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Mark William Calaway (also spelled incorrectly as either Callaway or Calloway) (born March 24, 1965 in Houston, Texas) is an American professional wrestler. Calaway is currently performing for the SmackDown! brand of World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name The Undertaker. As the Undertaker, Calaway has experienced considerable success. In addition to several title reigns, he is undefeated at the flagship WWE pay-per-view event, WrestleMania, having achieved 14 victories. Calaway is generally seen as a company loyalist and prominent "ambassador" for WWE; he is one of the company's longest-serving employees, having wrestled for WWE for over fifteen years.

Early career

He began his wrestling career in 1984 by training and wrestling at the Dallas Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas with Fritz Von Erich's World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). Calaway would later go on to wrestle in the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), winning the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship and USWA Texas Heavyweight Championship. During the mid to late 1980s, he used several ring names: The Commando, The Punisher, Texas Red, The Master of Pain, Punisher Dice Morgan.

Mark Calaway had a short stint from late 1989 until late 1990 in the National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) Jim Crockett Promotions. The NWA became World Championship Wrestling (WCW) during Calaway's time with them. While there, he was known as Mean Mark Callous and wrestled as part of the Skyscrapers tag team along with "Dangerous" Dan Spivey and later as a singles wrestler. His most famous match in WCW was against Lex Luger for the NWA United States Title (Mid-Atlantic version) at the 1990 Great American Bash, which he lost. At the end of 1990, WCW declined to renew Calaway's contract, and he signed with Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
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World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment

Calaway debuted in the then-World Wrestling Federation on November 22, 1990 at Survivor Series 1990 as The Undertaker. For a short period during late 1990 and early 1991, he appeared on WWF programming as Kane, The Undertaker. The name "Kane" was dropped soon afterward but was later recycled as the name of the Undertaker's (kayfabe) half-brother, Kane. The appearance of Undertaker was modelled on that of a mortician from old Western movies, with the character being supposedly impervious to pain and possessing supernatural powers such as teleportation and manipulation of flames and lightning. It was also at this time that the Undertaker switched managers from Brother Love to Paul Bearer.
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The Phenom

Throughout 1991, Undertaker's popularity began to grow, despite being a heel. After an "undefeated" year and high-profile feuds with Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan, he defeated Hogan at Survivor Series 1991 with assistance from Ric Flair to win his first WWF Championship. He would lose the title six days later to Hogan at This Tuesday In Texas.

Between December 1991 and September 1993, Undertaker did not lose a single match. It was the longest undefeated streak of the 1990s.

Early in 1992, he fell out with his ally Jake "The Snake" Roberts, thus turning face. He feuded extensively with wrestlers managed by Harvey Whippleman, most notably Kamala and the Giant Gonzales.

In January 1994, he challenged then WWF Champion Yokozuna and met him in two of the best known casket matches in WWF history at the 1994 Royal Rumble and Survivor Series 1994. At the Royal Rumble in 1994, thanks to interference by over a dozen heel wrestlers, Yokozuna sealed Undertaker in the casket. The Undertaker's "spirit" appeared from inside the casket, warned that he would return, and then rose from behind the TitanTron. This began Undertaker's first hiatus. In reality, he had a back injury that was getting worse and needed time off.

An Undertaker "clone" appeared after WrestleMania X, led by Ted DiBiase and played by Brian Lee. This led to the resurrection of the real Undertaker and an epic battle at SummerSlam 1994, where the real Undertaker was victorious. His popularity rising, Undertaker then battled such villains as Kama Mustafa, Goldust, King Mabel, Mankind, and King Kong Bundy on and off from 1995 to 1997. His feud with Mankind saw the invention of the Boiler Room Brawl.

Undertaker nearly won the first such match at SummerSlam 1996, but Bearer hit him with the urn, allowing Mankind to incapacitate him with a Mandible Claw. Paul Bearer then handed the urn to Mankind, thus giving Mankind the win. Bearer had betrayed Undertaker and now become Mankind's new manager. The feud carried over to In Your House: Buried Alive, which debuted the Buried Alive Match, in which Undertaker defeated Mankind. However, a new enemy named "The Executioner" attacked Undertaker after the match and buried him. At Survivor Series, Undertaker defeated Mankind, but The Executioner beat Undertaker down so he couldn't get hold of Bearer. The In Your House: It's Time event saw Undertaker defeat The Executioner and take out Mankind. His feud with Mankind and Bearer over, Undertaker then pursued the WWF Championship.

