The Undertaker
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This article is about the professional wrestler. For other uses, see Undertaker (disambiguation).
| The Undertaker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Mark William Calaway |
| Ring name(s) | (The) Undertaker Kane the Undertaker[1] "Mean" Mark Callous[2] "Mean" Mark[3] (The) Commando[3][4] Punisher Dice Morgan[2] (The) Punisher[2] Texas Red[2] (The) Master of Pain[2] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)[5] |
| Billed weight | 299 lb (136 kg)[5] |
| Born | March 24, 1965 [6] Houston, Texas |
| Resides | Austin, Texas |
| Billed from | Houston, Texas Death Valley[5] |
| Trained by | Don Jardine[4] |
| Debut | 1984[7] |
The Undertaker gimmick has had two contrasting identities. The first is the "Deadman", an undead, occult-like figure which has consisted of several different versions. He debuted his first version of the Deadman during his own on-camera debut at Survivor Series 1990. At this stage, The Undertaker was clad as a Western mortician, a zombie-like powerhouse donned in predominately black, with added gray fashion accessories. By SummerSlam 1994, The Deadman began appearing as a mystic, chilling superhuman, maintaining the same wrestling attire except for the hue in his fashion accessories, replacing gray with purple. At the Survivor Series 1996, the Deadman was once again "reborn", this time as the gothic "Lord of Darkness." By January 1999, he began appearing as the ritual-performing dark priest of a "Ministry of Darkness" stable. Since WrestleMania XX, the Undertaker has appeared as a hybrid version, using various features of all previous Deadman incarnations. The hybrid version has seen the most humanized elements, most notably competing while shirtless and appearing with a shaven skinhead haircut.[8]
The Undertaker's alternate identity is the "American Bad-Ass", a biker, which he portrayed from May 2000 to November 2003. The Undertaker is connected with various specialty matches: the Casket match, the Buried Alive match, the Hell in a Cell, and the Last Ride match. In 1997, The Undertaker gimmick was embellished with a dramatic pre-WWF/WWE personal life that enhanced the character with a youth backstory. A key part of this youth backstory is the character's half-brother, Kane. Kane was introduced in 1997 and has both feuded and allied as a tag team (the Brothers of Destruction) with Undertaker.
The Undertaker holds an unrivaled record of being undefeated at WrestleMania, WWE's premier pay-per-view event, with a 20–0 record (with no appearances at WrestleMania X and 2000).[9] Another similar achievement was from December 1991 to September 1993, when he did not lose a single match, marking the longest undefeated streak in WWF in the 90s.[10] Calaway is an eight-time World Champion having won the WWF/E Championship four times and the World Heavyweight Championship three times as The Undertaker, and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship once under the Master of Pain character. The Undertaker is also 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 enter the annual event last and win.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1984–1989)
Calaway made his debut in 1984 for World Class Championship Wrestling under the ring name "Texas Red".[7] He wrestled and lost his first match against Bruiser Brody.[7] In 1988, after four years in the promotion, he left and joined the Continental Wrestling Association (which became part of the United States Wrestling Association after Jerry Jarrett bought World Class Championship Wrestling and merged the two organizations into one), 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.[11]World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990)
In 1989, Calaway joined World Championship Wrestling as a villain and adopted the ring name Mean Mark Callous, a name devised for him by Terry Funk.[12] He was portrayed as a morbid character; he wore predominantly black ring attire, and was described by announcer Jim Ross as having a fondness for pet snakes, and the music of Ozzy Osbourne.[13] Callous was promptly drafted into the Skyscrapers tag team to replace an injured Sid Vicious. The new team gained some notoriety at Clash Of The Champions X when they beat down The Road Warriors after their match.[14] However Callous' partner Dan Spivey left WCW days before their Chicago Street Fight against the Warriors at WrestleWar 1990. Callous and a replacement masked Skyscraper went down to defeat in the Street Fight and the team broke up soon afterwards.[15] As he went into singles competition, Callous 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 was pinned by Luger. WCW declined to renew Calaway's contract.Calaway then briefly wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling as Punisher Dice Morgan. After leaving, 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).
