Undertaker

* WWE Live '91
* Over the Edge '98
* Undertaker '00
* Royal Rumble '01
* Backlash '01

**Mark William Calaway** (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name **The Undertaker**, is an American professional wrestler.

Calaway began his wrestling career with World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984. After wrestling for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as "Mean Mark" Callous from 1989 to 1990, he signed with the then World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1990, making him the company's longest tenured in-ring performer. Calaway is considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, as well as the greatest character in WWE history.

As The Undertaker, Calaway's gimmick was a horror-themed, macabre entity who employed scare tactics and held links to the supernatural. The character was reinvented as a biker during a period in the early 2000s before returning to his previous gimmick in 2004. The Undertaker as the storyline older half-brother of fellow WWE wrestler Kane, with whom he has alternately feuded and teamed with as The Brothers of Destruction. The Undertaker has been involved in various pivotal storylines and matches within WWE history.

The Undertaker was also known for The Streak, an unprecedented run of 21 straight victories at WWE's leading pay-per-view event, WrestleMania (including main event matches at WrestleMania 13, WrestleMania XXIV, WrestleMania XXVI and WrestleMania 33), before he sustained his first loss at WrestleMania XXX to Brock Lesnar. Prior to his WWF/WWE career, he also held the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship once and since unseating Hulk Hogan as WWF Champion in 1991, he has won the WWF/WWE Championship four times and the WWE's World Heavyweight Championship three times. He also won the 2007 Royal Rumble.

## Background

### WrestleMania VIII (1992)

The Undertaker and Jake Roberts has been allies since the Undertaker's rivalry with the Ultimate Warrior.

After Roberts loses to Randy Savage at Saturday Night's Main Event, Roberts attempts to attack Savage or Elizabeth backstage with a steel chair, but was stopped by the Undertaker. That incident helped set up Roberts' feud with the Undertaker.

Roberts appeared on *The Funeral Parlor*to demand answers from the Undertaker about why he stopped him from attacking Elizabeth. When Roberts was dissatisfied with the answers, he DDT'ed Bearer and, after jamming Undertaker's hand in a coffin, began hitting him with a steel chair; however, Undertaker got up after each chair shot and eventually chased Roberts backstage dragging the coffin behind him.

### WrestleMania 13 (1997)

At In Your House 13, Bret Hart last eliminated The Undertaker in a Four Corners Elimination match to win the vacant WWE Championship. Hart's reign, however, lasted only one day as he lost the title the next night on *Monday Night Raw* to Sycho Sid after interference by Stone Cold Steve Austin. Due to being the runner-up to the title at Final Four, Undertaker was made the number one contender and was booked to challenge Sycho Sid for the title at WrestleMania.

However, on the March 17 edition of *Raw Is War*, Sid defended the title against Hart in a steel cage match, with the winner defending his title at WrestleMania. During the match, both Undertaker and Austin interfered. Undertaker came out to help Sid because he wanted to wrestle Sid for the title while Austin helped Hart because he wanted to make his scheduled submission match with Hart a title match. Sid won the match and retained his title and as a result, Sid vs. Undertaker remained the main event of WrestleMania.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ Chokeslam – usually used as a signature move
	+ Triangle choke – 2003–2006; used rarely thereafter
	+ *Last Ride* (Elevated powerbomb, with theatrics) – 2000–2003; used as a signature move thereafter
	+ *Tombstone piledriver –* often followed by a "Rest in Peace" pin
* **Signature moves**
	+ Back body drop, as a counter to an oncoming opponent
	+ Bearhug transitioned into a thrust spinebuster to the ring post
	+ Big boot
	+ Chokehold – 1990–1999; used rarely thereafter
	+ Fujiwara armbar
	+ Knee lift to the opponent's midsection
	+ Multiple clothesline variations
	+ *Old School* (Arm twist ropewalk chop) – adopted from Don Jardine
	+ Over the top rope suicide dive
	+ Reverse STO
	+ Running DDT
	+ Running elbow drop
	+ Running leg drop, sometimes to an apron-hung opponent
	+ Sidewalk slam
	+ Snake Eyes, followed by a running big boot
	+ *Soup Bones* (Several body hooks and punches to the midsection of a cornered opponent, often finished with a throat thrust)
	+ *TCB – Takin' Care of Business* (Standing dragon sleeper)
* **Managers**
	+ Brother Love
	+ Downtown Bruno
	+ Dutch Mantell
	+ General Skandor Akbar
	+ Paul E. Dangerously
	+ **Paul Bearer**
	+ Theodore Long
* **Nicknames**
	+ **"The American Bad-Ass"**
	+ "Big Evil"
	+ "The Conscience of the WWE"
	+ **"The Deadman"**
	+ "**The Demon from/of Death Valley**"
	+ "The Last Outlaw"
	+ "The Lord/Prince of Darkness"
	+ "**The Phenom"**
* **Entrance themes**
	+ "Funeral Dirge" by Jim Johnston (November 22, 1990 – January 1991)
	+ **"Funeral March/Grim Reaper"** by Jim Johnston (January, 1991 – January 22, 1994)
	+ "Graveyard Symphony (Original)" by Jim Johnston (August 29, 1994 - November 13, 1995)
	+ "Graveyard Symphony (V2)" by Jim Johnston (November 19, 1995 – July 20, 1998; January 11, 1999 – March 22, 1999)
	+ "Dark Side" by Jim Johnston (July 26, 1998 – December 13, 1998)
	+ "Ministry" by Jim Johnston (March 28, 1999 – September 23, 1999)
	+ "The Unholy Alliance" by Jim Johnston (August, 1999 – September 1999; used while a part of The Unholy Alliance)
	+ "American Bad Ass" by Kid Rock (May 21, 2000 – December 4, 2000)
	+ "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" by Limp Bizkit (December 10, 2000 – May 6, 2002; March 30, 2003)
	+ "Dead Man" by Jim Johnston (May 19, 2002 – September 19, 2002)
	+ "You're Gonna Pay" by Jim Johnston (September 22, 2002 – November 16, 2003)

## Championships and accomplishments

* **World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE**
	+ WCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kane
	+ World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
	+ WWF/WWE Championship (4 times)
	+ WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)
	+ WWF Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Stone Cold Steve Austin (1), Big Show (2), The Rock (1), and Kane (2)
	+ Royal Rumble (2007)
	+ Slammy Award (12 times)