How about Kama? Brian Lee?
These aren't two of the best examples. I wouldn't count Kama, because what's become of him? He went though another dozen gimmick changes, and never went farther than the midcard. And barely in the midcard at that. Nothing much ever became of Brian Lee, either, but if Undertaker DID put Lee over in any way, it's only because they're legit best friends in real life.
Mick Foley when he was completerly unknown to most WWF fans?
This is an interesting point. I wouldn't necessarily say that Undertaker put Foley over. Foley got himself over with the WWF fans by killing himself a piece at a time every time he walked out to the ring. Plus by the time he was feuding with Taker he also had some good matches with Michaels & Austin. The Undertaker / Foley feud is really only memorable because of the Hell in the Cell match.....which Undertaker won by destroying Mick. So I'm not sure if I'd exactly count that as Foley getting over through Undertaker.
how about providing a springboard for the Acolytes, for Edge and Christian, and for Kane?
Kane is the only one of the examples listed here who I would agree with. The Acoyltes have never been THAT over, and are one of the most forgettable tag teams in the entire history of the WWF/E. The team got their start in the whole Ministry of Darkness storyline, but c'mon, they were never anything more than cannon fodder there. And afterwards, they didn't do a whole lot. Won the tag titles a couple times, but hell, that's a feat that's been accomplished by Crash Holly. Edge & Christian, I don't know where you pulled them from, unless you're counting when E&C lost (and then regained) the tag titles to Rock & Taker....that wasn't a prolonged feud, and E&C really didn't get much from the short angle.
Kane is the only guy who has probably benefited from his association with the Undertaker. Although there's flaws to that, in that 1) he was booked from the beginning to be Undertaker's equal (aka noselling monster), and 2) when Taker & Kane are on the same side (face or heel), Kane always takes the subservient role. Still, I'll give you Kane. Kane got a rub from Taker. But not many others have.
and serioously, how can the Undertaker not be high on the card, especially now, when it's expected that he'd beat the crap out of nearly everyone in the fed....... UT took a back seat while guys like Austin, HHH, Rock, Angle, and Jericho becasme main eventers, in fact, UT has been like a gateway into the main event. If you could hold your own in a battle with the dead man, you were ready, win or lose....
That's what I said when some of it's his booking - he's booked as this monster who no one can stop....which worked fine when he was the dead guy, but now as the hardcore redneck biker guy, and at his age, he should be being portrayed as a *little* more vulnerable. He shouldn't no-sell stuff like Kurt Angle's ankle-lock when Angle's slapped it on him for about 4 minutes straight. Stuff like that is ridiculous no matter how Taker is presented.
But your comment about being a gateway is EXACTLY how I think Taker should be used. A feud with Taker SHOULD propell a guy into the main event....but that's not happening lately. Closest who's come to this is RVD.
Anyway, that's my opinion, maybe Taker has an ego, but I think if anyone on that roster really deserves to have one, it's him....
This is what I strongly disagree with. Naturally, guys have egos. But if ones ego gets so big that it starts to hurt the product (I'm looking at you, HHH), then there's a problem. I don't think Taker's ego is quite that big, but there have been rumors. And they're just rumors, to be fair, but when you hear stuff about Undertaker badmouthing a guy like Mike Awesome, and then next thing you know Awesome is being sent down to the developmentals.....you start to wonder.
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