In 1997, Undertaker won a second WWF Championship from Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13. After this victory, his former manager Paul Bearer reappeared, threatening Undertaker by uttering the word "fire" a number of times to control him. Bearer finally revealed that the Undertaker had burned his family's house, killing everyone inside but his brother. He said that Undertaker's brother was still alive, waiting for revenge all these years. Undertaker responded by saying that it wasn't his fault and that his brother could not have survived. Meanwhile, a number of wrestlers pursued Undertaker's title, including Bret Hart. At SummerSlam 1997, referee Shawn Michaels accidentally hit Undertaker with a steel chair shot meant for Bret Hart, who dodged it. Michaels had no choice but to make the three-count in favor of Hart, costing Undertaker his WWF Championship. This led to Undertaker challenging Michaels in the first Hell in a Cell Match at In Your House: Badd Blood. When Undertaker seemingly had the match in hand, Undertaker's "brother" Kane, brought in by Paul Bearer, made his debut, ripping the door to the cell and then giving Undertaker a tombstone piledriver, Undertaker's trademark finisher. Shawn Michaels then covered Undertaker for the pin.

In 1998, Undertaker defeated Kane at WrestleMania XIV. He also defeated Kane in the first ever Inferno Match, where the ring was surrounded by fire and the only way to win was to set your opponent on fire. Undertaker's longtime feud with Mankind was rejuvenated when, on an episode of Monday Night RAW, Mankind cost the Undertaker a match against Kane. Undertaker then had a Hell in a Cell match with Mankind at King of the Ring 1998. In one of the most memorable matches in professional wrestling history, Undertaker threw Mankind off the roof of the sixteen foot cell onto the Spanish announcers' table below. He then chokeslammed Mankind through the roof of the cell into the ring and finally finished the match by back droping and chokeslamming Mankind onto a pile of thumbtacks. The Undertaker performed this match while sporting a legitimate broken foot. (For more, see Hell in a Cell - Undertaker vs. Mankind.)

Throughout most of the year, the Undertaker remained a face, but, starting in October at In Your House: Judgment Day, where he fought Kane with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as the Special Referee, the Undertaker began to undergo an ominous transformation. Paul Bearer and Taker both hit Kane with a chair, signifying that Taker turned heel again had reunited with Bearer. However, Austin refused to count the fall and attacked the Undertaker, counting out both men.

As 1998's end drew closer and closer, fans started to slowly but steadily see The Undertaker as not just a monster heel, but a dark and evil one, as he began to prophesize a Ministry of Darkness whose wrath would soon be unleashed on the World Wrestling Federation. Exactly what Taker planned to do with this Ministry was not yet known. Undertaker started aiming for the now-vacant WWF Championship again, participating in a "Deadly Games" tournament at Survivor Series. Undertaker defeated Kane but ultimately lost to the Rock by disqualification. After Survivor Series, Undertaker turned his attention to Austin for what happened at Judgment Day, bashing him in the head with a shovel. Vince McMahon scheduled a Buried Alive Match between Undertaker and Austin in December 1998 at In Your House: Rock Bottom. In the weeks leading up to Rock Bottom, Undertaker attempted to enbalm Austin alive and even crucified him. Undertaker lost the match due to interference from Kane.

In 1999, Undertaker returned and indeed formed the Ministry of Darkness. The prophecy had come true. The Undertaker also stated that he was taking orders from a "Higher Power." Eventually the Ministry would merge with Shane McMahon's Corporation heel stable to form the Corporate Ministry. The merger occurred after a spot where Undertaker had Stephanie McMahon, Shane's own sister, in one of her earliest on-screen appearances, bound to a crucifix and prepared to marry her to take control of the WWF, but Stone Cold Steve Austin broke the wedding up. Undertaker went on to defeat Austin for the WWF Championship at Over the Edge 1999, with help from Shane McMahon, who was the referee for the match. Two weeks later, it was revealed on Monday Night RAW that Vince McMahon, who seemingly hated Undertaker for trying to sacrifice his daughter and even formed an uneasy alliance with Austin to help defeat Undertaker, had indeed been Undertaker's "Higher Power" all along. Vince had used Undertaker's services and sacrificed his own daughter just to get to Austin. After Undertaker lost the title back to Austin and then a First Blood Match at Fully Loaded 1999, however, his relationship with the McMahons dissolved, and the Corporate Ministry disbanded.

