The Undertaker

At 59 years old, The Undertaker has this physical status:

Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), also known as The Undertaker, is an American professional wrestler who has been signed to WWE. Calaway began his career in 1987, working under various gimmicks for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) and other affiliate promotions.

He appeared on "Mean Mark" Callous, a short stint as a mid-card performer before joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1990. Calaway, a wrestling legend, was rebranded as "The Undertaker" in WWE and gained a following in the mainstream as a horror-themed macabre company with scare tactics and links to the supernatural.

As WWF's industry boomed in the late 1990s, the Undertaker became one of the most prominent figures of the Attitude Era, appearing in many pivotal storylines and matches.

In the early 2000s, his character developed into a biker before returning to a more refined version of his previous gimmick in 2004.

The Undertaker is best known for his nickname, The Stace, a series of 21 straight victories at WWE's biggest annual tournament, WrestleMania. Calaway has won 17 championships.

He is a four-time WWF/E World Heavyweight Champion, a six-time WWF World Tag Team Champion, a one-time WWF Hardcore Champion, and a one-time WCW Tag Team Champion (during the Invasion angle).

Outside of WWE, the one-time USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion and a one-time Texas Heavyweight Champion are among the WCWA's top-five champions.

The Undertaker has appeared at several pay-per-view (PPV) shows for WWE, including four WrestleManias (13, XXIV, 33), including three undertakers.

He is also the second most consistent pay-per-view performer in WWE history, appearing in 172 matches, behind his storyline brother, Kane.

Early life

On March 24, 1965, William Calaway, the uncle of Frank Compton Calaway (died July 2003) and Betty Catherine Truby, was born in Houston, Texas. David, Michael, Paul, and Timothy are his four older brothers (died March 2020, age 63). He attended Waltrip High School, where he was a member of the football and basketball teams. He graduated in 1983 and began training at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas, on a basketball scholarship. He attended Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas, where he studied sport administration and served as a center for the Rams in 1985–1986. Calaway dropped out of university to focus on a career in sports and briefly considered playing professional basketball in Europe before deciding on professional wrestling.

Source

Professional wrestling career

Calaway began training under Buzz Sawyer in late 1986; he disliked Sawyer, who reportedly lacked commitment and provided a limited education. Calaway's son spent the remainder of his life on "on the job." The Texas Red, Calaway wrestled his first match for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), losing to Bruiser Brody at the Dallas Sportatorium, defeating him under a mask. Perpetual "Perpety" Pringle III, who would later serve as his head coach in the WWF (as Paul Bearer), was accompanied to the ring. Two myths have circulated about Calaway's career, the first being that he made his in-ring debut in 1984, and the second being that former WCCW colleague Don Jardine (aka The Spoiler) trained him. Calaway, although he was never trained by Jardine, was an admirer of his craft and would imitate Jardine's top rope walk. "Undertaker using some of Jardine's style morphed into this tale that he was taught by Jardine," PWInsider's Mike Johnson wrote.

After Jerry Jarrett bought WCCW and combined the two groups into one in 1988, Calaway joined the Continental Wrestling Association (USWA), which became part of the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). The Master of Pain, a character fresh out of the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta, was reintroduced as The Master of Pain on February 2, 1989, after five years in solitary prison for two men in a fight. He stayed in the fight by challenging USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion Jerry Lawler to an impromptu match after his second match next week. The Master of Pain ruled Lawler until Mantel intervened and called him off. On April 1, the Master of Pains became the first professional wrestling championship to be contested, and the wrestlers claimed their first professional wrestling title. Lawler was only over three weeks before winning the tournament for the first time. Calaway, who was still battling as The Punisher, won the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship on October 5, 1989, when Eric Embry forfeited the title.

Calaway debuted as a villain in 1989 and was given the nickname "Mean Mark" Callous, a term devised for him by Terry Funk. He was portrayed as a sinister power in predominantly black ring gear, and announcer Jim Ross was referred to as a fan of pet snakes and the music of Ozzy Osbourne. Callous was immediately drafted into the Skyscrapers tag team to replace a properly injured Sid Vicious, and he made his debut on January 3, 1990, against Agent Steel and Randy Harris in a match later televised against Agent Steel and Randy Harris. When the new team defeated The Road Warriors after their match, they gained some notoriety at Battle of the Champions X (the Road Warriors were actually very impressed by this). However, Callous's partner Dan Spencey left WCW just days before their Chicago Street Fight against The Road Warriors at WrestleWar. In the street fight, Callous and a masked Skyscraper were defeated, and the team was disbanded soon after. Callous, a singles wrestler, took on Paul E. Dangerously (Paul Heyman) and defeated Johnny Ace at Capital Combat and Brian Pillman at Clash of the Champions XI: Coastal Crush.

After being told by company booker Ole Anderson that nobody would ever pay to watch him perform, Calaway's future in WCW began to doubt his future. Calaway was reacting to this by making several attempts to join the World Wrestling Federation, going to great lengths to land a meeting with Vince McMahon. However, Calaway's description of finding and obtaining an interview with McMahon was a frustrating challenge.

Calaway was able to land a meeting with McMahon, whether you were unfamiliar with the McMahon family or already existing WWF talent, such as Hulk Hogan, Paul Heyman, Bruce Prichard, etc. Calaway, who was collaborating with Hogan on a small role as "Hutch" during the film Suburban Commando, was able to get a suggestion from him to McMahon. Hogan's reputation is being questioned because he was reportedly on bad terms with McMahon at the time. Hogan also took responsibility for meeting McMahon in 2014, but before preparing for the film in 1990, he revealed Calaway to McMahon. Vince immediately took to Calaway and decided to call him "The Undertaker" right then and there in front of Hogan, according to Hogan. However, The Undertaker has written a contrasting account from Hogan's, albeit acknowledging WWF Executive Bruce Prichard and Paul Heyman for landing him the meeting with Vince McMahon.

At The Great American Bash, Callous competed Lex Luger for the NWA Heavyweight Championship, but was pinned. "feelers" had already been sent out to the WWF by Heyman: Calaway defeated Calaway with a dislocated hip, knowing that McMahon was being tracked by him. McMahon was unimpressed by Calaway's wrestling results, considering him "run-of-the-mill" and thus disinterested. Calaway's response revealed that Prichard and Heyman were tenacious and held faith in Calaway. When WCW travelled to New Jersey for a house show in the Meadowlands on August 24, it was Prichard who managed to persuade McMahon to schedule a meeting with Calaway.