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
Debut and various feuds (1990–1994)
Sometime in 1990, Calaway was cast as a bounty hunter in the movie Suburban Commando, alongside WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Hogan had seen Calaway wrestling for WCW and offered to bring him over to the WWF. Having just left WCW, Calaway accepted. Hogan introduced Calaway to Vince McMahon, who gave him the gimmick of the Undertaker, based on a mortician from old Western movies.[16]Calaway made his WWF debut as "Kane the Undertaker"[1] at a taping of WWF Superstars on November 19, 1990.[17] His original version of the Deadman depicted him in a trench coat, grey-striped tie, and gray-ringed, black stetson hat with gray gloves and boot spats. Under this version of the Deadman, he was portrayed as impervious to pain, something accomplished by Calaway not selling his opponents' attacks.[8] 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 called Kane the Undertaker.[18] 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. The commentary team for the event referred to him as The Undertaker, neglecting the Kane name. Shortly after Survivor Series, "Kane" 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, which he used to revive The Undertaker's strength whenever Undertaker fell victim to his antagonists. As Undertaker character was a man of few words, Bearer was his mouthpiece, doing almost all the talking - finishing the monologues with Undertaker doing a mystique menace to his opponents. During his heel run, Undertaker would place his defeated opponents (almost always jobbers) in a bodybag and carry them to the back.[19]
He made his WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania VII, quickly defeating "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka.[20] The win was the first in his 20-0 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,[18] 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.[21] WWF President Jack Tunney ordered a rematch for This Tuesday in Texas six days later, where The Undertaker lost the title back to Hogan.[21]
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, Undertaker defeated Roberts at WrestleMania VIII, continuing his winning streak at the event.[20] He then feuded extensively with wrestlers managed by Harvey Wippleman throughout 1992 and 1993, such as Kamala, Giant González and Yokozuna. Also in this time he headlined the first episode of Monday Night Raw on January 11, 1993 with a victory over Damien Demento.[22] He faced González at WrestleMania IX, which is notable as Undertaker's only disqualification win at WrestleMania after the use of chloroform. His rivalry with Yokozuna culminated in a WWF Championship casket match at the 1994 Royal Rumble. During the match, champion Yokozuna sealed The Undertaker in the casket with the assistance of several other villainous Wippleman-managed wrestlers to win the match. The Undertaker appeared from inside the casket on the video screen, representing his spirit, warning that he would return.[23] The Undertaker did not appear in the WWF for seven months after his loss to Yokozuna. In reality, he was given time off to allow a back injury to heal.
Return; various storylines (1994–1997)
The Undertaker returned at the 1995 Survivor Series, wearing a Phantom of the Opera-like, grey upper-face mask.[23] 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.[24] A rematch for the title on the February 5 episode of Raw saw similar interference.[25] At that month's In Your House: Rage in the Cage, while Diesel was facing Hart in a steel cage match, The Undertaker burst through the ring and dragged Diesel underneath which allowed Hart to get the victory.[24] This feud culminated in a match between Diesel and the Undertaker at WrestleMania XII, in which The Undertaker was victorious.[20]
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.[24] 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.[24] 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."[24]
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.[26] With no manager, Undertaker developed a more humanized incarnation, with a different, gothic and rebelling attitude — perhaps to better fit him to The Attitude Era, a more adult-oriented programming content period of World Wrestling Federation —, proclaiming himself to be "The Lord of Darkness".[8] The Undertaker then briefly turned his attention to The Executioner, who had become a thorn in his side since his arrival and had helped bury him alive in the eponymous match. At In Your House: It's Time, The Undertaker defeated The Executioner in an Armageddon rules match.[26] He then moved on to feud with Vader. They met at the 1997 Royal Rumble in a singles match, where Undertaker lost after Bearer interfered on behalf of his new protégé.[26] The two then clashed in the Royal Rumble match itself as they made it to the final moments of the match but both were eliminated by Stone Cold Steve Austin, who had crept back into the match after his elimination was unseen. He met both Vader and Austin in a Four Corners Elimination match for the vacant WWF Championship at In Your House 13: Final Four, but Bret Hart won.[27] However, the following month The Undertaker managed to win the title for the second time and continued his undefeated streak by defeating Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13.[28]