Undertaker then started aiming for the WWF World Tag Team Championship, teaming with The Big Show. The team feuded with the likes of Kane, Road Dogg, X-Pac, Mankind, and the Rock. Undertaker was scheduled to perform at Unforgiven 1999, contending for the WWF Championship. However, he suffered a groin injury, knocking him out of action for several months. The last angle that he worked on for over seven months showed him losing interest in working for the World Wrestling Federation.
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The American Bad Ass

Undertaker's gimmick was modified when he returned in 2000 at Judgment Day 2000, in line with wrestling's change to a more realistic approach. His gimmick became that of an intimidating biker, first referred to as the "American Bad Ass" due to his new entrance music the Kid Rock song of the same name. He later changed his entrance to Limp Bizkit's song "Rollin'." Unlike many gimmick changes with little to no explanation, this was generally well-received by fans and by Undertaker as well, since it reflected his real-life personality.

In Judgment Day 2000, the new Undertaker took out all the members of The McMahon-Helmsley Faction. He went on to continue targeting their leader, WWF Champion Triple H. At King of the Ring 2000, Undertaker teamed with the Rock and Kane to defeat the team of Triple H, Shane McMahon, and Mr. McMahon. Afterwards, he teamed with Kane to go for the WWF World Tag Team Championship. They defeated Edge and Christian, earning the right to face them the following week for the tag titles. However, Kurt Angle interfered in the match to help Edge and Christian retain the titles. At Fully Loaded 2000, Undertaker pinned Angle following his new finishing move the Last Ride.

Kane turned on the Undertaker by giving him two chokeslams following Undertaker's August 14, 2000 Monday Night RAW match against Chris Benoit; Kane refused to explain his assault. At SummerSlam 2000, Undertaker took off Kane's mask, but Kane managed to hide his face. Kane allied with Chris Benoit for the next couple of weeks as Undertaker allied with the Rock. At Unforgiven 2000, Undertaker was about to win the WWF Championship when he performed a chokeslam on Benoit. However, Kane took Undertaker out, allowing the Rock to score the pinfall victory over Benoit.

Undertaker took another hiatus but returned after a few weeks to challenge Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series 2000. Undertaker gave Angle the Last Ride and thought that he had won the match, but the referee recalled the match as the man whom he had pinned was not Kurt Angle but rather his real-life look-alike brother Eric Angle. Kurt had been hiding under the ring, and while Undertaker argued with the referee, Angle came out from under the ring and rolled up the Undertaker for the win. Angle later explained it all at the next night's episode of RAW. Undertaker demanded a rematch and got it at Armageddon 2000 in a six-Man Hell in a Cell Match. However, Undertaker was unable to win the match.

In 2001, Undertaker reunited with Kane as the Brothers of Destruction and contested for the WWF World Tag Team Championship again. The successful duo defeated Rikishi and Haku in a brutal First Blood Match. They would then get a shot at the Tag Titles at No Way Out 2001, facing champions Dudley Boyz, Edge and Christian in a Tables Match. The Brothers of Destruction dominated the entire match, and nearly had the match won until Rikishi and Haku interfered.

After the feud with Rikishi and Haku ended, Undertaker had a WWE Hardcore Championship match with Raven on SmackDown!. However, because WrestleMania X-Seven was around the corner and Triple H did not have an opponent for the event, WWE nixed the idea of the "dream feud" between Raven and Undertaker and instead pitted Undertaker against Triple H. Undertaker defeated Triple H at WrestleMania X-Seven, a match that came about because of Triple H boasting of all the men he had beaten and Undertaker saying that Triple H hadn't beaten him yet. Afterwards, Undertaker and Kane continued to focus on Intercontinental Champion Triple H, who would soon make a surprise alliance with WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin. After the duo injured Kane's arm in a Hardcore Match against Rhyno, the pair was granted an opportunity to face Steve Austin and Triple H at Backlash 2001 if they first defeated Edge and Christian in a no-disqualification Match. Despite interference by Steve Austin and Triple H, Undertaker and Kane managed to win the WWF Tag titles and the right to face Steve Austin and Triple H. At Backlash 2001, Triple H pinned Kane after using a sledgehammer, making himself and Austin the new WWF Tag Team Champions.