Calaway immediately told WCW that despite not having attended McMahon's visit and only having been invited, but rather an invitation to be flown out to McMahon's Stamford, Connecticut mansion. McMahon ended the meeting by reminding Calaway that the WWF had nothing for him at this moment, but that they might have at the start of the coming year, January 1991. Calaway was dissatisfied with WCW's notice and was therefore jobless for some time until McMahon decided to give him a letter. However, McMahon's admonition to Calaway says, "Is this The Undertaker?" a few days later. Calaway waited for a moment before responding, "I'm The Undertaker" or "Mr. Shower Guy" — and he apologized that he wasn't a laughingstock character like "The Gobbledy Gooker" or "Mr. Shower Guy" (having regrettably told Vince he could sing well in the shower during their meeting). Vince had the "Old West Undertaker" plan in mind for years, but had never found the right wrestler to play the role, according to Calaway.

Calaway's last match was played in Amarillo, Texas, on September 7 in which he defeated Dave Johnson. Calaway briefly competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as "Punisher" Dice Morgan during his time in WCW. After leaving WCW, Calaway briefly returned to the United StatesWA to determine the next Unified World Heavyweight Champion; in the first round, Calaway defeated Bill Dundee, but lost to Jerry Lawler in the quarterfinals.

Calaway, who had originally named Kane the Undertaker" as a child of McMahon, but later changed to "The Undertaker" moniker at his arrival (WWF), having always wanted a Cain and Abel appearance for his character). Despite Calaway's perplexed, worried thoughts about McMahon's gimmick, he was immediately accepting of the role, feeling something better than the gimmick gimmicks of the day, such as The Gobbledy Gooker. Kane the Undertaker was portrayed as a dangerous descendant of the Wild West undertakers depicted in television westerns. This very first edition of The Undertaker's series of Deadman incarnations has been dubbed "The Old West Mortician" in international media. On November 19, 1990, he made his WWF debut on a singles match, defeating his first opponent, Mario Mancini, just three days before his televised debut at the November 22 Survivor Series, but not on television until December 15, 1990). Kane the Undertaker had a match against Rick Sampson on November 20 that later aired on the WWF Wrestling Challenge's December 9, 1990.

Calaway's official televised debut was the Survivor Series in which he was introduced as the heel mystery partner of Ted DiBiase's "Million Dollar Team" in which he appeared as the "Million Dollar Team's "Million Dollar Team." The Undertaker killed Koko B. Ware with his finisher, the Tombstone Piledriver, about one minute into the match. (In 2018, Koko B. Ware announced that he confronted The Undertaker straight after this match that night with serious reservations to what he considered to be a botched Tombstone. Ware also confessed that he always admired Mark Calaway and regarded him as a good performer). During the match, The Undertaker also cut Dusty Rhodes before being counted out; however, his team won the game with DiBiase being the only survivor. Calaway was introduced as simply "The Undertaker" during the match, omitting the word "Kane" after the fact (and seven years later at the request of Prichard), and giving him another wrestler the opportunity to another wrestler when he took on the role of another wrestler. The Undertaker mainly won squash matches against jobbers on Superstars of Wrestling and Wrestling Challenge tapings throughout 1990. He was a participant in the 1991 Royal Rumble match, which was won by Hulk Hogan.

Brother Love delegated his short-lived management job of The Undertaker to Paul Bearer (real-life funeral director), expressing the desire for someone who was more in accordance with The Undertaker's "deadman" themes. Bearer complemented The Undertaker and was almost always carrying an urn to unleash supernatural healing powers to The Undertaker; this resulted in The Undertaker recovering from assaults and counterattacking his opponents. The Undertaker began his days in the sport's beginnings by putting his defeated opponents (almost always workbers) in a body bag and carrying them backstage. With "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, he continued winning squash matches leading up to his first feud in the WWF.

"Undertaker" Jimmy Snuka made his WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania VII on March 24, 1991, defeating "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. On the set of Paul Bearer's Funeral Parlor segment, he began his first major feud shortly after, with The Ultimate Warrior. As a result of this, the Warrior recruited Jake "The Snake" Roberts to get him physically fit for The Undertaker's morbid alarmist tactics: the Warrior would drill the Warrior with "know your enemy" skills, establishing the Warrior in a string of frightening, terrorizing circumstances, such as locking him in caskets and in snake rooms. This culminated in Roberts' final stage of his education, in which Roberts was seen stringing Warrior along the entire time by assisting The Undertaker in an ambush. In the first ever body bag challenge, a casket match, and (at home show) a typical pin-fall match, the Undertaker will suffer his first defeat in the WWF to The Ultimate Warrior. The feud was, however, short-lived after the Warrior's suspension and continuing problems with Vince McMahon. Undertaker defeated Animal in a qualifying match before losing to Sid Vicious in the semifinal, which saw both men disqualified from the King of the Ring tournament. The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan in his first WWF Championship at Survivor Series with Ric Flair's assistance, and became the youngest WWF Champion in history at 26 years old in April 1993 at WrestleMania IX. Undertaker's Tombstone of Hogan to win the WWF Championship in 1991 brought real-life, off-screen discord between the two teams, which Undertaker attributes to his brief title tenure, a lack of title runs early in his career, and fear of Hogan. However, WWF President Jack Tunney ordered a rematch between the two teams in Texas six days later, where The Undertaker lost the title to Hogan. However, the title was vacated from Hogan by Tunney the next night due to the turbulent conclusion of the two championship matches between The Undertaker and Hogan. Ric Flair won the Royal Rumble match in 1992, but the company wasn't without a WWF champion until Ric Flair won it.

Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Undertaker's ally, tried to assault "Macho Man" Randy Savage's boss/wife Miss Elizabeth with a steel chair before being arrested by Undertaker, who turned him (and Paul Bearer) face for the first time in February 1992. Roberts confronted The Undertaker on the Funeral Parlor set over the issue on February 29 edition of Superstars, solidifying their facial transformation (aired on Saturday Night's Main Event XX). After requesting to know which team The Undertaker was on and receiving the reply, Roberts yelled out, "Not yours," Roberts began to attack both Bearer and Undertaker, but it was only for The Undertaker to stand his ground and run Roberts off. At WrestleMania VIII, the Undertaker defeated Roberts. He then feuded with wrestlers managed by Harvey Wippleman from 1992 to 1993, including Kamala and Giant González. During this time, The Undertaker appeared in the first ever episode of Monday Night Raw on January 11, 1993, defeating Damien Demento. Calaway says, "was starving every night trying to figure out what he could do" and "took years off my career." He met González at WrestleMania IX, which is notable as The Undertaker's only disqualification victory at WrestleMania is after the use of chloroform. When a clash between the two teams lost power, the Undertaker's new rivalry began at Yokozuna in 1993, they were unable to coordinate in an elimination tag match. The Undertaker and Bearer spooked Yokozuna with several segments from their wintery and remote rural area workshop in the weeks that followed. The Undertaker was hard at work at work carpentering Yokozuna's "double wide, double deep casket" custom-built for Yokozuna's massive overweight population. In January 1994, the feud came to an end in a WWF Championship casket match at the Royal Rumble. Yokozuna sealed The Undertaker in the casket with the help of a slew of heel wrestlers (some of whom were Whippleman-managed) recruited by Yokozuna's reigndictive and Mr. Fuji, whose role in retaliation for Bearer's casket match stipulation that he snuck into their Royal Rumble match agreement. Since being trapped inside the case by the pack, green vapor was released from the casket, and the arena lights were out. On the video screen, the wrestler appeared from inside the casket, portraying the spirit of his deceased body and announcing that he will not produce a "rebirth" of himself, noting Peace and Violence in Peace. Since being banned from the WWF for seven months, the Undertaker did not appear in the WWF for seven months. In reality, he was given time off to allow a back injury to heal.

Following the death angle at the Royal Rumble during The Undertaker's absence, the WWF announced sightings of him in random video clips of random people who claimed to have seen him. Ted DiBiase brought an Undertaker back to the WWF after WrestleMania X. This Undertaker, however, was played by Brian Lee (one of Calaway's true friends), and it was revived by Dibiase's wealth rather than Bearer's urn. His appearances resulted in the return of the true Undertaker at SummerSlam, defeating the impostor and revealing himself as a reincarnation of his Deadman gimmick, one of a more obscure, obscure, and undercover presence. The Undertaker updated specifics of his wrestling clothes that had been previously grey with purple, and created scenes of blue/purple semidarkness, which was reflected in cool colors. Several specifics that would be associated with The Undertaker's career were not present during his second appearance, such as the introduction of sleeve tattoos and Godlike supernatural elements (thunder, lightning, and windy weather-like effects used to indicate the Undertaker's presence and wrath).

The Undertaker revisited his rivalry with Yokozuna, eventually confronting him in a rematch at the 1994 Survivor Series, seeking revenge. Chuck Norris (portraying his Walker, Texas Ranger persona) was present in the match as a special guest enforcer, preventing wrestling interference from wrestlers from being enlisted for assistance. This time around, the Undertaker was unable to rely on much as far as interference (only Irwin R. Schyster was able to get in a brief ambush), and Yokozuna was stunned by The Undertaker and sealed in the casket. Undertaker argued with members of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation for the majority of 1995. The DiBiase chain was recruited to do away with The Undertaker, but The Undertaker was defeated by another member of the Million Dollar Team, King Kong Bundy. Bearer was deprived of his urn by the Corporation while being assaulted. In a singles match at WrestleMania XI, The Undertaker made short work of Bundy. This version of WrestleMania is notable in that it included the first mention of The Undertaker's legendary WrestleMania victory, as Undertaker's debut: "The Undertaker" on his way to the ring was a man who has never lost at WrestleMania. DiBiase presented him with yet another critic in "The Supreme Combat Machine" Kama, who had stolen the briefly revived urn from Bearer during the match. Kama continued their prankish activities by destroying the urn and transforming it into bling. Although sporting the flashy bling around his neck, he has regularly overspent Undertaker matches and sluggish Undertaker fans, dubbed "Creatures of the Night." Undertaker settled the score with Kama in August, defeating him in a casket match at SummerSlam. Several weeks later, Undertaker suffered a serious orbital bone fracture when King Mabel unintentionally struck him in the eye with his fist during a house show, leading to the Undertaker's withdrawal from surgery. Vince McMahon had it on the audience as though it had come from Mabel and Yokozuna's exchange of leg drops and splashes on The Undertaker on Monday Night Raw, which had aired 2 days before. The Undertaker returned to Survivor Series a few months later, where he single-handedly deleted a complete team of wrestlers led by King Mabel, leading his own team to victory. It was at this Survivor Series reunion in which he began wearing a Phantom of the Opera-like, gray upper-face mask to cover his orbital injury while it healed. In December, The Undertaker defeated Mabel in a casket match at In Your House, bringing the urn back to life (albeit in its bling form) throughout the year.

The Undertaker was first uncovered of his Phantom of the Opera-like facial covering in a WWF Championship match against Bret Hart in January 1996. On Hart, the Undertaker was able to touch the Tombstone Piledriver, but Diesel interrupted, costing The Undertaker the championship. On the February 5 episode of Raw, there was a rematch for the title. The Undertaker delivered a surprising blow at In Your House: Rage in the Cage during the WWF Championship's steel cage match, ripping through the ring canvas and dragging Diesel with him down beneath a cloud of smoke, granting Hart the victory. Diesel and The Undertaker's feud came to an end in a singles match between the two teams at WrestleMania XII, where Undertaker was victorious.