Hell in a Cell and Brothers of Destruction (1997–1998)
See also: Hell in a Cell and Brothers of Destruction
In May 1997, Paul Bearer attempted to rejoin with The Undertaker, using the ultimatum of revealing The Undertaker's "biggest secret." In storyline, Bearer announced that The Undertaker was a arsonist/murderer, who as a child had burned down the family funeral home
business (where he and his family lived and 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. Also in this period, Undertaker made an
appearance in Michinoku Pro Wrestling, defeating Hakushi in a singles match.[29][30]
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. Mankind also used thumbtacks in the match and was backdropped and chokeslammed onto them before Undertaker won the match with his Tombstone Piledriver.[31]
At Fully Loaded, The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kane and Mankind to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.[31] 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.[32] 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.[31] 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,[31] 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.[31] 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.[32]
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.[32] The Undertaker, however, lost the match after Kane interfered.[33]
Ministry of Darkness (1999)
Main article: Ministry of Darkness
After building up to his second heel run in the latter part of 1998,
The Undertaker introduced an updated version of his Deadman identity by
January 1999—the dark priest who in the initial period of this persona
reigned over a stable known as the "Ministry of Darkness." In this form, he took on a wicked, Satanic presence, much more so than ever before. He often claimed to be invoking
and taking orders from a "Higher Power." Moreover, he often appeared in
a hooded black robe and sat on a throne that was specially designed
into his character symbol. With the help of his minions, he often
performed sacrifices on select WWE superstars, using various incantations and magic words
with intent to extract out the dark side of the superstars in question
so as to recruit them into his Ministry. The completed "Ministry of
Darkness" consisted of The Brood (Edge, Christian and Gangrel); The Acolytes (Bradshaw and Faarooq); Mideon; and Viscera.
As part of the angle, Undertaker expressed a desire to rid the World
Wrestling Federation of its owner, Vince McMahon, and take control of
the company. These ambitions culminated into a rivalry between The
Ministry and The Corporation, ultimately resulting in a match between Undertaker and Corporation enforcer the Big Boss Man. The two faced off in a Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania XV, which Undertaker won to extend his streak to 8-0.[34] At Backlash, Undertaker defeated an another Corporation member Ken Shamrock after interference from Ministry member Bradshaw.[35]Thereafter, The Undertaker kidnapped Stephanie McMahon, forcing Vince McMahon to enter into a reluctant alliance with his longtime nemesis Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Undertaker attempted to marry Stephanie in an eldritch ceremony conducted by Paul Bearer, but Austin was able to rescue her.[36] At the Over the Edge pay-per-view, The Undertaker defeated Austin for his third WWF Championship with help from Shane McMahon, the special referee.[37] The Undertaker later revealed that Vince McMahon had been his "Higher Power" all along. The Ministry eventually merged with The Corporation alliance to form the Corporate Ministry.[38] After The Undertaker dropped the WWF Championship back to Austin following King of the Ring 1999, [38] and an additional loss to him in a First Blood match at Fully Loaded, his relationship with the McMahons dissolved and the Corporate Ministry disbanded.[39]
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. After their victory at SummerSlam (1999), The Undertaker suffered a groin tear and was seen limping in several matches. He avoided competing in wrestling matches in the following weeks, instead tyrannically ordering The Big Show to fight all his battles and oblige all his many wishes. To compensate for his lack of physical action, Undertaker became more vocal on the mic, often making smart-aleck remarks and performing commentary at the announcer's table. In an angle that occurred in September 1999 on SmackDown!, Undertaker was fired by Mr. McMahon in a backstage interview when he refused to participate in a casket match against Triple H. In actuality, Undertaker went on a four month hiatus from WWF in order to treat his groin injury.[40] In January 2000, one month before a scheduled return at the Royal Rumble, he tore a pectoral muscle.
