The Undertaker
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| The Undertaker |
 |
| Ring name(s) | The Undertaker (WWE)
Cain the Undertaker (WWE)[1]
"Mean" Mark Callous (WCW)[1]
Punisher Dice Morgan (NJPW)
The Punisher (Memphis, WCCW, WCWA)[1]
The Phenom (WWE)[1]
The Commando[1]
Texas Red, The Master of Pain (Memphis)[1] |
| Billed height | 6´8" – 6´10.5" [2][3][4] |
| Billed weight | 280- 330lbs[5] |
| Born | March 24, 1965 (1965-03-24) (age 46)[6]
Houston, Texas |
| Resides | Austin, Texas |
| Billed from | Death Valley[5] (1990–1999, 2004–present)
Houston, Texas (1984–1990, 2000–2003) |
| Trained by | Don Jardine[7] |
| Debut | 1984[8] |
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965)
[6] is an American
professional wrestler. He is currently signed to
WWE, appearing on its
SmackDown brand. He is considered one of WWE's senior competitors, having been with the company over 20 years. Mark Calaway began his wrestling career with
World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984. He joined
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as "Mean" Mark Callous in 1989. When WCW did not renew Calaway's contract in 1990, he joined the World Wrestling Federation (which later became World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002 and WWE in 2011) as The Undertaker in November of that year and has remained with the company ever since.
The Undertaker has two contrasting
gimmicks: "The Deadman", an
undead,
occult-like figure, and "The American Bad Ass", a
biker. The specialty matches connected to The Undertaker are the
Casket match, the
Buried Alive match, the notorious
Hell in a Cell, and the
Last Ride match. The Undertaker's
kayfabe half-brother is
Kane, with whom he has teamed as the
Brothers of Destruction. The Undertaker is undefeated at
WrestleMania with a 19–0 record. Calaway is an eight-time
world heavyweight champion: a
four-time WWF/E Champion and
three-time World Heavyweight Champion as The Undertaker, and a
one-time USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion as Master of Pain. The Undertaker is also a
one-time WWF Hardcore champion, and a seven-time
world tag team champion: a
six-time WWF Tag Team Champion, and
one-time WCW Tag Team Champion. The Undertaker was the winner of the
2007 Royal Rumble and became the first man to win the Rumble at number 30. He has been named by WWE as the greatest big man of all time.
[9] Calaway is also the only active wrestler who appeared on the company's very first
RAW program, who is still with WWE today.
[edit] Professional wrestling career
[edit] Early career (1984–1990)
Calaway made his debut in 1984 in
World Class Championship Wrestling under the ring name "Texas Red".
[8] He wrestled and lost his first match against
Bruiser Brody.
[8] In 1988, after four years in the promotion, he left and joined the
Continental Wrestling Association (which became the
United States Wrestling Association after
Jerry Jarrett merged CWA with WCCW), wrestling under several
gimmicks. On April 1, 1989, he was
booked to win his first professional wrestling title, the
USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, defeating
Jerry "The King" Lawler, under the stage name "The Master of Pain". While performing as "The Punisher", Calaway won the
WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship on October 5, 1989 when
Eric Embry forfeited the title.
[10]
As he went into singles competition, Calaway took on the guidance of
Paul E. Dangerously and defeated
Johnny Ace at
Capital Combat and defeated
Brian Pillman at the
Clash of the Champions. In July 1990, he wrestled against
Lex Luger for the
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship at
The Great American Bash, but lost when Luger pinned him after a
clothesline. WCW declined to renew Calaway's contract, after losing his last match to
NWA World Heavyweight Champion Sting on September 1, 1990 at a
live event.
During his stint in WCW, Calaway then briefly wrestled in
New Japan Pro Wrestling as Punisher Dice Morgan. After leaving WCW, he briefly returned to the USWA to participate in a tournament to determine the new USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion; he defeated
Bill Dundee in the first round, but lost to Jerry Lawler in the quarterfinals. In October 1990, he signed with the
World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
[edit] World Wrestling Federation/ Entertainment (1990–present)
[edit] Debut and various feuds (1990–1994)
Calaway made his WWF debut as "Cain The Undertaker"
[1] at a taping of
WWF Superstars on November 19, 1990.
[11] The appearance of The Undertaker's first Deadman persona was modeled after a
mortician from old
Western movies, wearing a
trench coat and black hat with grey gloves and boot covers. Under this Deadman persona, he was impervious to pain, something accomplished by Calaway
no-selling his opponents' attacks. Calaway made his official on-camera debut on November 22 at
Survivor Series as a
heel when he was the mystery partner of
Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar team, where he was simply called The Undertaker.
[12] Approximately one minute into the match, The Undertaker eliminated
Koko B. Ware with his
finisher, the
Tombstone Piledriver. He also eliminated
Dusty Rhodes before being counted out. Shortly after Survivor Series, "Cain" was dropped from his name, and he was called simply The Undertaker. It was at this time that The Undertaker switched managers from
Brother Love to
Paul Bearer — a
histrionic, ghostly character, almost always seen bearing an
urn from which The Undertaker was said to draw mystical power, reviving his strength during his matches. During his heel run, Undertaker would place his defeated opponents (almost always jobbers) in a
bodybag and carry them to the back.
[13]
He made his
WrestleMania debut at
WrestleMania VII, quickly defeating
"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka.