The Undertaker's next feud began on Raw with Mankind, a twisted and enslaved soul who made his debut and intervened in Undertaker's match against Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw. Mankind screamed The Undertaker for the next few months, costing him multiple matches. Mankind cost the WWF Intercontinental Championship by intervening in his casket match against Goldust at In Your House 8. Beware of dogs. Mankind demonstrated a perplexing terror tactic skills that rivaled The Undertaker's, with occasional peeks from within and sealing the Undertaker inside, as in interfering in this match. Once the casket lid was opened, the Undertaker was able to escape amid a cloud of smoke. The Undertaker and Mankind both participated in their first on-screen match at the 1996 King of the Ring due to Mankind's influence and repeated assaults on The Undertaker throughout the ensuing weeks. During the match, Bearer inadvertently struck The Undertaker with the urn, causing Mankind to incapacitate The Undertaker with his finisher, the Mandible Claw, and gain the victory. With Mankind's insatisfaction with the King of the Ring match, the Undertaker launched fire, and the feud spiraled out of control: the two wrestled other matches were often interrupted, including those that had no scheduled matches: their madness extended to arena backstage communal areas, arena backstage, and arena boiler rooms, all of which were unprecedented at the time. As a result, the first ever Boiler Room Brawl (Mankind's special match) was held between the two teams at SummerSlam. The Undertaker reached for Paul Bearer's urn in an attempt to win the match after more than 20 minutes of brawling with Mankind in the Cleveland Gund Arena's boiler room, the arena corridors, the SummerSlam entrance area, and the aisleway to the ring, but the Bearer struck him with it, traying The Undertaker. Mankind was eventually allowed to take possession of the urn by the Bear, who then won the game. The Undertaker became more adamant, ending his feud against Goldust (Mankind's compatriot in tormenting The Undertaker) at In Your House 10: Mind Games). In a special match of his own, the Undertaker brought his rivalry with Mankind to a new extent, and a rare Buried Alive match took place in In Your House 11: Buried Alive. The Undertaker captured the match after chokeslamming Mankind into the open grave and then hurling enough dirt on him to make it safe. However, following interference from the debuting Executioner, as well as the help of several other heel wrestlers reportedly enlisted by Bearer, Mankind, and the crowd piled dirt onto the Undertaker, resulting in the entire grave being completely buried. The Undertaker's purple glove fit hand emerged from his burial place, but not without a parting message, but not without a piece of lightning surrounding the gravesite. All of his enemies were sent home from the scene.

The Undertaker returned to the Survivor Series after being buried alive and a month-long absence, but with a unique stipulation: Hanging 6.1 m (20 ft) above the ring will be Paul Bearer, enclosed in a steel cage. If The Undertaker were to win the match, he would be rewarded with the opportunity to confront the Bearer however he pleased. Despite the fact that The Undertaker won this match, the Bearer was able to escape Undertaker's clutches thanks to a little bit of magic by The Executioner. The Undertaker had also created a more refined and more accessible version of the "Deadman" incarnation at this festival, but also very human. With a brash, rebelling, Championship-driven mean streak, perhaps to better fit in with the then-budding, more mature Attitude Era). This presentation, dubbed "The Lord of Darkness," was the 3rd incarnation of his Deadman persona. The Undertaker briefly turned his attention to The Executioner, who had been playing in his matches since his inception. Even with Mankind heavily involved throughout the entire match, at In Your House 12: It's Time, The Undertaker defeated The Executioner in an Armageddon Rules match. The Undertaker then feuded with Valiant, whom he defeated in January 1997 in a singles match, which The Undertaker lost after Bearer intervened on behalf of his new protégé. The two teams then clashed in the Royal Rumble match itself as they made it to the final moments of the match, but Stone Cold Steve Austin, who had crept back into the match after being disqualified. At In Your House 13: The Final Four fought Valiant and Austin in a four-corners elimination match for the vacant WWF Championship. However, for the second time since defeating Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13. The Undertaker, who was revived as the first Deadman incarnation for the night only, appeared as the "Old West Mortician" in the classic gray wrestling gear accessories (boot spats, tie, stetson hat ribbon, and gloves), as well as a pitch-black entrance with only a white light shining over him, contrasted with his Deadman incarnations' pessimistic grey shades.

Paul Bearer, the WWF Championship winner at WrestleMania 13, attempted to rejoin The Undertaker as his manager. The Undertaker refused and assaulted the Bearer, causing Mankind to fireball the Undertaker's face, triggering a match in In Your House 14: In Your House 14: The Undertaker was victorious. Despite the score on "Reality of the 'Taker,' The Undertaker" brought a fireball to the Bearer's face immediately following the game. Following the incident, Bearer's bandaged up from fire burns, likened The Undertaker's assault to a recent occurrence that he referred to as The Undertaker's "deepest, darkest mystery." Bearer was able to reconnect with him as boss and protégé after granting The Undertaker the ultimatum of revealing his deepest, darkest mystery to the world. The Undertaker lost his patience and dismissed Bearer as his boss after only a few months of abrasive conduct from him. Bearer confessed to intentionally killing his parents' funeral home for which they raised him and his younger brother. (Note: Kane's younger brother, as the Bearer revealed to the world that he is Kane's father until April 1998, after the Undertaker's mother had an affair with him. (With DNA test findings, Bearer later confirmed this.) The Undertaker denied charges of murdering his family's arson; however, the Bears pleaded for mercy in the form of his dead brother, Kane, who had survived although scarred and burnt. After the fire, the Bearer raised Kane, who was institutionalized from the time of the fire to adulthood. Kane had been waiting for vengeance on his older half-brother ever since the fire. Kane, a "pyromaniac," had started the fire and, as a result, may not have survived. (Note that it will not be until a year and a half later from this time, in which the Undertaker would shamelessly admit to deliberate acts of violence to the funeral home that murdered his parents and terrified his brother).

