In the eyes of history, Undertaker's reign as WWF champion was over before it began.
While this kind of short title reign just six days may have embarrassed other wrestlers to pick up stakes (or in this case, coffins) and move on, the monstrous-looking competitor gives no indication that he is leaving the federation. In fact, according to those close to him and his manager, Paul Bearer, Undertaker is determined as ever to regain the belt he feels was stolen from him.
The task is formidable one, since Undertaker will not just be battling Ric Flair, or whoever else may wear the belt, he will also be fighting against history. It's a question wrestling analysts are just beginning to address: Why, in its 30-year history, have only two men been able to repeat as WWF champion, while over in the other major federation, the NWA/WCW seems to breed multiple champions?
Bruno Sammartino (twice) and Hulk Hogan (three times) are the only men in WWF history to defend the WWF belt during more than one reign. Eliminating Sammartino who controlled the belt for over a third of the time the WWF has been in existence would mean that since 1984, in a period of time loosely defined as the Hogan-McMahon Era, no one except Hogan has repeated as WWF champion.
By contrast, NWA/WCW has produced, in recent decades alone, two seven-time champions (Harley Race and Ric Flair), a three-time champion (Dusty Rhodes), and a two-time champion (Sting). Why? Why is one title as hard to recapture as a women's heart, while the other is swapped around like a baseball card?
"It's a two-word answer-Hulk Hogan," said WCW expert Donald Wayne. "Hogan has dominated the federation in much the same way Sammartino and Bob Backlund did. He's the top-ranked wrestler of the decade and was basically unbeatable. The wrestlers in WCW were more evenly matched."
Veteran broadcaster Gordon Solie disagrees. "WCW champions defend the title more often," explained Solie. "In those days when Race, Flair and Rhodes seemed to wear the belt on different days, they were wrestling every day, all around the country and the world. Hogan between his public appearances, movie commitments, and other non-wrestling activities, could go 20 or 30 days without putting his title on the line. And when he did wrestle, he mad darn sure it was on his terms. An easier schedule? No doubt." Another possible explanation lies in the philosophical differences between the two federations. The WWF is the "crash and burn" capital of pro wrestling. It is extremely difficult to get a World title shot. As a challenger, you must endure so many conditions and stipulations and outright personality changes that by the time you secure a title shot and often, all you get is a single title shit you're simply too fatigued to do anything productive with it.
In WCW, a challenger climbs the traditional ladder and can expect more than one shot at the title.
In light of all these statistics and explanations, what chances do the experts give Undertaker to repeat as champion? Surprisingly, a very good one, for these four reasons:
Steady Management: It's easy to disregard the macabre Bearer, but the fact is he has maintained an iron grip on his protégé at a time when many fans expected Undertaker, as a new fan favourite, to dump him. After losing the belt, many wrestlers find blame in their management, but Undertaker has remained faithful. "Too often, wrestlers change for the sake of change," said former WWF manager Frenchy Martin. "In the crazy WWF, continuity is an important asset. Undertaker and Paul Bearer understand each other very well and share the same goal, to regain the title. That kind of togetherness breeds success."
Crowd Support: His feud against Jake Roberts has turned Undertaker into the oddest fan favourite imaginable. "The proof is undeniable that cheers contribute to a wrestler's effort," says psychiatrist Dr. Sidney M. Basil, who has studied dozens of top stars during his career. "Undertaker will benefit greatly from the crowd support. If a rule breaker such as Flair remains champion, it will enhance his effort to regain the crown."
Image: God or bad, Undertaker draws people who will pay money to watch him wrestle-which, naturally, makes him very popular among WWF promoters. Though no one admits it, popularity and drawing power do contribute to the amount of title shots a wrestler receives. Of course, what they do with those title shots once they receive them is a different story. Undertaker may be vicious inside the ring, but outside the ring he simply disappears into his own dark world. He offers the promoters nothing but plus signs in a federation filled with contenders who continually are causing internal dissention.
Others, however, are no so sure.
He'd never admit it, but Undertaker's image is holding him back," said one WWF wrestler who requested anonymity. "When you think about a championship-caliber wrestler, you think about men such as Sammartino or Hogan, not walking funeral procession. If Undertaker wipes the white off his face and loses the urn, he might become a top contender again. But if he doesn't, he may be wrestling other weirdo's like Jake Roberts for the next five years."
Skills: This is the bottom line. Mark Calaway as a good wrestler with a bright future. In little more than a year as Undertaker, he has become one of the most fearsome and intimidating wrestlers in the sport, and he doesn't seem to have neared his potential. Stripped bare, that means you have someone quick and intelligent who happens to stand nearly seven feet tall and weigh over 300 pounds.
"I don't know about you," said one ardent WWF fan, "but that sounds like championship material to me."