With Kane injured, Undertaker began targeting Steve Austin and his WWF Championship. On an episode of RAW, Undertaker was told by police officers that his wife Sara had been involved in a car accident. Undertaker arrived home, only to find out that it was all a set up by Austin. At Judgment Day 2001, Undertaker lost to Austin after Triple H interfered, allowing Austin to pin Undertaker and retain the championship.

As part of the infamous 2001 Invasion angle, the Undertaker's next opponent was Diamond Dallas Page. Page, a former WCW champion, was so eager to be a part of the Invasion that he allowed himself to be portrayed as a lecherous stalker, obsessively following the Undertaker's wife Sara. At SummerSlam 2001, Undertaker and Kane defeated Page and his partner Chris Kanyon in a Steel Cage Match to unify the WCW Tag Team Championship and WWF Tag Team Championship. They were the first team to hold both the WCW and WWF tag team titles.

The Undertaker continued to fight for the World Wrestling Federation, with his brother Kane there to assist him. Undertaker was seen considerably upset at Chris Jericho and The Rock feuding, when they were meant to be on the same side. At Survivor Series 2001, Undertaker was scheduled to team up with Kane, The Rock, Jericho, and Kurt Angle to take on The Alliance's "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Shane McMahon, and a surprise WWF defector, which turned out to be Kurt Angle. The Big Show was chosen in place of Angle. At Survivor Series, Undertaker helped eliminate Shane McMahon and took out the four remaining members. However, Angle pinned the Undertaker thanks to a Stone Cold Stunner from Austin. The Rock would win the match for Team WWF.

After the Alliance was defeated, the Undertaker turned heel once again by forcing commentator Jim Ross to kiss Vince McMahon's buttocks. This was the beginning of a new persona for the Undertaker, who now called himself Big Evil. Undertaker stated that there were many people out there that don't know the meaning of respect. He continually repeated the fact that he had been in the WWF for eleven years and went onto feud with Rob Van Dam. At Vengeance 2001, The Undertaker won a match against Van Dam to capture the WWF Hardcore Championship. He went on to feud with the Big Show, but Show failed to capture the Hardcore Title.

At the 2002 Royal Rumble, rookie Maven eliminated The Undertaker by dropkicking him from behind over the top rope. Undertaker did not take this well and went on to beat Maven into a bloody pulp. The Rock then poked fun about Undertaker's elimination at the Royal Rumble on an episode of Smackdown!. The Dead Man then chokeslammed Rock during his match with Kurt Angle, costing The Rock the Number 1 Contendership for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Maven challenged Undertaker to a match for the Hardcore Title, but Undertaker lost thanks to interference from The Rock, which led to him getting tombstoned on a limo by The Dead Man. 10 Days Later, the two faced off at No Way Out, which resulted into Undertaker losing due to interference from Ric Flair. Afterwards, Undertaker challenged Ric Flair to a match at WrestleMania X8. When Flair declined, Undertaker assaulted Flair's son David. Flair finally accepted and Vince McMahon made the match a No Holds Barred match. Undertaker won with a Tombstone Piledriver despite interference from Flair's long-time friend Arn Anderson.

Undertaker defeated Steve Austin at Backlash 2002 to win the #1 contender spot to the WWF Undisputed Championship, thanks to referee Ric Flair. Later on the night he helped Hulk Hogan win his title match against Undisputed Champion Triple H. This led to a feud between the Triple H and Undertaker. At Insurrextion 2002, Triple H defeated The Undertaker. After weeks of mind games which involved Undertaker's prized motorbike, Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan at Judgment Day 2002 after using a steel chair and performing a second Chokeslam to win his fourth WWE Championship.

Undertaker renewed his feud with Triple H, which involved Kurt Angle. At King of the Ring 2002, The Rock made his return. He was planning to help Triple H, but accidentally caused Triple H's loss. The Undertaker was a fighting champion. Unlike stereotypical heel champions, he placed his title on the line, anytime and anywhere. One of his notable title matches was on RAW, facing Jeff Hardy in Undertaker's first Ladder Match. After the match, he raised Jeff's arm as a sign of respect, turning face once again. Undertaker would lose his title at Vengeance 2002 to The Rock, who pinned Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat Match.