Despite Bearer's constant mental strain during his Championship title reign, The Undertaker managed to win title defenses against Stone Cold Steve Austin (A Cold Day In Hell: In Your House), respectively. Undertaker began a then-new rivalry at SummerSlam, when special guest referee Shawn Michaels mistakenly hit him with a steel chair shot intended for his archnemesis Bret Hart, thereby costing The Undertaker the WWF Championship. Michaels were shocked by the misfire that had been mistakenly fired by the now booing WWF, and they were soon to be heeled. Following a violent storyline involving The Undertaker and another revolving around repeated deliberate chair shots by Michaels on The Undertaker, Michaels taunting The Undertaker throughout. Undertaker challenged Michaels to the first Hell in a Cell match at Badd Blood: In Your House, the duo's first match, which was tumultuous and uncontrolled encounter, culminated in a double count-out draw at Ground Zero. Despite the cell's inclusion in the order to improve Michaels' D-Generation X stable's assistance, the match ended up much more tense and savage than their first, and it's one of The Undertaker's best matches of his career. The Undertaker was expected to be the victor after being struck by Michaels with a chair shot of his own, and Kane's storyline was interrupted by his half-brother Kane, who was essentially making his debut. Kane stormed the arena, tore off the cell phone, and laid out The Undertaker with his own trademarked finisher, the Tombstone Piledriver, allowing Michaels to pin him for the victory. Kane repeatedly attacked The Undertaker as the storyline progressed, with Bearer losing Kane to a large portion of the WWF roster, causing him to be tense and insulting him. However, the Undertaker has continued to refuse to beat his half-brother, claiming that he had promised his parents never to do harm to their own "flesh and blood." The Undertaker's final match with Michaels in this period of his career was in a casket match for the WWF Championship at the Royal Rumble. Kane had been duplicitously defending his brother against Michaels' D-Generation X stables the week before; however, Kane trapped The Undertaker in the coffin, slammed the lid shut, and gave Michaels another victory. The Undertaker returned to Raw on March 2, 1998, in a most notable revival after a two-month absence in which Kane wreaked havoc over the WWF, interrupting Kane and Bearer by presenting them with a coffin on the entrance stage amid a large number of bell tolls. A lightning bolt struck the coffin and dismantled it, revealing a lied out Undertaker who sat up in a spartan state and threatened Kane to face him. The Undertaker defeated Kane in their first match at WrestleMania XIV. Kane challenged Undertaker to a rematch—Kane's speciality and first-ever Inferno match—that took place a month later at Unfortun: In Your House. The Undertaker dominated the match by bringing Kane's right arm on fire.

The Undertaker and Mankind feud from a year ago to this point was revived over the next month, raised graphically and decisively resolved when they faced each other in a Cell match at King of the Ring. The match became one of the most famous professional wrestling matches in history. In what was a preplanned move, The Undertaker threw Mankind off the roof of the 4.9 m (16 ft) cell onto a broadcast table below during the match. He later performed a chokeslam on Mankind by the roof of the cell, which was not preplanned and accidentfully knocked Mankind unconscious. The Undertaker suffered a fractured ankle in advancing from the top of the cell to the ring canvas. Both wrestlers' blood flowed as the match progressed, as they stabbed each other with steel steps and chairs, escalating. Mankind began dozens of thumbtacks scattered around the ring canvas, but later choked on them until The Undertaker defeated the match with his Tombstone Piledriver. In Your House, The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kane and Mankind to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. The Undertaker and Austin's reign as tag team champions lasted only two weeks, as Kane and Mankind recovered their titles from them in a thrilling four-way tag-team match on August 10 of Raw. The Undertaker then became the number one contender for the WWF Championship, which was hosted in Austin at that time for a match at SummerSlam. The Undertaker revealed that he and his half-brother were teaming up shortly before SummerSlam, sparking a lot of rumors. Despite this revelation, The Undertaker told Kane right before his SummerSlam match that he did not want him to interfere, even as he arrived late in the match. Despite the fact that The Undertaker lost the match at SummerSlam, Austin gave him his championship belt back after the match with a show of love and sportsmanship.

The Undertaker began to have some heel attributes in September as the storyline progressed, becoming a tweener. This started when he and Kane revealed that they were in cahoots to rob Austin of his name for a slew of corrupt business owners Mr. McMahon, who grew in rivalry during this period. Breakdown: The Undertaker and Kane were booked in a triple threat match with Austin for the WWF Championship, in which McMahon said that the brothers were not allowed to pin each other. After a double chokeslam, both Undertaker and Kane pinned Austin simultaneously, bringing the match to a no contest, McMahon vacated the title. In Your House, there was a match between The Undertaker and Kane for the title, with Austin as the special guest referee. Near the end of the game, Paul Bearer seemed to be able to assist Kane by giving him a steel chair to hit The Undertaker with, but Kane's back turned, and both Bearer and The Undertaker struck Kane with chair shots. The Undertaker went for the pin, but Austin refused to log the fall, attacked The Undertaker, and counted out both of them. For the first time since 1992, The Undertaker turned heel on Raw for the first time since 1992, reconciling with Bearer and announcing that the Bearer and the Bearer would unleash their "Ministry of Shadow" on the WWF. The Undertaker admitted that he had indeed intentionally set the fire that killed his parents and scared Kane, which he had previously blamed on Kane.

The Undertaker returned to his former feud with Austin for costing him his job at Judgment Day, smashing Austin in the head with a shovel during a title match with The Rock on November 16 on Raw, retuning the focus to what happened a month before. Mr. McMahon announced a Buried Alive match between The Undertaker and Austin at Rock Bottom, In Your House, as a result of this twist in the storyline. The Undertaker attempted to embrangle Austin in the weeks leading up to Rock Bottom, and had his druids chain Austin tied to an impressive structure of The Undertaker T-cross logo before being able to lift the building high into the air. However, after Kane interfered, The Undertaker lost the Buried Alive match to Austin at Rock Bottom.

The Undertaker unveiled a new version of his Deadman identity in the first half of 1998, a gritty priest-like character whose reigned over a stable named The Ministry of Darkness. He wore a sinister, demonic presence in this form, much more so than ever before. He often appeared to be summoning and receiving orders from a "Higher Power." In addition, he often appeared in a hooded black robe and sat on a throne carved into his Undertaker T-cross logo. He made sacrifices on select WWF wrestlers with the help of his minions, utilizing various incantations and magical words with the intention to bring the wrestlers out of his Ministry. The Brood (Christian, Edge and Gangrel), The Acolytes (Bradshaw and Faarooq), Mideon, and Viscera were among the finished Ministry of Darkness. Calaway did not wrestle for a while after undergoing a hip replacement. Undertaker had his Ministry members fight his wars, carry out his sinister ambitions, and do all his dirty deeds as part of the plot. He expressed his desire to take over the World Wrestling Federation in a vivacious manner, displacing its founder, Mr. McMahon. These aspirations culminated in a feud between The Ministry and The Corporation, resulting in a match between Undertaker and Corporation enforcer Big Boss Man. At WrestleMania XV, the two wrestled in a Cell match that Undertaker won. Undertaker Undertaker defeated Corporation Member Ken Shamrock after he was manipulated by Ministry member Bradshaw, prompting the undertaker's backlash.