[14] The win was the first in his undefeated streak at the event. He began his first major
feud with
The Ultimate Warrior, when he attacked the Warrior and locked him in an airtight
casket on the set of his manager, Paul Bearer's
Funeral Parlor interview segment. After a year of battles with the Warrior,
Randy Savage,
[12] Sid Justice,
Sgt. Slaughter, and
Hulk Hogan, he defeated Hogan to win his first
WWF Championship at
Survivor Series with the help of
Ric Flair, and thus became the youngest WWF Champion in history until having this record broken by
Yokozuna in 1993.
[15] WWF President
Jack Tunney ordered a rematch for
This Tuesday in Texas six days later, where The Undertaker lost the title back to Hogan.
[15]
In February 1992, The Undertaker's ally
Jake "The Snake" Roberts tried to attack Randy Savage's manager/wife
Miss Elizabeth with a steel chair when The Undertaker stopped him, becoming a
fan favorite for the first time. Then, The Undertaker defeated Roberts at
WrestleMania VIII.
[14] The Undertaker defeated Giant Gonzales at Wrestlemania IX. He then feuded extensively with wrestlers managed by
Harvey Wippleman throughout 1992 and 1993, culminating in a WWF Championship casket match against champion Yokozuna at the
1994 Royal Rumble. At the Royal Rumble, Yokozuna sealed The Undertaker in the casket with the assistance of several other
villainous wrestlers, winning the match. The Undertaker's "spirit" appeared from inside the casket on the video screen, warning that he would return.
[16]
[edit] Return; feud with Mankind (1994–1997)
Paul Bearer betrayed Undertaker by hitting him with the urn he is seen carrying here.
After
WrestleMania X,
Ted DiBiase introduced an Undertaker back to the WWF. This Undertaker, however, played by
Brian Lee, was an impostor Undertaker (dubbed the "Under
faker" by fans) and led to the return of the real Undertaker at
SummerSlam, appearing as a new version of his original Deadman persona, replacing grey with purple. The Undertaker defeated the impostor after three Tombstone Piledrivers.
[16] At
Survivor Series, The Undertaker defeated Yokozuna in a rematch, another casket match. Throughout most of 1995, The Undertaker feuded with members of Ted DiBiase's
Million Dollar Corporation. At
WrestleMania XI, while Undertaker was facing
King Kong Bundy,
Kama stole The Undertaker's urn, and antagonized him by melting it into a large gold necklace and attacking the Undertaker.
[16] Later, The Undertaker defeated Kama in a casket match at
SummerSlam.
[16] Several weeks later, The Undertaker injured his orbital bone near his eye, forcing a period of absence for surgery, until his return at Survivor Series.
The Undertaker returned at the 1995 Survivor Series, wearing a
Phantom-like, grey upper mask.
[16] In the main event of the
1996 Royal Rumble, The Undertaker was unmasked in a WWF Championship match against
Bret Hart, when
Diesel interfered in the match to cost the Undertaker the championship.
[17] One month later, at
In Your House: Rage in the Cage, while Diesel was facing Hart in a steel cage match, The Undertaker came bursting from under the ring, dragging Diesel underneath, allowing Hart to get the victory.
[17] This feud culminated in a match between Diesel and the Undertaker at
WrestleMania XII, in which The Undertaker was victorious.
[14]
His next feud commenced the very next night, when
Mankind made his debut, interfering in The Undertaker's match with
Justin Hawk Bradshaw. For the next few months, Mankind ambushed and cost The Undertaker several matches.
[17] The feud intensified, and they began taking their battles into crowds, backstage areas, and in the boiler rooms of different arenas. Mankind cost the Undertaker the
WWF Intercontinental Championship at
In Your House 8: Beware of Dog, assisting champion
Goldust to victory. As a result, the first ever
Boiler Room Brawl was
booked between the two at
SummerSlam. During the match, when Undertaker reached for Paul Bearer's urn, Bearer hit him with it, betraying The Undertaker and allowing Mankind to "incapacitate" The Undertaker with the
Mandible claw, giving him the win.
[17] After Bearer's betrayal, The Undertaker took his rivalry with Mankind to a new level, resulting in a
Buried Alive match in the main event of
In Your House: Buried Alive. The Undertaker won the match after a
chokeslam into the open grave, but after interference from
The Executioner, as well as the help of several other superstars, The Undertaker was ultimately "Buried Alive".
[17] After being buried alive, The Undertaker returned at the
Survivor Series again pitting him against Mankind, but with a unique stipulation; hanging 20 ft (6.1 m) above the ring was Paul Bearer, enclosed in a steel cage. If Undertaker won the match, he would be able to get his hands on Bearer. Even though The Undertaker won the match, interference from The Executioner enabled Bearer to escape The Undertaker's clutches.
[18] The Undertaker then briefly turned his attention to The Executioner, who had become a thorn in his side since his arrival. At
In Your House: It's Time, The Undertaker defeated The Executioner in an
Armageddon rules match.
[18] By the end of 1996, The Undertaker began a feud with
Vader, culminating in a loss to Vader at the
Royal Rumble after Bearer interfered on behalf of his new protégé.
[18] After this loss, The Undertaker began to focus his attention on the WWF Championship.
[edit] Hell in a Cell; Brothers of Destruction (1997–1998)
The Undertaker wearing a costume similar to his old Lord of Darkness Attire.
At
WrestleMania 13, The Undertaker defeated
Sycho Sid for the WWF Championship, marking his second time as WWF Champion.