After pinning Test at SummerSlam 2002, The Undertaker started going for the WWE Championship again, now held by Brock Lesnar. The title match at Unforgiven 2002 ended in a double-DQ. The feud carried over to No Mercy 2002. Undertaker decided the match would be inside Hell in a Cell. His feud with Lesnar involved his wife Sara. Despite Taker entering the ring with a broken arm and finishing the match a bloody mess, he managed to overpower Lesnar, until Lesnar countered his Tombstone into the F-5. This was seen as one of the rare examples of the Undertaker losing a match without his opponent having to resort to cheating.

After the match, Big Show injured the Undertaker by attacking him from behind. The two fought to settle their differences at No Way Out 2003. Despite interference by A-Train, Undertaker managed to win via submission. After the match ended, Show and A-Train proceeded on beating The Undertaker. Nathan Jones would then come in Taker's aid, saving him from assault by Big Show and A-Train. The Undertaker began to train Nathan Jones to wrestle, and the two were due to fight Big Show and A-Train in a tag team match at WrestleMania XIX. However, due to a lack of crowd response to Jones as well as obviously lacking many of the basic wrestling skills, Jones was left out of the match, leaving The Undertaker to defeat them alone, with minor assistance from Jones at the end. Jones later quit WWE.
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The Return of The Deadman
The Undertaker as the Deadman
Enlarge
The Undertaker as the Deadman

At Survivor Series 2003, Undertaker lost his Buried Alive Match against Vince McMahon when Kane interfered. At WrestleMania XX, he would return in the Deadman Undertaker gimmick, again accompanied by Paul Bearer, to defeat Kane. This gimmick could be best described as a hybrid of the classic Undertaker and American Bad Ass gimmicks. Three months later, Paul Bearer was kidnapped by The Dudley Boyz at the direction of Paul Heyman, who then took "control" of Undertaker in the storyline. At the June 2004 pay-per-view The Great American Bash 2004, Undertaker buried Bearer in cement after winning a handicap match against the Dudley Boyz, as a means of removing his "weakness" so that Heyman or others could no longer control him. Fans were later told that Bearer was "seriously injured".

After defeating The Dudley Boyz, he challenged WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield to a championship match. After his unsuccessful attempt at SummerSlam 2004, Undertaker chokeslammed Layfield through the top of his limousine. At No Mercy 2004, Undertaker and Layfield competed in a "Last Ride" match. Undertaker lost after Heidenreich interfered. This led to a match against Heidenreich at Survivor Series 2004, which Undertaker won.

After taking care of Heidenreich, Undertaker focused on the WWE Championship once again. Along with Eddie Guerrero and Booker T, he challenged Bradshaw to a championship rematch at Armageddon 2004. The match turned into a Fatal Four Way, which Undertaker nearly won before Heidenreich interfered once again.

This led to the signing of a Casket Match between Undertaker and Heidenreich at Royal Rumble 2005. Undertaker would taunt Heidenreich with caskets, which Heidenreich was afraid of. In a SmackDown! Handicap Match against Heidenreich and Paul Heyman, Undertaker sealed Heyman in one of the caskets brought to the ring by Undertaker's druids. Despite interference from Gene Snitsky (which was cancelled out by Kane, who was hiding in the casket), Undertaker sealed Heidenreich in a casket for the victory.

The Undertaker defeated Randy Orton at WrestleMania 21 after Orton challenged him on RAW, claiming that he would defeat Undertaker and thus end his WrestleMania winning streak. It was billed as "Legend vs. Legend Killer" and included interference from Orton's father, legendary wrestler "Cowboy" Bob Orton. In actuality, Calaway is believed to have requested this match due to his antipathy towards the original plans for him, which would have seen him teaming with Kane to face Gene Snitsky and Heidenreich.