Stephanie McMahon was kidnapped by The Undertaker later, prompting Mr. McMahon to form a reluctant friendship with his longtime rival Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Undertaker attempted to marry Stephanie before sacrificing her in an eldritch funeral conducted by Paul Bearer, but Austin was able to save her. The Undertaker defeated Austin for his third WWF Championship with the help of Shane McMahon, the special guest referee. The Ministry later merged with Shane McMahon's Corporation to form The Corporate Ministry. Mr. McMahon had been his "Higher Power" all along, according to the Undertaker later, as part of a plot against Austin. After The Undertaker lost the WWF Championship in Austin on the Raw following King of the Ring and losing to him in a First Blood match at Fully Loaded, the McMahons disbanded and The Corporate Ministry was disbanded.

The Undertaker then began a storyline in which he partnered with Big Show in a tag team dubbed "The Unholy Alliance," which hosted the WWF Tag Team Championship twice. The Undertaker suffered a groin tear and was seen limping in several matches after losing at SummerSlam. He refused to participate in wrestling matches in the coming weeks, instead overbearingly ordering Big Show to fight his wars and do all his dirty deeds. During this period, creating a comedy horror smart mouth (which he would eventually introduce in 2000) began wearing out. This was a move to allow Calaway to participate in World Championship Wrestling with a non-traded individuala, according to a Kevin Nash interview; if Mark Calaway had entered WCW, it would have been as Mark Calaway. Although negotiations were described as close, Calaway resigned with the WWF, according to Nash. Conversely, while on Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions podcast on November 22, 2020, Calaway said that there was no way he would return to WCW, that the gimmick's biker transition was just a matter of him mixing stuff up because the character's Deadman side was not properly represented in the then-initiated Attitude Era.

Undertaker became more overbearing and vocal, occasionally speaking out against a strangeness and making sinisterly wise-aleck remarks in promos and commentary, to make up for his lack of physical fitness. Mr. McMahon feared that if Undertaker did not care and that he may not be involved in anything WWF any longer, from walking out on the WWF. Calaway went on a hiatus from the WWF in order to fix his groin injury. At a house show in Coamo, Puerto Rico, he returned to action on December 14, working with Viscera in a losing bid against Kane and The Godfather. The Undertaker was on the Armageddon promotional poster to return, but he also tore his pectoral muscle, keeping him out of action for nearly eight months.

Calaway developed on the Undertaker gimmick in May 2000, unveiling under a human alter ego of the gimmick, cigar chewing/spitting, and sporting a sporty appearance and demeanor, the Undertaker's name was spelled "The American Badass" -- a smack-talking, redneck biker, known for motorcycle riding, pipe smoking/spitting, and sporting a sporty deme Calaway's Badass persona, in stark contrast to his horror-themed and fully fictional Deadman persona, was only semi-fictional with traits and features inherited from who he is not likeable, e.g. why he wanted to change The Undertaker. Calaway's sudden emergence as American Badass Undertaker after hiatus, in which he left off as Deadman Undertaker was never explained within WWE storylines or the WWE's fictional universe, although he portrayed it off screen years later. Rather, fans were encouraged to go with it.

At Judgment Day, The Undertaker took out all the McMahon-Helmsley Faction, which resulted in a face turn after being left homeless before his hiatus. The Undertaker also attacked their boss, then WWF Champion Triple H, before battling The Rock and Kane to defeat Triple H, Shane McMahon, and Vince McMahon. He then joined Kane to compete for the WWF Tag Team Championships. They defeated Edge and Christian, earning the right to face them the following week for the championship, which Edge and Christian retained. Kane became involved and betrayed The Undertaker by striking him with two chokeslams on August 14, the second one causing the ring apron to collapse under The Undertaker. This match resulted in another match between the two teams at SummerSlam, which resulted in a no contest as Kane ran from the ring area after The Undertaker took Kane's mask off.

Kurt Angle was then defeated by the Undertaker in the WWF Championship at Survivor Series. Angle, on the other hand, defeated The Undertaker after he swapped places with his real-life brother, Eric Angle. In a Cell match for the WWF Championship at Armageddon, the Undertaker requested and was given a spot in the six-man Hell. The Undertaker promised to make someone famous, and he did just that when he turned a truck's roof into a hay-filled cargo bed.

The Undertaker, who reunited with Kane as The Brothers of Destruction, is raising a challenge to the WWF Tag Team Championship once more. At No Way Out, they were rewarded with a title shot, facing Edge and Christian, then champions The Dudley Boyz in a tables match, but they were disqualified. At WrestleMania X-Seven, the Undertaker went on to defeat Triple H. Kane and Triple H, who formed a "surprise alliance" with then WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin, continued a storyline. The Brothers of Destruction were given the opportunity to face Triple H and Austin for their respective titles (Triple H was the WWF Intercontinental Champion). After Undertaker and Kane won the WWF Tag Team Championship from Edge and Christian on April 19, Triple H pinned Kane after he was stabbed at Backlash, where the Brothers of Destruction lost their championships. The Undertaker briefly feuded with Austin for his WWF Championship, but he was unable to win the title on Judgment Day.

Diamond Dallas Page, the Undertaker's next nemesis, was obsessively stalking Sara, his [The Undertaker] wife, who was obsessively stalking his [The Invasion] wife, Sara. The WCW Tag Team Champions at SummerSlam The Undertaker and Kane defeated Page and his partner Kanyon in a steel cage match to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. The Undertaker took on the Rock, Chris Jericho, and Big Show at The Alliance's Stone Cold Steve Austin, Booker T, Shane McMahon and Kurt Angle (this was the last time The Undertaker and Kane met until 2006). Due to Austin's interference, Angle pinned The Undertaker. Despite this, Team WWF took the game.

