With Taker my first reaction was to say Hogan, but then I realized Taker was just a way to get the title off Hogan and onto Flair. The match didn't really do anything for Taker, and in the subsequent 1992 Royal Rumble he didn't even make it to the Final Four or anything impressive like that. He was pretty much dropped as a title contender.

That said, I will now say:

Undertaker: Jake Roberts

Taker made Taker.

But also consider Ted DiBiase. He debuted on the Million Dollar team at Survivor Series and the Fake Undertaker storyline also made him this larger than life character.

Re-invention has been key to Taker as well.

A-Train made Taker

I beg to differ. They were both over before they beat the big stars, but beating the big stars is what solidifies them as major players.

I know this isn't the best analogy... but take Umaga for example. He came in and was destroying everybody. He was getting over and got his shot at the big times against Cena... and Cena beat him repeatedly. Now what is he?

Imagine if Rock/Hogan hadn't put over Lesnar/Goldberg. If Rock/Hogan went over, then the momentum of both would have pretty much been halted. If they just plain never fought then they both would just eventually become those generic "monsters" in the mid-card.

But by facing them and beating them, both were solidified as here to stay. Of course, neither of them actually stayed.

I think that Hogan made The Undertaker, truthfully. I mean, it's never a case of it entirely being one guy, but looking back over Taker's career, the definitive moment where the character probably stood out as a "real deal" was when Hogan couldn't phase the big man. Hulk fucking Hogan couldn't overcome his darkness.

Transitional reign or not, that just lended so much credibility to the character that it always carried some weight to it. That's what a lot of characters like The Boogeyman have been lacking since, despite going over some big fucking names in borderline squash matches.