If you have been a fan of pro wrestling in America at any point since 1990 then you know The Undertaker is. To paint a picture of how his career has transcended through different generations, remember this: Mark Calloway (Undertaker’s real name) wrestled his first match as Texas Red against the late Bruiser Brody in the 1980s. He has worked for such promotions as the U.S.W.A. and W.C.W./N.W.A. before heading to the then-World Wrestling Federation in 1990. When he took over the ring name of The Undertaker, nobody could have expected he would last the next eight years, let alone nearly seventeen.
I don’t know that there is any stat out there confirmed but it’s probably safe to say The Undertaker has been an active wrestler for the WWE longer than anyone else over the same period. When he first came onto the scene, he was a giant of a man at about 6’10” and 300 pounds. First managed by Brother Love (was there any logic in that pairing?), he officially debuted in November 1990 at the Survivor Series as a guest participant on the team led by Ted Dibiase. For the next year he would steamroll through the WWF roster including his first Wrestlemania victory, pinning Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka in a glorified squash match. Everyone knew he truly had arrived when in November 1991, just a year after debuting, he defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWF Heavyweight Championship. Hogan had the belt since Wrestlemania earlier in the year and you better believe for WWF officials to have the faith in someone to beat Hogan for the championship, they were special (Ultimate Warrior…he was special in his own way). The title win was The Undertaker’s first of five over his next seventeen years. That’s another interesting facet of his character. Specifically over the past ten years when title reigns were handed out like free doughnuts, you would think he would get multiple opportunities to run with the belt. But it never turned out like that. For one reason or another, it wasn’t necessary. People, the fans, believed The Undertaker was always a top star and didn’t need a piece of gold to symbolize that.
Routinely, when professional wrestlers increase in age their performance suffers for it. Due to injuries, natural results of aging, or any other of a number of possibilities creep in. The Undertaker is a rare case of a pro wrestler becoming better at his craft and being able to compete with the young, quicker, more powerful athletes that exist. As a matter of fact, it’s been reported The Undertaker has been wrestling for over the past year with an injured hip to the point he may need hip replacement surgery. But he has never slowed down, if anything, his drive has increased. His latest “big match” at Wrestlemania 23 was one of the higlights of the show and possibly for the entire year. One of his patented “big match” moves where he dives over the top rope to the outside, clearing the rope in the process is amazing to watch. Don’t mind the fact he’s 6’10” and about 300 pounds but he has an injury that would limit most others.
The Undertaker’s legacy reaches over many facets. He has had some amazing matches that will be remembered for a long time. From his classics last year with Kurt Angle to his wars with Mick Foley and Steve Austin. He has had memorable matches with legends like Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair. You can’t deny his ability to perform on the grandest stage. At Wrestlemania, he has wrestled for fifteen years and has never lost a single match. Just think about that for a moment. Fifteen years on the biggest WWE show of the year, without a loss.
The Undertaker has been apart of some of the more (and in some cases, least) memorable specialty matches that anyone has seen over the past two decades. From casket matches, to inferno matches to hell in the cell bouts to buried alive contests to punjabi prison matches, you get the point.
Most pro wrestlers may only be successful for a short period, maybe five years if their lucky. Some are skilled to be successful for a decade. But to be one of the best at what you do for nearly twenty years, that’s phenomenal. Look at some other names. Hulk Hogan was on top of WWE from 1984 to 1993 and then WCW for another five years. Ric Flair was one of the top professional wrestlers in the NWA throughout the 1980s and in WCW for the 1990s (including a short stint in WWE). Steve Austin? He was on top of the wrestling world for just six years due to serious injuries. These names are the best of the best when it comes to professional wrestling over the past twenty-five years. The Undertaker is right up there with them.