After the Alliance was defeated, The Undertaker turned heel by inducting Jim Ross into the Mr. McMahon's Kiss My Ass Club, which involved The Undertaker pressing Ross' lips against McMahon's exposed buttocks. The Undertaker eventually cut his long hair short and went by the name "Big Evil" in transforming his "American Badass" biker identity into a heel, before transforming his "American Badass" biker identity into a heel. The Undertaker beat Rob Van Dam to win the WWF Hardcore Championship at Vengeance.

The Undertaker's next storyline began at the Royal Rumble in January 2002, when Maven banned him from the Royal Rumble match by striking him with a dropkick from behind. The Undertaker then stripped Maven from his squad, brutally attacking him backstage. The Rock inflamed The Undertaker's fury by announcing his deposition at the Royal Rumble later in an episode of SmackDown! He ranked The Rock as the top candidate for the undisputed WWF championship. When The Rock cost The Undertaker his match with Maven for the Hardcore Championship, the storyline continued. The two met at No Way Out, where The Undertaker lost due to Ric Flair's interference. Flair, who had turned down a bid to wrestle Undertaker at WrestleMania X8, was the start of a storyline. As a result, Undertaker assaulted his son David Flair. After The Undertaker threatened to inflict the same punishment on Flair's daughter, Flair eventually accepted the match. At WrestleMania, a no-disqualification rule was introduced to the match, and The Undertaker defeated Flair.

The Undertaker was drafted to the Raw brand after the WWF split its roster into two brands and defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at Backlash to become the top contender for the undisputed WWF championship. He later that night, helping Hollywood Hulk Hogan defend the title against then champion Triple H. He then defeated Hogan for the renamed WWE undisputed championship at Judgment Day. The Undertaker lost to Rob Van Dam for the WWE undisputed championship; however, Raw boss Ric Flair revived the match (Maul pinned The Undertaker when his foot was on the rope, effectively ending the match) and The Undertaker retained the crown. The Undertaker returned to Raw on July 1 after beating Jeff Hardy in a ladder battle to keep the WWE undisputed title and wagging Hardy's hand as a gesture of honor. In a triple threat match that also featured Kurt Angle, the Undertaker lost the title at Vengeance to The Rock. Undertaker was promoted to the SmackDown version on August 29! Brock Lesnar, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero joined the brand (where he remained until the first brand extension ended in 2011). In a triple threat match that culminated in a double disqualification, Undertaker defeated Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle to become the top contender for the renamed WWE Championship and fought Brock Lesnar for the title. In a Cell match, the Undertaker performed with a legally broken hand and eventually lost to Lesnar, who eventually lost to Lesnar.

On the October 24 version of SmackDown!, the Undertaker took a break after Big Show threw him off the stage, sparking a feud. In January 2003, the Undertaker returned to the Royal Rumble. He dominated Big Show right away, achieving him by submission at No Way Out with a triangle choke. A-Train continued the storyline by attempting to hurt The Undertaker after the match, but Nathan Jones came to his rescue. As The Undertaker began to prepare Jones to wrestle, the storyline returned, and the two teams were set to face Big Show and A-Train in a tag team match at WrestleMania XIX. Jones was ruled out before the match, making it a handicap match that The Undertaker won with the assistance of Jones.

The Undertaker forged a brief feud with John Cena (defeating him at Vengeance) and was guaranteed to have two WWE Championship opportunities throughout the year. On the first day of the SmackDown! against Kurt Angle, a no contest was declared due to Brock Lesnar's interference. The second match, which was at No Mercy, was a Biker Chain match between The Undertaker and Lesnar, which Lesnar won with the help of Vince McMahon. This match culminated in a feud with McMahon, culminating in the Undertaker's loss of a Buried Alive match against McMahon as Kane interfered. Following this match, the Undertaker remained for some time, with Kane claiming he was "dead and buried forever."

Kane was terrified by regular life, haunted-like tactics, and vignettes announcing The Undertaker's Return to WrestleMania XX. The first occurred during the Royal Rumble, disconcering Kane and allowing Booker T to delete him. The Undertaker resurrected his Deadman persona by defeating Kane in a singles match, thanks to Paul Bearer of WrestleMania XX. Introduced was a more dramatic, dramatic, and supernatural Deadman than had been anticipated, and his presence, demeanor, and admissions were all richer, as well as increased and decreasing fires. The Undertaker retained elements of his American Badass identity, making him more human than any of his previous Deadman incarnations (Undertaker will appear in this particular hybrid Deadman form until Randy Orton sealed it in a casket and set it on fire at No Mercy 2005). The Undertaker defeated Booker T. on Judgment Day, and Paul Heyman ordered The Dudley Boyz to kidnap Bearer one week later. Hence, Heyman "took charge" of the Undertaker. Undertaker fought in a handicap match against The Dudley Boyz with the condition that if he did not lay down and purposely miss, Heyman would bury Paul Bearer in cement. The Undertaker won and barred Heyman from burying the Bearer, but after deciding that the Bearer was just a curse he had no use for, he buried him himself.

The Undertaker began a feud with WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), who then fought him to a championship match at SummerSlam, which The Undertaker lost by disqualification. The Undertaker and JBL were in the first-ever Last Ride match at No Mercy, but The Undertaker lost after Heidenreich interfered. The Undertaker changed his attention to the WWE Championship after losing to Heidenreich in a Survivor Series match. He challenged JBL to a championship rematch at Armageddon, which was in jeopardy due to Heidenreich's interference. At the Royal Rumble, where Undertaker sealed Heidenreich in a casket match, the feud came to an end.

Randy Orton defeated The Undertaker in a match at WrestleMania 21, uppishly announcing that his WrestleMania victory would be ended soon. Orton lost even with help from his father as The Undertaker set his WrestleMania record to 13-0. Undertaker returned to SmackDown! on June 16th, but then lost to JBL due to Randy Orton's interference, which eventually led to the loss of the JBL to JBL. Despite his interference, the Randy Orton/Undertaker feud remained on the back burner until late summer of this year, with Orton on the wounded list.

