Twenty-seven years ago today, WWE staged one of the most controversial TV segments in league history involving the Undertaker – and got itself into trouble with Christian associations.
He was one of the most popular and respected stars in wrestling history – but on this evening, the Undertaker deeply disturbed his fans. And not only them.
Twenty-seven years ago today, one of the most controversial moments in WWE history took place: in a segment deliberately designed to shock, the showfighting empire staged a kind of crucifixion, which the legendary “Dead Man” performed on his rival Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The controversial ending to the TV show Monday Night RAW caused quite a stir – and also brought Christian associations onto the scene.
Undertaker as a sinister villain at WWE in 1998
Background to the action: WWE had reinvented the popular Taker as a villain during the Attitude Era in 1998.
After six years as a celebrated “babyface,” the then WWF surprised everyone in the fall with a “heel turn” by the Taker—in which, according to the script, he was even exposed as a murderer. He turned against his story brother Kane and revealed that he was the one who had set fire to the funeral home as a child, causing the death of his parents and the alleged burn scars on the face of the masked Kane.
In the course of his transformation into the sinister “Lord of Darkness,” the Taker acquired a gloomy new outfit, celebrated a reunion with his long-time manager and companion Paul Bearer, who died in 2013, and became the leader of a group called the Ministry of Darkness.
Austin, then the league’s big crowd favorite, became the Taker’s main target.
Steve Austin was “crucified”
On December 13, 1998, the feud culminated in a “Buried Alive Match,” in which the two wrestled each other in a replica cemetery. As a final hype for the pay-per-view duel, the shock segment was recorded for RAW’s “Go home Show.”
After the main event of the show – Austin and “Mankind” Mick Foley faced off against the Undertaker and the young, newly crowned champion Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – Austin was knocked out by the Undertaker and a group of masked helpers. The veiled “druids” then tied Austin to a large, mystical object and raised it up while the Undertaker laughed diabolically. The staging was obviously intended to evoke associations with the crucifixion of Jesus—even though WWE had repeatedly denied the obvious.
What do you think would be the wildest wrestling Twitter moments before Twitter was a thing? For me, it’d probably be Austin, Undertaker, and “the symbol” pic.twitter.com/RfFg37PEYc
— Rasslin Uploader~! (Armstrong Alley on YouTube) (@KrisPLettuce) March 10, 2019
Catholic association: “Outrageous”
The segment did not fail to achieve its goal of attracting attention beyond WWE fan circles. Among other things, a public skirmish with the Catholic League, a Catholic interest group, made headlines.
“Mocking Christ is beyond the acceptable limits of entertainment, even in wrestling. Especially at this time of year, it’s outrageous,” railed association representative William Donohue in TV Guide, referring to the scene’s broadcast in the run-up to Christmas.
Donohue reported that WWE had assured him that the action was not intended to represent a “crucifixion” and that the league had instead had “a kind of Egyptian symbol” in mind for the high priest-like Taker.
Ultimately, the official stated that he had had a productive conversation with WWE. The result: he advised that the Taker’s potential next victim should simply raise his hands instead of stretching them out to the sides like Jesus, in order to be less offensive to Christian sensibilities.
Next reinvention as a biker
However, WWE did not let this deter it from staging further shock segments involving the evil Taker: Among other things, there was a hinted “black wedding” with the kidnapped Stephanie McMahon, daughter of WWE boss Vince McMahon, who was also tied to the symbol.
The dramatic climax of the Ministry story was finally the revelation of a mysterious “higher power” that the Taker had been serving. The “Higher Power” turned out to be Vince McMahon himself – which was rather meaningless in the context of previous events.
Ultimately, it became apparent that the Taker’s transformation into a supervillain could not be taken any further. After a break due to injury at the end of 1999/beginning of 2000, he returned in a new guise, no longer as a supernatural biker with a motorcycle.
In 2004, he reverted to his old “Deadman” character, with which the now 60-year-old was to celebrate many more successes until the end of his career in 2020.