American Bad-Ass/Big Evil (2000–2003)
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.[41] 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.[42] 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.[41]
The Undertaker then challenged Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series.[43] 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.[43]
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.[43] The Undertaker was then booked to defeat Triple H at WrestleMania X-Seven, where he improved his WrestleMania winning streak to 9–0.[20] 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,[44] Triple H pinned Kane after attacking him with a sledgehammer at Backlash, where the Brothers of Destruction dropped the title.[45] With Kane injured, The Undertaker feuded briefly with Steve Austin for his WWF Championship, but at Judgment Day, Austin retained his title.[45]
As part of "The Invasion" storyline, The Undertaker's next nemesis was Diamond Dallas Page, who was obsessively following The Undertaker's wife Sara.[45] (While they were presented as being married from the start of the storyline, in reality, Mark and Sara got married during the height of this feud).[46] 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.[45] 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.[45] After the Alliance was defeated, The Undertaker became a villain once again by forcing commentator Jim Ross to kiss Vince McMahon's ass.[47] 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.[48]
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.[48] The Undertaker then defeated Hogan for his fourth world championship at Judgment Day. The following night The Undertaker was defeated by Rob Van Dam for The WWE Undisputed Championship, however Ric Flair restarted the match and The Undertaker recaptured his championship.[53] 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.[53] The Undertaker was then switched from Raw to SmackDown! (Smackdown! would remain as The Undertakers home since 2002 till present), 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.[53] 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.[53]
The Undertaker took a leave from wrestling after the Big Show threw him off the stage, sparking a feud.[54] The Undertaker returned at the Royal Rumble in 2003.[55] 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.[55] 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.[20] Jones, however, was removed prior to the match, making it a handicap match, which The Undertaker won with the help of Jones.[55]
Over the remainder of the year, The Undertaker entered a brief feud with John Cena and 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.[56] The second, at No Mercy, was a Biker Chain match between The Undertaker and Lesnar, which Lesnar won with the help of Vince McMahon.[57] 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.[57] The Undertaker disappeared for some time following the match, with Kane claiming that he was "dead and buried forever."[58]
Return of the Deadman (2004–2007)
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.[59] At No Mercy, The Undertaker and JBL competed in the first ever "Last Ride" match, although The Undertaker lost after Heidenreich interfered.[59] After a brief program with Heidenreich,[62] 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.[62] 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.[62]
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).[63] Even with help from his father "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Randy failed, and The Undertaker improved his WrestleMania record to 13–0.[62] He returned for the June 16 episode of SmackDown! but lost to JBL, thanks to interference from Randy Orton.[64] 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.[65] With this, The Undertaker resumed his feud with Orton. At SummerSlam, Orton defeated The Undertaker in a WrestleMania rematch.[66] 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.[66] 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.[67] The Undertaker returned to SmackDown! in early December to haunt Orton and set up a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon.[68] After winning the match,[67] Calaway took a brief hiatus from wrestling.
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.[69] The Undertaker lost to Khali,[70][71] and he did not appear again until the July 4 episode of SmackDown!, when he accepted Khali's challenge to a Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash.[72] 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.[70] 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.[73] 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.[74]
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.[75] On the November 3 episode 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.[76] As part of the storyline, Kennedy defeated The Undertaker in a First Blood match at Survivor Series after interference from MVP,[75] but finally defeated Kennedy in a Last Ride match at Armageddon.[75] 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.[77][78]
World Heavyweight Champion (2007–2010)
The Undertaker won his first Royal Rumble match at the 2007 event,[78] becoming the first man to enter the Rumble at number 30 and win the match.[79] 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.
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.[83] In a WrestleMania rematch, The Undertaker defeated Edge once again at Backlash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.[84] 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.
After the four month hiatus, 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.[92] 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 in a recreation of the Montreal Screwjob, which took place in the same venue in 1997.[93] 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.[94] 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.[95] The Undertaker successfully defended the title against CM Punk on SmackDown, in a Fatal Four Way match at Bragging Rights, and in a Triple Threat match at Survivor Series.[96][97] 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.[98]
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.[103] 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.[104] To cover for the injury, Kane revealed The Undertaker had been found in a vegetative state;[105] Mysterio took his place in the match and won the World Heavyweight Championship. While attempting to learn which superstar had attacked 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.[106]
At SummerSlam, the Undertaker returned to confront Kane and Rey Mysterio, only to be overpowered and Tombstoned by Kane.[107] With Kane revealed as his attacker, the two feuded for the next few months over the World Heavyweight Championship. After losing to Kane at Night of Champions, Paul Bearer returned as Undertaker's manager on an episode of SmackDown.[108] However, Bearer attacked him at Hell in a Cell to help Kane win once again. The feud ended at Bragging Rights when The Nexus helped Kane defeat Undertaker in a Buried Alive match. In reality, he needed medical treatment for his injury.