[19] After the event, Paul Bearer attempted to rejoin with The Undertaker, using the threat of revealing The Undertaker's "biggest secret". In the storyline, Bearer announced that The Undertaker was a murderer, who as a child had burned down the family funeral home business (where Bearer worked), killing his parents and his younger half-brother. The Undertaker claimed there was no way for Bearer to have that information, but Bearer announced that he was told this by Undertaker's half-brother
Kane, who was still alive but horribly burned and scarred. Bearer raised Kane after the fire, having him institutionalized. Now, Kane was waiting for revenge after all these years. In defense, The Undertaker responded that Kane, a pyromaniac, had been the one to set the fire and could not have possibly survived.
His next major storyline began at
SummerSlam in 1997 when referee
Shawn Michaels accidentally hit The Undertaker with a steel chair shot meant for
Bret Hart, costing the Undertaker his WWF Championship.
[19] The feud culminated at
Badd Blood: In Your House, where The Undertaker challenged Michaels to the first ever
Hell in a Cell match. During this match, The Undertaker's storyline half-brother Kane made his debut, ripping off the door to the cell and giving The Undertaker a Tombstone Piledriver, Undertaker's trademark finisher, allowing Michaels to pin him.
[19] The match received a 5-star rating from
Dave Meltzer. As the storyline progressed, Kane, with Paul Bearer, challenged The Undertaker to fights, but The Undertaker consistently refused to fight his brother. The Undertaker and Kane then formed a brief partnership when Kane saved Undertaker from an attack by D-Generation X. The Undertaker's final encounter with Michaels was in the return of the casket match at the
Royal Rumble, where Kane betrayed The Undertaker and cost him the win by trapping him in the coffin, padlocking the casket lid, and setting it ablaze. The Undertaker, however, had disappeared when the casket lid was reopened.
[20] After a two month hiatus, The Undertaker returned and defeated Kane at
WrestleMania XIV.
[20] The two had a rematch, the first ever
Inferno match, one month later at
Unforgiven: In Your House, which The Undertaker won by setting Kane's right arm on fire.
[20]
The Undertaker's feud with Mankind was renewed afterward, and they faced each other in a Hell in a Cell match at
King of the Ring. During the match, The Undertaker threw Mankind off the roof of the 16 ft (4.9 m) cell onto the Spanish announce table below, in what was a preplanned move. He later chokeslammed Mankind through the roof of the cell into the ring which
legitimately knocked Mankind unconscious and finished the match by Tombstone Piledriving Mankind.
[20]
The Undertaker has both feuded and teamed up with his half-brother
Kane numerous times.
At
Fully Loaded, The Undertaker and
Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kane and Mankind to win the
WWF Tag Team Championship.
[20] The Undertaker and Austin's reign as tag champions lasted for only two months, as Kane and Mankind regained the titles on an episode of
Raw is War.
[21] The Undertaker then became the number one contender for the WWF Championship at
SummerSlam, now held by Austin. Shortly before SummerSlam, however, The Undertaker revealed that he and Kane were working together as brothers. Despite this revelation, The Undertaker told Kane that he did not want him to interfere in the match with Austin, and even though The Undertaker lost the match, he handed Austin his belt back after the match in a show of respect.
[20] In September, the storyline continued, and The Undertaker began to show some villainous characteristics when he and Kane revealed the fact that they were in cahoots to rid Austin of his title for
Vince McMahon. At
Breakdown: In Your House, The Undertaker and Kane were booked in a
Triple Threat match with Austin for his WWF Championship; McMahon stated that the brothers were not allowed to pin each other. The Undertaker and Kane pinned Austin simultaneously after a double chokeslam,
[20] so the title was vacated by McMahon. This event led to a match at
Judgment Day: In Your House between the two brothers for the title, with Austin as the special guest referee. Near the end of the match, Paul Bearer seemed about to assist Kane by handing him a steel chair to hit The Undertaker with, but as Kane had his back turned, both Bearer and The Undertaker hit Kane with the chair. The Undertaker went for the pin, but Austin refused to count the fall, attacked the Undertaker, and counted out both brothers.
[20] Finally, The Undertaker became a villain the next night on
Raw is War for the first time in over six years, reconciling with Bearer and claiming that he and Bearer would unleash their
Ministry of Darkness on the World Wrestling Federation. As part of this new storyline, he admitted that he had indeed set the fire that killed his parents, for which he had previously blamed Kane.
[21]
After
Survivor Series, The Undertaker returned his attention back to his previous feud with Austin for costing him the title at Judgment Day, hitting Austin in the head with a shovel during a title match with
The Rock, returning the favor for what happened a month earlier. With this twist in the storyline, McMahon scheduled a Buried Alive match between The Undertaker and Austin at
Rock Bottom: In Your House. In the weeks leading up to Rock Bottom, The Undertaker attempted to embalm Austin alive, tried to have Kane committed to a
mental asylum, and had his druids chain Austin to his symbol, raising it high into the arena.
[21] The Undertaker, however, lost the match after Kane interfered.
[22]
[edit] Ministry of Darkness (1999)
In January 1999, The Undertaker returned and formed the Ministry of Darkness, developing a more evil,
Satanic and a more frightening persona than ever before. Undertaker stated that he was taking orders from a "Higher Power". He often appeared in a black robe and sat on a throne. With the help of his minions, he often performed sacrifices on various WWE superstars, which were meant to bring out the more evil side of superstars so as to recruit them into his Ministry. The Ministry eventually merged with
The Corporation alliance to form the
Corporate Ministry.