On an SmackDown version, you will be in the middle of one of WWE's most turbulent moments. On July 4, 2005 (aired on July 7), SmackDown! In a match against The Undertaker at The Great American Bash, GM Theodore "Teddy" Long ordered Muhammad Hassan to face The Undertaker, the Undertaker, and Daivari was placed in a match against Undertaker: Undertaker quickly defeated Daivari. Hassan began to "pray" on the track, summoning five masked men dressed in black shirts, ski-masks, and camouflage pants after the match. The masked guys were assaulted and choked out The Undertaker before Hassan placed The Undertaker in a camel clutch, armed with clubs and a piano wire. The masked guys then lifted Daivari above their heads and carried him away. The London bombings took place three days later. On UPN in the United States and on The Score in Canada, an advisory warning was shown several times during the show. It was taken from Australian and European (including in the United Kingdom) broadcasts.

In the New York Times, TV Guide, Variety, and other major media outlets, the angle drew national notice. In reaction to the criticism, UPN decided that it would monitor the storyline closely and that it did not want the Hassan character to be on its network this week. Hassan then gave a preview to the live audience for the SmackDown! version of July 14, 2005, but WWE decided not to host the segment on its official website when UPN announced that it would be edited. Hassan reiterated that he was an Arab American and that the American people had mistakenly and incorrectly assumed that he was a terrorist. Despite being in character, he referred to the real-world media coverage of the storyline, singling out Don Kaplan of the New York Post's Don Kaplan's mention of the masked men as "Arabs in ski masks." Hassan's absence was detailed in a letter sent by his lawyer, Thomas Whitney, Esquire, that he did not appear on the show until the Great American Bash due to the way he was treated by the American media and WWE fans.

In late July 2005, it was revealed that UPN had pressured WWE to keep Hassan off their network, effectively banging him from SmackDown! At The Great American Bash, the undertaker defeated Hassan to become the top contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. The Undertaker brought a Last Ride to Hassan via an open stage ramp. Hassan suffered significant injuries and had to be rushed to a nearby medical facility, according to Hassan, who wrote Hassan off television. Several days later, WWE.com hosted a video of a kayfabe announcement from Theodore Long, in which he reiterated the fact that Hassan will no longer appear on SmackDown! Hassan was revealed years later that he was due to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Batista at SummerSlam, thus defeating Randy Orton's record for being the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history.

The Undertaker lost to JBL in a number-one contender's match, resurrecting their feud that had been on hold, according to the following edition of SmackDown! Orton defeated The Undertaker in a WrestleMania rematch at SummerSlam. With dark mind game tactics and the use of caskets, the storyline escalated, resulting in a handicap casket match at No Mercy, where The Undertaker lost to Randy and his father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton. The Ortons poured gasoline on the casket and set it on fire after the match (a throwback to Kane's most famous attacks after the 1998 Royal Rumble). However, when the fire was opened, The Undertaker was absent, and he was presumed to have vanished.

At the Survivor Series, the Undertaker was revived when the druids handed a casket that had been struck by lightning and went up in fire. The Undertaker emerged from the flaming casket in rage, battering, and brutalizing a whole ring full of wrestlers as a note to Orton. He returned to his mixed form, but with lessened Badass traits, removing several elements of his biker identity so that his Deadman side got more visible, including replacing loose-fitting cargo pants with his Deadman spandex, and less use of the Last Ride finisher.

The Undertaker returned on SmackDown!

In a Cell match at Armageddon, Orton was haunted early December to haunt Orton and set up a Hell. Calaway took a short break from professional wrestling after The Undertaker won their brutal Hell in a Cell encounter, effectively ending his 9-month feud with Orton.

The Undertaker returned on a horse-drawn cart at Kurt Angle's commemoration of his World Heavyweight Championship victory over Mark Henry in January 2006. The Undertaker in this video called for a championship shot by using his supernatural powers to dismantle Angle's wrestling ring, which Angle had been using as a tool to spook him. The Undertaker lost his match at No Way Out after a 30-minute match—described as underrated and one of The Undertaker's top matches, in which The Undertaker cleverly switched to a more ground-based submission style to combat Angle's trademarked freestyle wrestling. After the match, the Undertaker cornered Angle and told him he was not finished. Angle (similarly underrated and one of The Undertaker's top matches that used the wrestling styles of their previous match, which was also included in SmackDown's March 3 edition). Henry sacked The Undertaker from behind, costing him the title. At WrestleMania 22, The Undertaker was defeated by Henry Correspondent to a casket match, with Henry threatening to end The Undertaker's WrestleMania victories. The match ended with The Undertaker sealing Henry in the casket, ending his streak to 14-0 at WrestleMania. The Great Khali made his debut and assaulted The Undertaker during a rematch on the new version of SmackDown!

The Undertaker was not known from the SmackDown version until May 5! On Judgment Day, When Theodore Long delivered a challenge from The Undertaker to Khali for a match. At Judgment Day, the Undertaker lost to Khali, and he did not appear again until the SmackDown version on July 7! When he accepted Khali's challenge to a Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash, he accepted his honors. However, Khali was eventually suspended from the match due to a failure to be medically cleared. He was then recalled by the ECW World Champion Big Show, over whom The Undertaker had victory. Theodore Long recalled Khali with Big Show as punishment for an assault on The Undertaker right before the match. After interfering in The Undertaker's match against then World Heavyweight Champion King Booker, Khali was then pushed by The Undertaker to a Last Man Standing Match for SummerSlam. For SummerSlam, Khali declined a challenge to The Undertaker, but Long announced the Last Man Standing Match, which would be published at a later date for the August 18 edition of SmackDown! Rather, we have a narrator. The Undertaker won the game by pounding Khali with steel stairs and finishing him with a chokeslam. It was Khali's first loss, effectively ending his feud with The Undertaker.

The Undertaker returned to Kane and Rey Mysterio to face Kane and Rey Mysterio, only to be struck by Kane with a Tombstone Piledriver. The two fighters feuded for the next few months over the World Heavyweight Championship, with Kane revealing himself as his enemy. Paul Bearer returned as the Undertaker's boss after losing in a No Holds Barred match at Night of Champions on September 24. However, the Bearer came out of Hell in a Cell to help Kane win once more in a Cell match in a Hell. The feud came to an end at Bragging Rights, when The Nexus assisted Kane in a Buried Alive match against one another. The wrestler needed surgery for a torn rotator cuff, which caused him to be written off.

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Other awards and honors

• Eyegore Award (2000)