighter. Attitude Era, indeed.

7: Keep Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Event: WrestleMania XIX

Opponent(s): A-Train & Big Show

Limp Bizkit now isn't much more than a footnote. But back in 2000, when Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water came out, they were the biggest band in America, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Album charts. And for a good two years, the Undertaker used one of their singles, "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)," as his opening theme.

By 2003, Undertaker had switched his theme to Jim Johnston's "You're Gonna Pay" to coincide with his "Big Evil" heel turn. But WWE revived the "Rollin'" theme for the Undertaker's entrance at WrestleMania XIX. He came out to a massive face reaction, and he biked all the way down the long ramp, with the American flag trailing behind him. It was loud, brash, ridiculous, and fun (especially with the red-capped female dancers), but your tastes may vary.

#6: Entering The Gates To Hell

Event: WrestleMania 28

Opponent(s): Triple H

For the last 10-odd years--ever since WWE started marketing The Streak as a prominent part of WrestleMania--the Undertaker's entrance has been reliably epic. Every detail, from the massive flames to the billows of smoke, to the thunder crash when he takes off his hat, is carefully shot and planned beforehand. It would be easy to fill an entire list with just these entrances; they're that good.

But there are several standouts among the consistent quality. And one of them was at WrestleMania XXVIII, when the Undertaker fought Triple H in an "End of an Era" match in Hell in a Cell. For his entrance, the Undertaker wore a dramatic cloak with sharp spikes on it, and the production team set off a ring of stadium fireworks at the perfect time. Recently, WWE has been eliminating pyro as a cost-cutting measure. Let's hope that Vince McMahon makes an exception for WrestleMania 34.

#5: The Debut Of The Dead Man

Event: Survivor Series (1990)

Opponent(s): The Dream Team

There's no better person to announce your debut than the Million Dollar Man himself, Ted Dibiase. Dibiase brought the Undertaker onto his Survivor Series (1990) team as a ringer, and the Dead Man made an immediate impression. This entrance isn't much to look at, effects-wise. But WWE framed it perfectly.

The cameraman used a low angle shot to emphasize the Undertaker's size. They cut in multiple shots of wide-eyed, frightened looking children in the audience. And that evening's color commentator, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, had the line of the evening.

"Holy cow! Look at the size of that ham hock!"

#4: The Druids Light The Way

Event: WrestleMania XIV

Opponent(s): Kane

The canon backstory of the Undertaker is a bit hard to parse; it's been retconned and retold several times over the years. But there's always been some hints around Undertaker belonging to a cult. In the early days, for example, the Undertaker's "Creatures of the Night" would sit ringside to intimidate opponents.

At WrestleMania XIV, WWE made the cult connection explicit. Two rows of druids walked onto the ramp, bearing flaming torches, to the sounds of "O Fortuna." It was the most elaborate Undertaker entrance to date, and six years later, the greatest Undertaker entrance in WWE history would pay tribute to it. More on that later.

#3: Wading Through A Sea Of Hands

Event: WrestleMania 29

Opponent(s): CM Punk

In hindsight, the Undertaker should have retired after WrestleMania XXVIII. There was no way he would ever top the iconic image of him, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H taking their final bow on the entrance ramp.

On the other hand, if the Undertaker had retired and never fought CM Punk, we wouldn't get this evocative entrance. Creepy, shadowy hands grabbed at the Undertaker from below, like lost souls begging for mercy and release. The subsequent match was the highlight of WrestleMania 29. Its stakes were raised considerably by Paul Bearer's recent death, which allowed Punk to torment the Dead Man in increasingly morbid, cruel ways.

#2: Undertaker Or Underfaker?

Event: SummerSlam (1994)

Opponent(s): The Fake Undertaker

At SummerSlam (1994), the real Undertaker (Mark Calaway) fought a fake, Ted Dibiase-endorsed Undertaker (Brian Lee, also known as Chainz) for the right to exist as the sole Dead Man. It was a terrible storyline. It was a terrible match. But it had the second best Undertaker entrance in WWE history, and it wove in the mythology of the Undertaker's urn.

Paul Bearer lifted the urn from a casket. When he opened the lid, a massive spotlight shone out from it, illuminating his face. He pointed it all around the arena, and finally, he settled the urn's beacon on the entrance curtain. And that's when the real Undertaker, with his new, iconic, purple gloves, started his march to the ring. There's few wrestlers who could pull this off without getting laughed out of the arena. But in 1994, the Undertaker was more than up to the task.

#1: The Resurrection Of The Dead Man

Event: WrestleMania XX

Opponent(s): Kane

After watching Biker Undertaker for three years, the fans wanted the old Dead Man back. And at WrestleMania XX, WWE delivered the goods by "resurrecting" the Undertaker to do battle against Kane.

The entrance was an amalgamation of all the different Undertaker eras. He had the shirt and gloves from the biker era. He had the hat and coat from the Western era. He had the druids from WrestleMania XIV. And he had Paul Bearer and his urn, which was a massive shock to fans—Bearer hadn't been on WWE programming in years. When the lights went out, his signature "Ohhhhh yesss!" was a burst of nostalgia. Kane, meanwhile, sold the whole entrance beautifully. He freaked out in the ring--"I buried you alive!"--and looked legitimately frightened.

Everything in this entrance worked perfectly. It's the greatest Undertaker entrance in WWE history, not only because of its immaculate presentation, but also because of what it meant, contextually, to the WWE fans. The Dead Man was finally back in WWE, and he would never rest in peace.

from GameSpot http://ift.tt/2EbgFha