[23] During this time, The Undertaker was booked to defeat Austin for his third WWF Championship at
Over the Edge with help from
Shane McMahon, the special referee.
[24] Two weeks later,
Raw is War revealed that Vince McMahon had been The Undertaker's "Higher Power" all along. After The Undertaker
dropped the WWF Championship back to Austin one night after
King of the Ring,
[23] and lost a
First Blood match at
Fully Loaded, his relationship with the McMahons dissolved and the Corporate Ministry disbanded.
The Undertaker then began a storyline where he teamed with
The Big Show in a
tag team known as The UnHoly Alliance, which held the
WWF Tag Team Championship twice.
In September 1999, The Undertaker left the
WWF for 8 months due to a groin injury. He then tore a pectoral muscle in January 2000, just before a scheduled return at the
Royal Rumble.
[edit] Big Evil/ American Bad Ass (2000–2003)
The Undertaker took on a second persona during this portion of his WWF career. He abandoned the Gothic mortician-themed attire, his funeral dirge ring music, allusions to the supernatural, and the accompanying theatrics of his ring entrance. The Undertaker now took on the personality of a biker, riding to the ring on a motorcycle, and wearing sunglasses and bandanas to the ring. His ring music was now replaced with popular rock songs of the time, like
Limp Bizkit's "
Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" and
Kid Rock's "
American Bad Ass" (from which the name of The Undertaker's new gimmick originated), though it was accompanied by the characteristic opening bell gong of The Undertaker's original theme.
Upon his return in May 2000, he took out all the members of the
McMahon-Helmsley Faction, which caused him to once again be a fan favorite. He also targeted their leader,
WWF Champion Triple H. At
King of the Ring, The Undertaker teamed with The Rock and Kane to defeat the team of Triple H, Shane McMahon, and Vince McMahon.
[25] Afterward, he was booked to team with Kane to contend for the WWF Tag Team Championship. They defeated
Edge and Christian, earning the right to face them the following week for the tag title, which Edge and Christian retained. Kane betrayed The Undertaker by chokeslamming him twice on the August 14 episode of
Raw is War.
[26] This incident led to another match between the two at
SummerSlam, which ended in a no contest as Kane ran from the ring area after The Undertaker removed Kane's mask.
[25]
The Undertaker then challenged
Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship at
Survivor Series.
[27] Angle, however, defeated The Undertaker after Kurt switched places with his real life brother,
Eric Angle. The Undertaker demanded and was awarded a spot in the Six Man
Hell in a Cell match for the WWF Championship at
Armageddon. The Undertaker promised to make someone "famous" and did so when he chokeslamed
Rikishi off the roof of the cell.
[27]
In 2001, The Undertaker reunited with Kane as the
Brothers of Destruction, challenging for the WWF Tag Team Championship once again. They received a shot at the title at
No Way Out, facing Edge and Christian and then champions the
Dudley Boyz in a
Tables Match. The Brothers of Destruction dominated almost the entire match but were not the winners.
[27] The Undertaker was then booked to defeat Triple H at
WrestleMania X-Seven, where he improved his WrestleMania winning streak to 9–0.
[14] He and Kane continued a storyline that focused on Triple H, who formed a "surprise alliance" with WWF Champion
Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Brothers of Destruction were granted an opportunity to face Triple H and Austin for their titles. After The Undertaker and Kane acquired the WWF Tag Title from Edge and Christian,
[28] Triple H pinned Kane after attacking him with a sledgehammer at
Backlash, where the Brothers of Destruction dropped the title.
[29] With Kane injured, The Undertaker feuded briefly with Steve Austin for his WWF Championship, but at
Judgment Day, Austin retained his title.
[29]
As part of "
The Invasion" storyline, The Undertaker's next nemesis was
Diamond Dallas Page, who was obsessively following The Undertaker's wife Sara.
[29] At
SummerSlam,
WCW Tag Team Champions The Undertaker and Kane defeated Page and his partner
Chris Kanyon in a steel cage match to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.
[29] At
Survivor Series, The Undertaker teamed with Kane, The Rock,
Chris Jericho, and The Big Show to take on
The Alliance's Steve Austin,
Booker T,
Rob Van Dam,
Shane McMahon, and Kurt Angle (this would be the last time that The Undertaker and Kane would team up until 2006). Angle pinned The Undertaker due to interference by Austin.
[29] After the Alliance was defeated, The Undertaker became a villain once again by forcing commentator
Jim Ross to kiss Vince McMahon's ass.
[30] This was the beginning of a new persona for The Undertaker, as he cut his long hair short and called himself "Big Evil". At
Vengeance, The Undertaker defeated Van Dam to capture the
WWF Hardcore Championship.
[31]
The Undertaker during his "Big Evil" persona
The Undertaker's next storyline began at the
Royal Rumble in 2002 when
Maven eliminated him by dropkicking him from behind. Subsequently, The Undertaker eliminated Maven in return and brutally assaulted him backstage.
[31] On an episode of
SmackDown!, The Rock mentioned The Undertaker's elimination at the Royal Rumble, angering The Undertaker. The Undertaker responded by costing The Rock the number one contendership for the
WWF Undisputed Championship.
[32] The storyline continued when The Rock cost The Undertaker his match with Maven for the Hardcore Championship.
