All Of The Undertaker’s Finishers In His WCW & WWE Career, Ranked

From the very moment he debuted until he took his last ride, The Undertaker was one of, if not the most captivating WWE wrestlers of all time. One of the ways he was able to achieve thirty years of destruction was his ability to switch things up every few years. Be it costumes, theme music, or finishing movies.

Beginning with his days in WCW as Mean Mark and all the way until the Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36, The Deadman has found all sorts of ways to either torture his opponents into submission, or flat out knock them out for the three count.

Mean Mark Adapted Ox Baker’s Heart Punch

Stop The Heart, The Match Is Over

• Mark Calaway was “trained” by Buzz Sawyer.
• The Undertaker started in World Class under a hood as Texas Red.
• Texas Red worked under a mask and was managed by Percy Pringle III, aka Paul Bearer.

Everyone has to start somewhere, right? After a few brief stints in Memphis and World Class, the future Reaper Of Wayward Souls landed what was his first decent money break in WCW. He’d get his start as Mean Mark and was managed by the likes of Teddy Long and Paul E. Dangerously. He’d try out and adapt a few finishers during his time in WCW. One of those was the old school (no pun intended) devastating Heart Punch. Which, if you’ve ever had heartburn, is just a small modicum of the pain you’d experience really get decked in the ol’ ticker.

The Future Deadman Also Used The Claw

The Young Mark Calaway Sort Of Looked Like David Von Erich

• In Texas Red’s first ever match, he took on the legendary Bruiser Brody.
• He’d find himself in Memphis as The Master Of Pain.
• The Master Of Pain, like many giants, feuded with Jerry The King Lawler.

Nowadays, the entire wrestling world and world of fandom ascribes The Iron Claw strictly to The Von Erich family. But while Fritz and his sons and grandchildren were the masters of the move, they were never the only ones to use it.

After all, a massive man like Mean Mark has giant hands that can completely engulf a man’s skull and squeeze the blood right out of opponents’ brains.

Walked Along The Top Rope Elbow Drop

Adapted From His “Trainer” The Spoiler

• One of the first guys to walk the top rope was Don Jardine, The Spoiler.
• Due to some similarities, a myth started that Taker was trained by Jardine.
• The two had met in the ring in a match for WCCW in July 1987.

Throughout his career, when The Phenom walked along the top rope, it was an amazing sight. He’d come to about halfway across the ropes and leap off to deliver a big clubbing blow across an opponent’s shoulder. During his WCW career as Mean Mark, he’d walk the ropes too. But instead of delivering what would become known as “Old School,” the future legend would deliver a big-time elbow off the top instead.

The American Badass Started Using The Dragon Sleeper

His Version Was Called TCB – Takin’ Care Of Business.

• During his time as The American Badass, JR tried to make “Booger Red” a new nickname.
• Clearly, that made little sense and Vince McMahon demanded he stop trying to get it over.
• As for The Dragon Sleeper, wrestlers from The Undertaker to Daniel Bryan were known for using it.

Throughout his entire early WWE run, The Undertaker was simply an undead wrestling zombie from beyond the grave. That was all he needed to be during The Golden and New Generation Eras. But when The American Badass debuted during the tail end of the Attitude Era and the early Ruthless Aggression Era, The Phenom upped his game again.

He adopted one of big submission holds, usually reserved for lightweights – The Dragon Sleeper. But when a monster like The Deadman does it to you, you better tap and tap fast.

The Demon From Death Valley Summoned Hell’s Gate

For When You Absolutely Need To Submit A Man, Accept No Substitutes

• After wrestling for years in a slow, plodding way, Taker credits Bret Hart for giving him the chance to wrestle a more technical style.
• The Deadman’s love of MMA is where he learned The Hell’s Gate from.
• In the MMA world, Hell’s Gate is called the Gogoplata.

At WrestleMania 20, The Deadman returned to face down his evil brother Kane. Much like every other time he returned to the ring, he came with something new to go along with the rest of the package. This time around, he added The Hell’s Gate submission hold. He was inspired by watching MMA guys use the move. It’s essentially a choke out while using your shinbone. The move was considered so dangerous that SmackDown GM, Vickie Guerrero, banned the move altogether in early 2008.

The Last Ride Was Perfect For Taker’s New Attitude

Why Just Powerbomb A Guy From Your Shoulders?

• After a few years of maintaining The Deadman during The Attitude Era, The Undertaker debuted as The American Badass in 2000.
• The Last Ride was added almost immediately as Taker’s new finisher.
• The elevated powerbomb hasn’t been utilized in WWE by anyone else except The Undertaker.

After an injury sidelined The Deadman in late ‘99, The Undertaker decided it was time to switch everything up. Nowadays, a lot of fans know full well who the real man is. But when he debuted as The American Badass, the transformation took a lot of fans back. It wasn’t before long that we’d all get to experience a new finish for The American Badass – the Last Ride. A powerbomb, especially from a six-foot-ten monster, is a nasty move. But when he hoists up a little higher just by lifting his arms, it’s and even higher elevation and bad landing.

The Undertaker Had Arguably The Best Choke Slam

A Long Ride And A Bad Landing

• There is an old folktale that President Abraham Lincoln inadvertently invented the choke slam during his career.
• The move is used by just about every big man in the history of the sport.
• Thanks to Paul Heyman and 9-1-1, the one-handed choke slam was popularized.

It has been the set-up hold for our number one move for nearly the entire run of The Deadman. But every so often, he’d also use The Choke Slam to put several foes away.

Usually, he delivers it to guys that he couldn’t hit The Tombstone on (that is a short list). He’s also one of the few very strong men who have the ability to hoist men up by the necks with one hand.

The Tombstone Buried Many Souls

Taker’s Greatest Move Is The Tombstone Piledriver

• The “reverse Piledriver” was invented by Karl Gotch and even utilized by Andre The Giant.
• They never wrestled, but Andre did express interest in working with The Undertaker.
• Even when WWE banned the Piledriver, Undertaker and Kane were still allowed to use the move.

Utilized from the moment he debuted at the 1990 Survivor Series all the way until the end of his career, whenever The Undertaker made the throat slash motion, fans knew what was coming next. He was able to hoist up nearly every wrestler he ever faced and deliver The Tombstone Piledriver.