Defending the streak (2011–present)
After the 2011 Royal Rumble, promotional videos showing The Undertaker entering and standing within an Western-style old house on a rainy desert began airing. Each promo would end with the date 2–21–11 being burned into the screen. On the February 21 episode of Raw The Undertaker returned; after his lengthy entrance but before he could speak, Triple H returned after an eleven month absence and confronted The Undertaker. The two challenged each other to a match at Wrestlemania in a unique interaction involving no verbal or physical exchanges. The match was later announced as a No Holds Barred match on WWE's website. On March 28 episode of Raw, the two had a last confrontation with the presence of Shawn Michaels before WrestleMania that involved praise, demonstrations of respect and conflicts.[109] Finally at WrestleMania XXVII, after surviving three Pedigrees and a Tombstone Piledriver, Undertaker forced Triple H to tap out to Hell's Gate, extending his streak to 19–0. Following the match, The Undertaker was carried away from the ring on a stretcher.[110]
The Undertaker next appeared on the 1000th episode of Raw on July 23 to help Kane, who had been confronted by Jinder Mahal, Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks, Hunico, Camacho and Drew McIntyre. The six attacked Undertaker and Kane, but were overpowered by the latter regardless of being outnumbered. Kane and Undertaker delivered two simultaneous Chokeslams, followed by two simultaneous Tombstone Piledrivers to Hawkins and Hunico and cleared the ring.[114][115] This hinted that Undertaker had forgiven Kane's betrayal occurred in late 2010.[116] During his speech at the 2012 Slammy Awards, Triple H stated that "You have not seen the last of the Undertaker."[117]
On February 23, 2013, Undertaker made an off-screen appearance at a SmackDown Live Event in Waco, Texas teaming up with Sheamus in a tag team match to defeat Damien Sandow and Wade Barrett.[118] His televised return was on Old School Raw on March 4, where he opened the show performing his signature entrance. CM Punk, Randy Orton, Big Show, and Sheamus fought in a Fatal Four-Way match to determine who would face him at WrestleMania 29 which Punk won. Following this, Undertaker made another entrance and had a staredown with Punk.[119] After the real-life death of Paul Bearer on March 5, 2013, a storyline involving Punk regularly spiting The Undertaker through displays of flippance towards Bearer's passing had begun.[120] As central to this angle, Punk stole the trademarked urn placed in the ceremony to honor Bearer and later used it to attack Kane and mock Bearer.[121][122]
Personal life
Calaway is the son of Catherine and Frank Calaway (died on July 22, 2003) and has four older brothers, David, Michael, Paul, and Timothy. His parents are of Irish and quarter Native American descent. [10][123]He graduated from Waltrip High School in 1983 where he was a member of the basketball team.[124] He also played college basketball at Texas Wesleyan University during the 1985-86 season.[125] Calaway married his first wife, Jodi Lynn, in 1989, and they had a son, Gunner, born in 1993, before the marriage ended in 1999. Calaway married his second wife, Sara, in St Petersburg, Florida on July 21, 2000.[citation needed] In 2001, Sara made televised appearances with the WWF as part of a feud between Calaway and Diamond Dallas Page in which she was acknowledged as being Calaway's wife. 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 then became romantically linked to former wrestler Michelle McCool, whom he married on June 26, 2010, in Houston, Texas.[126][123] On August 1, 2012, it was announced that they were expecting the couple's first and Calaway's fourth child.[127] Kaia Faith Calaway was born on August 29, 2012 and is Calaway's fourth child and McCool's first.[128]
Calaway is 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.[129] This was also confirmed by fellow wrestler Batista in a televised interview for the Philippine news program TV Patrol World. He was also in attendance at the Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson fight in 2002.
Calaway is also an avid mixed martial arts fan and has attended several Ultimate Fighting Championship shows, including a show where Calaway verbally confronted then UFC fighter Brock Lesnar. During a Calaway interview conducted by an internet show after UFC 121, Lesnar walked past him staring. Calaway answered Lesnar's stare by saying "You wanna do it?".[123][130] He is a close friend of mixed martial artists, Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, Matt Hughes and the actor, Tony Longo.[123]
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.[131] 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.[132]
Other media
Calaway made his motion picture debut in a supporting role as Hutch in the 1991 film Suburban Commando. He had guest roles on Poltergeist: The Legacy and Celebrity Deathmatch. In 2001, Calaway appeared out of character on the Canadian sports show Off the Record with Michael Landsberg.]
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