Following WrestleMania 21, Undertaker took a two month hiatus from wrestling, linked to the birth of his second daughter with wife Sara, Gracie Calaway, in late May 2005. He returned for the June 30 episode of SmackDown! in the SmackDown! Championship six-way elimination match. However, he was met by Muhammad Hassan, who tried to use a chair on him. He took the chair and hit Hassan instead, getting disqualified. Hassan was counted out as he ran to the back away from him. On the July 7 episode of SmackDown!, general manager Theodore Long put Muhammad Hassan in a match against The Undertaker at The Great American Bash 2005, and Hassan's manager Daivari in a match that night against The Undertaker. Daivari was squashed easily, after which Hassan began to pray on the ramp, summoning five masked men to the ring. The masked men beat up the Undertaker into submission, choking him with a piano wire. Afterwards, Hassan placed the helpless Undertaker in his Camel Clutch submission.

At The Great American Bash, The Undertaker defeated Muhammad Hassan following a chokeslam, despite further interference from the masked men. Following the match, The Undertaker fought off Daivari and the masked men and chokeslammed Hassan onto the stage before removing a floor panel and giving Hassan a Last Ride through the hole to the ground below. As a result of the win, The Undertaker became #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, held by Batista. However as Batista lost his match against John "Bradshaw" Layfield via disqualification on that same night JBL felt he should remain #1 contender. On the following SmackDown!, Undertaker lost a #1 contender match against JBL (The first pinfall loss Undertaker suffered since Brock Lesnar at No Mercy 2003), due to interference from Randy Orton, who revealed he had been drafted to the SmackDown! roster. With this, Undertaker resumed his feud with Orton.

At SummerSlam 2005, Undertaker and Randy Orton had a WrestleMania rematch, which Randy Orton won when Bob Orton distracted the Undertaker. After weeks of buildup involving Undertaker and the Ortons taunting each other with caskets, Undertaker lost to Randy Orton and "Cowboy" Bob Orton in a Handicap Casket Match at No Mercy 2005. After the match the Ortons poured gasoline on the casket and set it on fire. WWE.com reported that after the charred casket was opened it was discovered that The Undertaker had vanished. The Undertaker made a dramatic return at the 2005 Survivor Series, emerging from a burning casket while Randy Orton was celebrating being the sole survivor of the main event match.

Despite an attack involving the late Eddie Guerrero's lowrider on the November 29, 2005 SmackDown! special, Undertaker returned on the Friday SmackDown! show to haunt Orton and to set up a Hell in the Cell match between Orton and the Undertaker at Armageddon 2005, which Undertaker won with a Tombstone Piledriver. Calaway then took a short hiatus after the pay-per-view.

At the 2006 Royal Rumble on January 29, 2006, Undertaker returned during Kurt Angle's celebration of his title defence against Mark Henry. He entered on a white horse and made his intentions known by destroying the ring with lightning bolts. On the February 10 edition of SmackDown!, Undertaker returned to the ring and fought Mark Henry. After a chokeslam to the 400-pounder, the match ended with MNM attacking Undertaker and with Kurt Angle making the save.

Undertaker lost his match with Kurt Angle at No Way Out 2006 after a grueling thirty minute bout. It looked like Undertaker would take away the gold with a triangle choke (a move that Angle tried to put him away with three years prior in a match on Smackdown that ended in a draw) but Angle shifted his weight into a jackknife pin. Undertaker cornered Angle after the match, and after a staredown, told Angle that he had his number and that he wasn't finished with him yet.

The Undertaker had his No Way Out rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship against Angle on the March 3, 2006 edition of SmackDown!. Undertaker had the match won until Mark Henry, along with Daivari, attacked him from behind, costing him the title. Henry's attack concluded by splashing the Undertaker through the announce table. Undertaker challenged Mark Henry to a Casket Match at WrestleMania 22 on SmackDown! the following week. The two made a confrontation at Saturday Night's Main Event, leading to the Undertaker taking Henry out with a big boot and giving Daivari a chokeslam and then a Tombstone on the top of a casket.

