HISTORY OF UNDERTAKER:-
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965)[4] is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Undertaker. He is signed to WWE and is the company's most tenured performer, and he is the only remaining active competitor from the very first episode of WWE Raw in 1993. Calaway began his wrestling career with World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984. He joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as "Mean" Mark Callous in 1989. When WCW did not renew Calaway's contract in 1990, Calaway signed with the World Wrestling Federation. After debuting as Kane the Undertaker, the name was shortened to The Undertaker and he has remained with the company since. The Undertaker has performed under two personas. The first is the role of The Deadman, an undead, occult-like figure, which has consisted of many different styles. He debuted his original Deadman persona during his own on-camera debut at Survivor Series (1990). At this event, the Undertaker was clad as a Western mortician. In October of 1998, the Undertaker appeared as the leader of the Ministry of Darkness (with similar apparel). Since WrestleMania XX, the Undertaker has appeared as a hybrid version of the Deadman character, using elements of the previous Deadman incarnations. His other persona is The American Bad-Ass, a biker, which he portrayed from May 2000 through November 2003. The Undertaker is also associated with various specialty matches: the Casket match, the Buried Alive match, the Hell in a Cell and the Last Ride match. An important part of the character is the Undertaker character's half-brother Kane, who has also played an important role in The Undertaker's character development. Kane was introduced in 1997, and has both feuded with The Undertaker and performed in a tag-team with him as the Brothers of Destruction. The Undertaker holds an unrivaled record of being undefeated at WrestleMania, WWE's premier pay-per-view event, with a 20–0 record. 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. Contents 1 Professional wrestling career 1.1 Early career (1984–1989) 1.2 World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990) 1.3 World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment 1.3.1 Debut and various feuds (1990–1994) 1.3.2 Return; various storylines (1994–1997) 1.3.3 Hell in a Cell and Brothers of Destruction (1997–1998) 1.3.4 Ministry of Darkness (1999) 1.3.5 American Bad Ass/Big Evil (2000–2003) 1.3.6 Return of the Deadman (2004–2007) 1.3.7 World Heavyweight Champion and various feuds (2007–2010) 1.3.8 Feud with Triple H (2011–2012) 2 Personal life 3 Other media 4 Filmography 4.1 Film 4.2 Television 5 In wrestling 6 Championships and accomplishments 6.1 WrestleMania record 7 References 8 External links Professional wrestling career Early career (1984–1989) Calaway made his debut in 1984 for World Class Championship Wrestling under the ring name "Texas Red".[6] He wrestled and lost his first match against Bruiser Brody.[6] In 1988, after four years in the promotion, he left and joined the Continental Wrestling Association (which became the United States Wrestling Association after Jerry Jarrett merged CWA with WCCW), wrestling under several gimmicks. On April 1, 1989, he was booked to win his first professional wrestling title, the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Jerry "The King" Lawler, under the stage name "The Master of Pain". While performing as "The Punisher", Calaway won the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship on October 5, 1989 when Eric Embry forfeited the title.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11] 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 off a mortician from old Western movies.[12] Calaway made his WWF debut as "Kane the Undertaker"[1] at a taping of WWF Superstars on November 19, 1990.[13] His original Deadman persona depicted him as wearing a trench coat and black hat with grey gloves and boot covers. Under this Deadman persona, he was portrayed as impervious to pain, something accomplished by Calaway no-selling his opponents' attacks. Calaway made his official on-camera debut on November 22 at Survivor Series as a heel when he was the mystery partner of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar team, where he was called Kane the Undertaker.[14] 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 would increase the Undertaker's in-ring abilities as he drew power from it. During his heel run, Undertaker would place his defeated opponents (almost always jobbers) in a bodybag and carry them to the back.[15] He made his WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania VII, quickly defeating "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka.[16] 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,[14] 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.[17] WWF President Jack Tunney ordered a rematch for This Tuesday in Texas six days later, where The Undertaker lost the title back to Hogan.[17] 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.[16] 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.[18] 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.[19] 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) Paul Bearer betrayed Undertaker by hitting him with the urn he is seen carrying here. During his absence, the WWF promoted his return by showing video clips of people who claimed to have seen The Undertaker. After WrestleMania X, Ted DiBiase introduced an Undertaker back to the WWF. This Undertaker, however, played by Brian Lee, was an impostor Undertaker (dubbed the "Underfaker" by fans) and led to the return of the real Undertaker in the SummerSlam main event, appearing as a new version of his original Deadman persona, replacing grey with purple. The Undertaker defeated the impostor after three Tombstone Piledrivers.[19] At Survivor Series, The Undertaker defeated Yokozuna in a rematch, another casket match. Throughout most of 1995, The Undertaker feuded with members of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation. At WrestleMania XI, while Undertaker was facing King Kong Bundy, Kama stole The Undertaker's urn, and antagonized him by melting it into a large gold necklace and attacking the Undertaker.[19] Later, The Undertaker defeated Kama in a casket match at SummerSlam.[19] Several weeks later, The Undertaker injured his orbital bone near his eye, forcing a period of absence for surgery, until his return at Survivor Series. The Undertaker returned at the 1995 Survivor Series, wearing a Phantom of the Opera-like, grey upper mask.[19] 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.[20] A rematch for the title on the February 5 episode of Raw saw similar interference.[21] 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.[20] This feud culminated in a match between Diesel and the Undertaker at WrestleMania XII, in which The Undertaker was victorious.[16] 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.[20] 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.[20] 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".[20] 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.[22] 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.[22] 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.[22] 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.[23] 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.[24] 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 the 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. The Undertaker in September 1997. Concurrently, Undertaker began a new rivalry at SummerSlam when guest referee Shawn Michaels accidentally hit The Undertaker with a steel
