WWE Profile No. 5: The Undertaker, a Career, a Streak, and an Icon

The Undertaker is one of the most recognizable and popular names in all of wrestling.  The Phenom has been dominating the WWE almost 20 years now, and is not slowing down any time soon. In this edition of "WWE Profile" I will examine the career of the "Dead Man."

Mark Calaway was always a talented athlete ever since he was a basketball player in college. His size and look have made him one of the most intimidating men in all of wrestling.

His career started out like that of any wrestler, in the Indie scene. Calaway wrestled for  promotions such as the USWA and WCCW. It wasn't until he entered WCW that he would get any exposure on television. He was part of a team called "The Skyscrapers," who were managed by Teddy Long. The team did not last long and Calaway soon found himself off the roster.

In 1990, he made his first appearance in a WWE ring as Cain the Undertaker. The name Cain was soon dropped and he was simply The Undertaker. His first exposure on a national level was at Survivor Series 90 where he was introduced as Ted Dibiase's secret weapon. 

The Undertaker was a heel at first, and was known for his staggering height and aversion to pain. His first win in the 17-0 streak came at the expense of Superfly Snuka. Exactly one year after his debut, the Taker won his first WWE title from Hulk Hogan at Survivor Series 91.

While the title was only his for six days, it marked one of the shortest climbs to the top in wrestling history.

The Undertaker eventually turned face when he protected the Macho Man's wife, Elizabeth, from getting hit by a chair by Jake Roberts. This led to The Undertakers second win at Mania over The Snake.

The Undertaker competed in several Casket matches over the next year or so, against the likes of Kamala and Yokozuna. His match against Yoko sent him into a hiatus for months with a legit back injury.

His return would again find him in the company of Ted Dibiase, but this time as an enemy. Dibiase had brought in a fake Undertaker, played by a wrestler named Brian Lee, who was later known as Chainz of the DOA stable in the late '90s. The imposter and the Real Deal would butt heads at Survivor Series which saw Calaway win and send the imposter "Taker" packing. 

Over the next few years, The Undertaker was involved in several Angles including costing Diesel the WWE championship against Bret Hart. This led to another notch on the Taker Mania belt when he beat Diesel at the huge event.

The Undertaker soon found himself competing against an equally demented foe in Mankind. Their matches were entertaining and brutal. Mick Foley has said his feud with the Taker propelled him to where he is today. 

Taker was involved in yet another industry first when he competed in the first ever "Hell in a Cell" match against HBK.

During this match Kane, Takers storyline brother, made his debut allowing HBK to win the match. Taker feuded with Paul Bearer and Kane for months until Kane eventually joined forces with his estranged brother to form one of the most dominant tag teams, the brothers of destruction.

Eventually stables became big in the WWE and so the ministry of darkness was born.  This stable was made up of Kane, Taker, The Brood, Mideon, Viscera and the APA.

They feuded with McMahon and eventually kidnapped and crucified his daughter, Stephanie, until Austin made the save. It was soon revealed that Mr. McMahon was the higher power Undertaker had been answering to.

After the Phenom was out for a while with an injury, he returned with a new look and short hair. His new gimmick was that of a nasty biker who rode a Harley to the ring. 

He feuded with the likes of Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar over the undisputed WWE title during this period. He gained even more popularity during this time as he was often seen talking and cutting promos, which was not his original M.O.

Taker soon captured the undisputed title only to lose it a few months later to The Rock.  During his time as Big Evil, the Undertaker had several great matches and moments including a spot where he threw Rikishi off the top of the Cell onto a truck bed.

This stunt was regarded as one of the coolest in WWE history.

Eventually, The Undertaker went back to his dead man gimmick when he faced Kane at Wrestlemania for the second time. After his return to Mania he kept the trench coat and entrance theme for good. 

Taker has competed for the World Heavyweight Title since his return, mostly with Edge and Batista. He is known as the innovator of the casket match, inferno match and the "Hell in the Cell" match.

He is technically a seven time world champion and has held tag gold with several partners. 

His influence will be known for decades after he is gone and there will definitely never be another wrestler who has the same impact on the fans as he has had.

He is so recognizable that, along with Hulk Hogan and The Rock he is one of the few people that are known to a person who has never seen a wrestling show. 

His career has spanned two decades and he is considered one of the top performers in the company. His recent Mania match with Shawn Michaels proves that for a guy in his late forties, he can still have the best match on the card.

Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!