At WrestleMania 22, Undertaker defeated Mark Henry to become 14-0 at WrestleMania. During a rematch against Mark Henry on the April 7, 2006 edition of SmackDown! which resulted in a no contest, The Great Khali made his SmackDown! debut, brought to the ring by Henry's manager Daivari and began an assault on the Undertaker that left him out cold. The Undertaker has not been since the assault.
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WrestleMania winning streak

The Undertaker has won every match that he has wrestled at WWE's flagship pay-per-view WrestleMania [1], defeating:

1. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (WrestleMania VII in 1991)
2. Jake "The Snake" Roberts (WrestleMania VIII in 1992)
3. Giant Gonzales (WrestleMania IX in 1993)
4. King Kong Bundy (WrestleMania XI in 1995)
5. Diesel (WrestleMania XII in 1996)
6. Sycho Sid (WrestleMania 13 in 1997 for the WWF Championship)
7. Kane (WrestleMania XIV in 1998)
8. Big Boss Man (WrestleMania XV in a Hell in a Cell match in 1999)
9. Triple H (WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001)
10. Ric Flair (WrestleMania X8 in a No Disqualification Match in 2002)
11. A-Train and Big Show (WrestleMania XIX in a Handicap Match in 2003)
12. Kane (WrestleMania XX in 2004)
13. Randy Orton (WrestleMania 21 in 2005)
14. Mark Henry (WrestleMania 22 in a Casket Match in 2006)

This streak also makes him the wrestler with the best record at WrestleMania, and the one with the most wins.

The Undertaker has also set some other WrestleMania records, including

* Most WrestleManias competed in (All except I-VI, X, and 2000)
* Most opponents defeated at WrestleMania (14)
* Most matches competed in at WrestleMania (14)

Ric Flair stated in his autobiography "To Be The Man" that the Undertaker chooses who his Wrestlemania opponent will be.

Intrestingly, despite facing Kane twice at WrestleMania, Undertaker has still defeated 14 different people in his 14-0 streak - This is because of a handicap match against Big Show & A-Train.
[edit]

In wrestling
Undertaker delivering a Tombstone Piledriver to Randy Orton.
Enlarge
Undertaker delivering a Tombstone Piledriver to Randy Orton.
[edit]

Finishing moves

* Tombstone Piledriver
* Last Ride (Elevated powerbomb)
* Chokeslam
* Super chokeslam
* Iron claw (pre-1995)
* Heart punch (WCW)

[edit]

Signature moves

* Old-School / Dead Man Walking (arm twist ropewalk chop)
* Takin' Care of Business (Dragon sleeper)
* Snake eyes
* Guillotine leg drop
* Flying clothesline
* Running big boot
* Charging DDT
* Diving body press to the outside
* Reverse STO
* Triangle choke
* Fujiwara armbar
* Sidewalk slam
* Running leg drop
* Choke (early 1990s)

[edit]

Managers

* General Skandor Akbar
* Paul Bearer
* Downtown Bruno
* Paul E. Dangerously
* Ted DiBiase
* Mr. Fuji
* Sylvia Fuller
* Ronald Gossett
* Theodore Long
* Brother Love
* "Dirty" Dutch Mantell
* Sara

[edit]

Nicknames

* The Man From The Dark Side
* Advance Man for the Grim Reaper
* The Reality of Death
* The Emissary of Death
* The Reaper
* The Phenom
* The Deadman
* The Pale Destroyer
* The Yard Stick
* The Lord of Darkness
* The Prince of Darkness

* The Personification of Evil
* The Minister of Darkness
* The American Bad Ass
* Deadman, Inc.
* Original Deadman
* Dead Man Walking
* Big Evil
* Booger Red
* Big Dog
* The Red Devil

[edit]

Championships and accomplishments
The Undertaker winning the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 13
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The Undertaker winning the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 13

* Pro Wrestling Illustrated

* 1991 Feud of the Year against the Ultimate Warrior
* 1998 Match of the Year against Mankind
* PWI ranked him # 2 in the PWI Top 500 in 2002 (his highest ever ranking).
* PWI ranked him # 21 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.

* United States Wrestling Association

* USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship

Defeated Jerry Lawler on April 1, 1989 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Lost to Jerry Lawler on April 25, 1989 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA

* USWA Texas Heavyweight Championship

Won title by forfeit on October 5, 1989 in Dallas, Texas, USA
Lost to Kerry Von Erich on October 20, 1989 in Dallas, Texas, USA

* World Championship Wrestling

* WCW World Tag Team Championship (with Kane)

Defeated Chuck Palumbo & Sean O'Haire on August 7, 2001 in Los Angeles, California, USA
Lost to Booker T & Test on September 25, 2001 in Dayton, Ohio, USA

* World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment

* WWF World Heavyweight Championship

Defeated Hulk Hogan on November 27, 1991 in Detroit, Michigan, USA
Lost to Hulk Hogan on December 3, 1991 in San Antonio, Texas, USA