[33] The two faced off at
No Way Out, where The Undertaker lost due to interference from
Ric Flair.
[31] This interference began a storyline with Flair, who declined a challenge to wrestle Undertaker at
WrestleMania X8,
[34] and, as a result, Undertaker assaulted his son
David Flair.
[35] Flair eventually accepted the match after The Undertaker threatened to inflict the same punishment on Flair's daughter.
[35] A no disqualification stipulation was added to the match, and The Undertaker defeated Flair.
[14]
After the storyline with Flair, The Undertaker defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at
Backlash to win the number one contendership for the WWF Undisputed Championship. Later that night, he helped
Hulk Hogan win his title match against the Undisputed Champion Triple H.
[31] The Undertaker then defeated Hogan for his fourth world championship at
Judgment Day.
[36] On the July 1 episode of
Raw, The Undertaker turned into a fan favorite again after defeating
Jeff Hardy in a
ladder match and raising Hardy's hand as a show of respect. The Undertaker, however, dropped the title at
Vengeance to The Rock in a
triple threat match that also involved Kurt Angle.
[36] The Undertaker was then switched from Raw to SmackDown!, alongside former Raw talent
Brock Lesnar,
Chris Benoit, and
Eddie Guerrero. The Undertaker challenged Lesnar in a title match at
Unforgiven that ended in a double-disqualification.
[36] Their feud carried over to
No Mercy in a Hell in a Cell match. The Undertaker performed in the match with a legitimate broken hand and eventually lost to the champion.
[36]
The Undertaker took a leave from wrestling after the Big Show threw him off the stage, sparking a feud.
[37] The Undertaker returned at the
Royal Rumble in 2003.
[38] He immediately continued his feud with Big Show and defeated him by submission at
No Way Out with a
triangle choke.
A-Train entered the storyline by attempting to attack The Undertaker after the match, but
Nathan Jones came to his aid.
[38] The storyline resumed as The Undertaker began to train Jones to wrestle, and the two were scheduled to fight Big Show and A-Train in a tag team match at
WrestleMania XIX.
[14] Jones, however, was removed prior to the match, making it a handicap match, which The Undertaker won with the help of Jones.
[38]
Over the remainder of the year, he was booked to have two
WWE Championship opportunities. The first, on the September 4
SmackDown!, against Kurt Angle, ended in a no contest, due to interference from Brock Lesnar.
[39] The second, at
No Mercy, was a Biker Chain match between The Undertaker and Lesnar, which Lesnar won with the help of Vince McMahon.
[40] This match resulted in a feud with McMahon, culminating at
Survivor Series where The Undertaker lost a Buried Alive match against McMahon when Kane interfered.
[40] The Undertaker disappeared for some time following the match, with Kane claiming that he was "dead and buried forever."
[41]
[edit] Return of the Deadman (2004–2007)
In the storyline leading up to
WrestleMania XX, Kane was haunted by vignettes proclaiming The Undertaker's return. The first was during the
Royal Rumble when The Undertaker's bells tolled, distracting Kane and allowing
Booker T to eliminate him.
[40] At WrestleMania XX, The Undertaker, accompanied by Paul Bearer and in his "Deadman" persona, returned and defeated Kane.
[42] At the following Smackdown! Pay-Per-View
Judgment Day, The Undertaker would go on to defeat Booker T. Three months later, Bearer was kidnapped by the Dudley Boyz at the direction of
Paul Heyman,
[43] who then took "control" of Undertaker.
[44] At
The Great American Bash The Undertaker fought a handicap match against the Dudleys, with the stipulation that if he didn't lay down and purposely lose, Heyman would bury Bearer in cement. The Undertaker won and stopped Heyman from burying Bearer, then buried him anyway, explaining that Bearer was merely a liability now and that he had no use for him anymore.
[42]
The Undertaker making his entrance during an episode of
SmackDown!.
After defeating the Dudley Boyz, The Undertaker began a feud by challenging then WWE Champion
John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) to a title match at
SummerSlam, which The Undertaker lost by disqualification.
[42] At
No Mercy, The Undertaker and JBL competed in the first ever "Last Ride" match, although The Undertaker lost after
Heidenreich interfered.
[42] After a brief program with Heidenreich,
[45] The Undertaker turned his focus to the WWE Championship once again. Along with Eddie Guerrero and Booker T, he challenged JBL to a championship rematch at
Armageddon in a Fatal Four-Way match, in which The Undertaker was unsuccessful, again due to Heidenreich's interference.
[45] The feud culminated in a Casket match between The Undertaker and Heidenreich at the
Royal Rumble, where The Undertaker sealed Heidenreich in a casket for the victory.
[45]
The Undertaker making his entrance to the ring in Iraq
Soon afterward,
Randy Orton challenged The Undertaker to a match at
WrestleMania 21, in a storyline where Orton claimed that he would end The Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak (this would be the first Wrestlemania in which the undefeated streak would become a major selling point for the Undertaker's matches at the marquee event and for Wrestlemania itself;it was only mentioned in passing before this).
[46] Even with help from his father
"Cowboy" Bob Orton, Randy failed, and The Undertaker improved his WrestleMania record to 13–0.
[45] He returned for the June 16 episode of
SmackDown! but lost to JBL, thanks to interference from Randy Orton.
[47] After
The Great American Bash, The Undertaker became the number one contender to the
World Heavyweight Championship, a position that JBL felt he should have. As part of the feud, on the following
SmackDown!, The Undertaker lost a number one contender match against JBL, once again due to interference from Orton.
