wcchunder

The Chundertaker

“Why, Droz, why?”

Just when you thought the Brothers of Destruction’s reputation couldn’t be weakened any further, a crippling blow was dealt to the Takers at last year’s Royal Rumble. Something about the Chundertaker reeked, and it wasn’t his constant and unstoppable vomiting. What was it?…. I got it. It was his character. Supposedly hailing from Australia, (but really from East Bum somewhere in the upper Midwest) the man formerly known as Droz sold his soul to Mr. McMahon to obtain one of the worst gimmicks ever as well as an impossible shot at WWF gold. Coming down to some forgettable 80’s pop-rock song and vomiting in the corners after entrance into the ring, fans were less than intimidated by the Chunder, or should I say Blunder, from Down Under.

Nowhere near as large or as skilled as his three counterparts, Chundertaker’s first appearance was a run-in during the Triple Threat match between Undertaker, Kane, and (gyuh) Lumbertaker. His feud with the Brothers of Destruction then carried him to another forgettable encounter, this time in a one on one encounter with the Lumbertaker. That match ended with interference by both the Undertaker and Kane (not to mention much vomiting by the Chundertaker). At least he didn’t sit on anyone’s chest and vomit directly onto their face. He saved that episode for the Four Corners match at Wrestlemania which would decide who would get the title shot at In Your House: Carnival of Carnage. That’s right, someone whose sole gimmick was vomiting came within a hair’s breadth of main-eventing Wrestlemania and almost as close to earning a shot at WWF gold.

One unanswered question is whether or not the Chundertaker was meant as a joke or to be taken seriously. Personally, I took Droz’s “Mad Hatter of the WWF” gimmick more seriously, and this question really doesn’t keep me up nights. Bret Hart used to sing, “There’s never a right time to say goodbye,” but trust me, there was definitely a right time to say goodbye to the Chundering One. That time was ASAP but turned out to be two months too long as Chundertaker didn’t disappear until after Wrestlemania. Good riddance.