* WWF World Heavyweight Championship (2)

Defeated Sycho Sid on March 23, 1997 in Rosemont, Illinois, USA
Lost to Bret Hart on August 3, 1997 in East Rutherford, New Jersey

* WWF World Tag Team Championship (with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin)

Defeated Mankind & Kane on July 26, 1998 at Fresno, California, USA
Lost to Mankind & Kane at August 10, 1998 at Omaha, Nebraska, USA

* WWF World Heavyweight Championship (3)

Defeated "Stone Cold" Steve Austin on May 23, 1999 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Lost to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin on June 28, 1999 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

* WWF World Tag Team Championship (2) (with The Big Show)

Defeated Kane & X-Pac on August 22, 1999 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Lost to Rock 'n' Sock Connection on August 30, 1999 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

* WWF World Tag Team Championship (3) (with The Big Show)

Defeated Rock 'n' Sock Connection on September 7, 1999 in Albany, New York, USA
Lost to Rock 'n' Sock Connection on September 20, 1999 in Houston, Texas, USA

* WWF World Tag Team Championship (4) (with The Rock)

Defeated Edge and Christian on December 18, 2000 in Greenville, South Carolina, USA
Lost to Edge and Christian on December 19, 2000 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

* WWF World Tag Team Championship (5) (with Kane)

Defeated Edge and Christian on April 17, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Lost to The Two-Man Power Trip on April 29, 2001 in Chicago, Illinois, USA

* WWF World Tag Team Championship (6) (with Kane)

Defeated Diamond Dallas Page & Chris Kanyon on August 19, 2001 in San Jose, California, USA
Lost to Dudley Boyz on September 17, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA

* WWF Hardcore Championship

Defeated Rob Van Dam on December 9, 2001 in San Diego, California, USA
Lost to Maven on February 5, 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA

* WWE Undisputed Championship (4)

Defeated Hulk Hogan on May 19, 2002 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Lost to The Rock on July 21, 2002 in Detroit, Michigan, USA

* Wrestling Observer Newsletter

* He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 2004)
* 1991 Best Heel
* 2001 Most Overrated Wrestler
* 5 Star Match: Hell in a Cell vs. Shawn Michaels (at In Your House: Badd Blood)

[edit]

Personal life

Calaway is of Irish and Native American descent. One of five sons of Frank and Catherine Calaway, his four brothers are David, Michael, Paul and Timothy, one of whom is a police officer. He graduated from Waltrip High School in 1983 in Houston, Texas, where he played for the school basketball team. He attended the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas and later graduated from Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas. He went on to study Sports Management at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas, where he was also a member of the basketball team.

He married his first wife, Jodi Lynn in 1989, with whom he has two sons born in 1993 and 1996, but the couple divorced in 1999. Calaway met his second and current wife, Sara, at a WWF autograph signing in Texas, and eventually married her in a ceremony in St. Petersburg, Florida on July 21, 2000 in which his best man was his best friend and 1994 "clone", Brian Lee. He currently lives on a ranch outside of Austin, Texas with Sara (whose name he has tattooed on his throat - Calaway claims that this was the most painful tattoo he ever received) and their two daughters, Chasey Chirie (born in November 2002) and Gracie Naomi (born in May 2005), whose names he also has tattooed on his neck.

Aside from wrestling, Calaway has many hobbies and interests. He collects Harley-Davidson motorcycles and bought his first brand new motorcycle after defeating Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship at the 1991 Survivor Series; he still has it today. He enjoys listening to heavy metal music such as AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Black Sabbath and Metallica, with his "American Bad Ass" persona closely reflecting his real-life personality, but also enjoys country music such as Brooks & Dunn, Dwight Yoakham & blues music. Calaway has mentioned that part of Sara's influence on him has been a rigorous health and fitness regime. Keeping fit is not only necessary to his professional career, but is a hobby and he is also a big fan of UFC, boxing and basketball. Calaway has also said to be a fan of the movie Pulp Fiction, the TV show The Sopranos and his favourite actor is Robert De Niro.
[edit]

See also

* Brothers of Destruction
* Ministry of Darkness
* Personas of The Undertaker
* Tombstone: The History of The Undertaker