[48] With this, The Undertaker resumed his feud with Orton. At
SummerSlam, Orton defeated The Undertaker in a WrestleMania rematch.
[49] The storyline intensified as the two taunted each other with caskets, leading to a casket match at
No Mercy, in which The Undertaker lost to Randy and his father "Cowboy" Bob Orton.
[49] After the match, the Ortons poured gasoline on the casket and set it on fire. When the charred casket was opened, however, The Undertaker had once again vanished. He returned at the
Survivor Series, emerging from a burning casket.
[50] The Undertaker returned to
SmackDown! in early December to haunt Orton and set up a Hell in a Cell match at
Armageddon.
[51] After winning the match,
[50] Calaway took a short hiatus from wrestling.
In early 2006 at the
Royal Rumble, The Undertaker returned during
Kurt Angle's celebration of his world title defense against
Mark Henry on a horse drawn cart, signaling for a title shot. As part of their storyline feud, The Undertaker lost his match with Angle at
No Way Out after a thirty minute bout. Undertaker cornered Angle after the match, and after a stare down, told Angle that he had his number and that he was not finished with him yet. The Undertaker had his No Way Out rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship against Angle on
SmackDown! when Henry attacked The Undertaker from behind, costing him the title. This began an angle between the duo, as The Undertaker then challenged Henry to a Casket match at
WrestleMania 22, and Henry, like Orton a year before him, vowed to end Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak. The Undertaker defeated Henry to become 14-0 at WrestleMania, keeping his storyline undefeated streak alive. During a rematch on the next edition of SmackDown!,
The Great Khali made his debut and assaulted The Undertaker, signaling the end of one storyline and the beginning of a new one.
The Undertaker was not heard from until the May 5 episode of
SmackDown!, as Theodore Long delivered a challenge from The Undertaker to Khali for a match at
Judgment Day.
[52] The Undertaker lost to Khali,
[53][54] and he did not appear again until the July 4 edition of
SmackDown!, when he accepted Khali's challenge to a
Punjabi Prison match at
The Great American Bash.
[55] Khali, however, was removed from the match and was replaced by
ECW Champion The Big Show, over whom The Undertaker gained the victory. In the storyline, Teddy Long replaced Khali with Big Show as punishment for an attack on The Undertaker shortly before the match.
[53] Khali was then challenged to a
Last Man Standing match at
SummerSlam after interfering in The Undertaker's match with World Heavyweight Champion
King Booker.
[56] Khali refused the challenge for SummerSlam, though Long made the match official for the August 18 episode of
SmackDown! instead. The Undertaker won the match by striking Khali with the steel stairs, delivering several chair shots, and finishing him with a chokeslam.
[57]
Brothers of Destruction reunion
The Undertaker's next match was with
WWE United States Champion Mr. Kennedy at
No Mercy but was disqualified in the match after he hit Kennedy with the championship belt.
[58] On the November 3 edition of
SmackDown!, The Undertaker reunited with Kane to form the
Brothers of Destruction for the first time in five years, defeating the reluctant opposition team of Mr. Kennedy and
MVP, with whom Kane was feuding with at the time.
[59] As part of the storyline, Kennedy defeated The Undertaker in a
First Blood match at
Survivor Series after interference from MVP,
[58] but finally defeated Kennedy in a Last Ride match at
Armageddon.
[58] The two continued to feud into 2007 as Kennedy cost The Undertaker two World Heavyweight Championship opportunities for a championship match at the
Royal Rumble.
[60][61]
[edit] World Heavyweight Champion (2007–2008)
The Undertaker won his first Royal Rumble match at the
2007 event,
[61] becoming the first man to enter the Rumble at number 30 and win the match.
[62] He then began a storyline with
Batista, whom he defeated at
WrestleMania 23 to win his first
World Heavyweight Championship. At
Backlash in a Last Man Standing match, they had a rematch that ended in a draw when neither man was able to answer the ten-count, resulting in The Undertaker retaining the Championship. On the May 11 episode of
SmackDown!, The Undertaker and Batista participated in a steel cage match that ended in a draw when both men's feet touched the floor at the same time. After the match, Mark Henry returned and assaulted The Undertaker. Immediately after the assault, Edge cashed in his
Money in the Bank title shot, and The Undertaker dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Edge. As The Undertaker laid in the ring, druids appeared and carried him to the backstage area.
During Calaway's
rehabilitation, Henry quickly defeated local
jobbers and bragged about his assault on Undertaker, until vignettes began playing promoting The Undertaker's return. The Undertaker returned at
Unforgiven, successfully defeating Henry and again on
SmackDown! two weeks later.
[63] Batista and The Undertaker reignited their feud at
Cyber Sunday bob the fans chose the
special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin, but Batista retained the world title.
[64] They battled again inside a Hell in a Cell at
Survivor Series where Edge returned and interfered to help Batista retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
[65] In response to this, The Undertaker delivered a Tombstone piledriver to
General Manager Vickie Guerrero, on the next
SmackDown!, sending her to the hospital. Returning Assistant-General Manager Theodore Long declared a Triple Threat match for the title at
Armageddon, which Edge won.
At
No Way Out, The Undertaker defeated Batista,
Finlay, The Great Khali, Montel Vontavious Porter, and
Big Daddy V in an
Elimination Chamber, to become the number one contender for Edge's World Heavyweight Championship at
WrestleMania XXIV. He defeated Edge at WrestleMania with his "Hell's Gate" submission hold, to win his second World Heavyweight Championship and elevate his undefeated streak at
WrestleMania to 16–0.
[66] In a WrestleMania rematch, The Undertaker defeated Edge once again at
Backlash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
[67] Vickie Guerrero announced that The Undertaker's "Hell's Gate" was an illegal hold and stripped him of the title. The Undertaker battled Edge for the vacant title at
Judgment Day, which he won by
countout. Vickie ordered that the title remain vacant, because titles cannot change hands in this way. Edge and The Undertaker faced each other again for the vacant championship at
One Night Stand in a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, which The Undertaker lost after interference from
La Familia. As a result of the stipulation, Undertaker was forced to leave WWE.
[edit] Return to SmackDown; feud with Vickie Guerrero and Edge (2008–2009)
On the July 25, 2008 episode of
SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero announced that she had reinstated The Undertaker, and that Edge would face him at
SummerSlam in a Hell in a Cell match,
[68] which The Undertaker won. After the match, The Undertaker chokeslammed Edge from the top of a ladder and through the ring canvas.
[69] Following this match, Guerrero tried to make a peace offering with The Undertaker on
SmackDown by apologizing, but The Undertaker told her that he is not the forgiving kind. At
Unforgiven, as The Undertaker approached the ring to "take Guerrero's soul" and take her in a
casket, the Big Show, who appeared at first to aid the Undertaker, betrayed and assaulted him.
[70] As a result of this altercation, The Undertaker and Big Show faced each other in a match at
No Mercy, where the Big Show
knocked The Undertaker out with a punch to the back of The Undertaker's head.
[71] At
Cyber Sunday, The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a Last Man Standing match after applying
Hell's Gate.
[72] The Undertaker then went on to defeat the Big Show at
Survivor Series in a casket match, to end the feud.
[73] At
No Way Out The Undertaker was part of the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match, which was won by Triple H. He then became embroiled in a long time feud with Shawn Michaels over his WrestleMania undefeated streak and the fact that The Undertaker had never defeated Michaels in a singles match previously. The feud culminated in a match at
WrestleMania XXV which The Undertaker won to extend his WrestleMania streak to a perfect record of 17–0.
[74] After WrestleMania, he took a hiatus.
[edit] Third World Heavyweight Championship Reign and Feud with Shawn Michaels (2009–2010)
Undertaker in his third reign as World Heavyweight Champion.
After a four month absence, The Undertaker returned at
SummerSlam in August by attacking
CM Punk, who had just won the World Heavyweight Championship from Jeff Hardy in a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.
[75] At
Breaking Point, The Undertaker faced Punk in a
submission match. The Undertaker had originally won the match with his
Hell's Gate submission hold, but the match was restarted by
SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who ruled that the ban placed on the move by Vickie Guerrero was still in effect. Punk went on to win the match with his
Anaconda Vise when referee
Scott Armstrong called for the bell, despite Undertaker never submitting (reminiscent of the
Montreal Screwjob, which took place in the same venue in 1997).
[76] On the September 25 episode of SmackDown, Theodore Long announced that the ban had now been officially lifted, after being released from a casket that The Undertaker had apparently placed him in.
[77] The feud between the two continued and at the
Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, The Undertaker won the World Heavyweight Championship from Punk in a Hell in a Cell match.
[78] The Undertaker went on to successfully defend the title against CM Punk in a rematch on
SmackDown, in a fatal four way match at
Bragging Rights, and in a triple threat match at
Survivor Series.
[79][80] He faced Batista at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs for the championship, and won when the match was restarted by Long, after Batista had originally won after utilising a
low blow.
[81]
The Undertaker, before his match with Rey Mysterio at the
Royal Rumble in January 2010.
He later retained the championship against Rey Mysterio at the
Royal Rumble in January 2010.
[82]
At the
Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, a pyrotechnics malfunction momentarily engulfed The Undertaker in flames during his ring entrance. He was able to continue with his scheduled match, with a burn on his chest that "looked like a bad sunburn" according to a WWE spokesman.
[83] He lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Chris Jericho after interference from Shawn Michaels.
[84] Like the Raw Champion who also lost his world title at the Elimination Chamber (
Sheamus) Undertaker never used the
rematch clause that would normally be given to him. The following night, on
Raw, Michaels claimed that he cost The Undertaker his championship because he wanted to face The Undertaker at
WrestleMania XXVI, but The Undertaker had previously turned down his offer of a match. The Undertaker agreed to the match on the condition that Michaels' career was on the line.
[85] The match was later made into a no disqualification, no countout match as well. At WrestleMania, The Undertaker defeated Michaels in a "Streak vs. Career" match at WrestleMania XXVI, to extend his WrestleMania winning streak to 18–0 and force Michaels to retire. After the match, the Undertaker shook Michaels' hand as a sign of respect.
[86]
[edit] Feud with Kane; shoulder injury (2010)
After a hiatus (which included wrestling two matches on Raw), he returned to
SmackDown on May 28, defeating Rey Mysterio to qualify for a spot in the
Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view to compete for the World Heavyweight Championship.
[87] During the match, The Undertaker suffered a
concussion, broken
orbital bone, and broken nose; he was visibly bleeding profusely on camera by the end of the match.
[88] The following week, however, Kane revealed The Undertaker had been found in
a vegetative state;
[89] Mysterio took his place in the match and won the World Heavyweight Championship. While attempting to learn which superstar had attacked and incapacitated The Undertaker, Kane defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Kane and Mysterio continued to clash as they accused one another of being the assailant behind the attack.
[90]
At
SummerSlam, the Undertaker returned to confront Kane and Rey Mysterio, only to be overpowered and Tombstoned by Kane, The Undertaker's attacker.
[91] On the September 3 edition of
SmackDown, Kane challenged The Undertaker to a match at
Night of Champions for the
World Heavyweight Championship. Kane said that the Undertaker was weaker than his former self and that Kane would finish him off. At Night of Champions, the Undertaker was indeed defeated by Kane who retained the World Heavyweight Championship by delivering a Tombstone to Undertaker in a
No Holds Barred match. On the September 24 episode of
SmackDown, after Kane issued a challenge to his brother to a Hell in a Cell match at the pay-per-view event with the same name, a casket was rolled to the ring at the end of
SmackDown and Paul Bearer emerged and was revealed to have reunited with Undertaker and looked on as Undertaker assaulted his brother.
[92] Undertaker went on to face Kane at
Hell in a Cell, but was defeated when Paul Bearer turned on Undertaker and helped Kane retain the World Heavyweight Championship. On the October 15 episode of
SmackDown, Undertaker accepted the challenge by
Kane for a Buried Alive match at
Bragging Rights for the
World Heavyweight Championship, but ended up losing after he was attacked by
The Nexus thus ending the feud between Undertaker and Kane. In reality, he needed surgery for a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
[edit] Return and feud with Triple H (2011-present)
The Undertaker performing his entrance at WrestleMania XXVII
After the
Royal Rumble 2011, promos showing The Undertaker entering and standing within an old house began airing. Each promo would end with the date 2-21-11 being burned into the screen. On the February 21 episode of
Raw following the
Elimination Chamber 2011, The Undertaker returned to
Raw, but was interrupted by
Triple H, who also returned moments later and confronted The Undertaker. The two of them stared at the
WrestleMania XXVII marquee, which turned out to be a challenge that The Undertaker accepted. The match was then made official on WWE's official website and then turned into a No Holds Barred match.
The Undertaker went on to win the match after surviving three
Pedigrees and a Tombstone Piledriver by Triple H. Triple H, on the other hand, was forced to tap out when Undertaker locked in
Hell's Gate, with which won The Undertaker the match, extending his streak to 19–0. Triple H was able to leave under his own power while Undertaker was taken out on a stretcher when he collapsed.
[93] The next night, Triple H showed up on
Raw and stated that he expected Undertaker to be back and that he'd be waiting for him.
[edit] Personal life
He graduated from Waltrip High School in 1983 where he was a member of the
basketball team.
[94] Calaway married his first wife, Jodi Lynn, in 1989, and they had a son, Gunner, born in 1993, before the marriage ended in 1999.
[citation needed] Calaway married his second wife, Sara, in
St Petersburg, Florida on July 21, 2000. The couple had two daughters together: Chasey (born on November 21, 2002) and Gracie (born on May 15, 2005).
[citation needed] As of 2007, he and Sara were divorced, and he was romantically linked to fellow wrestler
Michelle McCool, whom he married on June 26, 2010, in
Houston, Texas[95]
Calaway was an avid boxing fan and carried the
Flag of the United States while leading Team
Pacquiao to the ring during the Pacquiao vs. Velázquez fight in 2005.
[96] This was also confirmed by fellow wrestler
Batista in a televised interview for the
Philippine news program
TV Patrol World. Calaway is also an avid
mixed martial arts fan and has attended several
Ultimate Fighting Championship shows, in which during a recent show, Calaway had a confrontation with former WWE star
Brock Lesnar. During an interview that an internet show conducted with Calaway, Lesnar walked passed him, with Calaway answering Lesnar's stare with "wanna do it?".
[97] It was rumored that the WWE was seeking a cross-promotion event at Wrestlemania 27 between Taker and Lesnar, though plans went south when UFC promoter
Dana White would not allow Lesnar to compete in the WWE while signed with the UFC (even though the UFC saw both
Ken Shamrock and
Dan Severn go to the WWE in 1997, it was when the UFC was not in competition with them for viewership at that time; the UFC is seen as a major threat to WWE's viewers now, and acts as competition).
Calaway invests in real estate with business partner Scott Everhart. Calaway and Everhart finished construction on a $2.7m building in
Loveland, Colorado called "The Calahart," a portmanteau of their last names.
[98] Calaway and his ex-wife Sara established The Zeus Compton Calaway Save the Animals fund at the
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences to help pay for lifesaving treatments for large-breed dogs.
[edit] Other media
Calaway had a supporting role in the 1991 movie
Suburban Commando opposite
Hulk Hogan and
Christopher Lloyd. In 2001, Calaway appeared out of character on the Canadian sports show
Off the Record with Michael Landsberg.
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- As The Undertaker
- As "Mean" Mark Callous
- Signature moves
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- The Mirror
- The Undertaker's Undefeated Streak at Wrestlemania has been ranked by The Mirror as the 7th greatest winning streak in sports history (it was the only streak from professional wrestling to be ranked in the list).[129]
1 ^ Won during The Invasion.
2 ^ The Undertaker's fourth reign was as WWE Undisputed Champion.
| [edit] WrestleMania record |
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