The Undertaker is a legendary and iconic professional wrestler. He is a retired American wrestler who competed for over three decades in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E).
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and one of the most iconic and influential characters in the industry’s history.
He is best known for his dark, gloomy, and supernatural “Deadman” persona, which earned him the nickname “The Phenom.”
He is also famous for his unparalleled streak of 21 consecutive victories at WrestleMania, the biggest event in wrestling, which was eventually broken by Brock Lesnar in 2014.
He has won multiple championships and accolades and has been involved in some of the most memorable matches and feuds in wrestling history.
Mark William Calaway, turning 59 in 2024 was born on March 24, 1965, in Houston, Texas, USA.
He is the youngest of five sons of Frank Compton Calaway, a refrigeration mechanic, and Betty Catherine Truby, a homemaker.
He grew up in a working-class family and attended Waltrip High School, where he excelled in basketball and football.
He was a member of the school’s basketball team, which won the district championship in his senior year.
He also played football as a center and a defensive end and received a scholarship offer from Trinity Valley Community College.
He graduated from high school in 1983 and enrolled at Trinity Valley, where he continued to play basketball.
He later transferred to Texas Wesleyan University, majoring in sports management and playing for the Rams in the 1985-1986 season. He dropped out of college in 1986 to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
Calaway has been married three times and has five children. His first marriage was with Jodi Lynn, whom he married in 1989.
They had a son, Gunner Vincent Calaway, born in 1993. They divorced in 1999. His second marriage was with Sara Frank, whom he married in 2000.
They had two daughters, Chasey and Gracie Calaway, born in 2002 and 2005. They also had matching tattoos of each other’s names on their necks.
They divorced in 2007. His third and current marriage is with Michelle McCool, whom he married in 2010. McCool is a former WWE Divas Champion and a fellow wrestler.
They have a daughter, Kaia Faith Calaway, who was born in 2012, and a son whose name is unknown.
They live in Austin, Texas, and own several properties in Colorado and Florida. Calaway is a Christian and has a cross tattooed on his arm.
He is also an avid fan of mixed martial arts, boxing, and motorcycles. He has a collection of vintage Harley-Davidson bikes and has appeared on the reality show American Chopper.
Calaway began his wrestling career in 1987, working for various promotions under different gimmicks. He debuted as Texas Red for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), facing Bruiser Brody in his first match.
He also wrestled for the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA), World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA), and United States Wrestling Association (USWA) as The Master of Pain, The Punisher, and Punisher Dice Morgan.
He won several titles, including the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship.
He signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1989, where he adopted the name Mean Mark Callous. He formed a tag team with Dan Spivey called The Skyscrapers and later joined Paul E. Dangerously’s faction, The Dangerous Alliance.
He had notable matches with Lex Luger, Brian Pillman, and Sting but was not pushed as a main eventer.
He left WCW in 1990 after his contract expired. He joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE) in 1990, where he was named The Undertaker and paired with manager Brother Love.
He debuted at Survivor Series, part of Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Team. He quickly established himself as a dominant force, defeating opponents with his signature move, the Tombstone Piledriver.
He also developed his trademark entrance, where he would walk slowly to the ring with a dark coat, hat, and gloves, accompanied by a funeral dirge.
He soon switched managers, aligning with Paul Bearer, who carried an urn that supposedly contained his mystical powers.
He won his first WWF Championship at Survivor Series 1991, defeating Hulk Hogan with the help of Ric Flair. He also began his legendary streak at WrestleMania, where he defeated Jimmy Snuka in his first appearance at the event.
He continued to feud with top stars like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, Diesel, Mankind, and Vader.
He also faced challengers who claimed to be his long-lost brother, such as The Undertaker impostor and Kane. He allied with Kane, known as the Brothers of Destruction, and they dominated the tag team division.
He also had a brief stint as the leader of a cult-like faction called the Ministry of Darkness, which terrorized the WWF and its owner, Vince McMahon.
He returned to his Deadman persona in 2004 after being buried alive by Kane at Survivor Series 2003. He had a new entrance theme, “You’re Gonna Pay,” and a new finisher, the Chokeslam.
He feuded with Kane, Randy Orton, Batista, Edge, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. He won his fifth WWE Championship at WrestleMania 23, defeating Batista.
He also won his sixth WWE Championship at Survivor Series 2007, defeating Batista in a Hell in a Cell match. He lost the title to Edge at TLC 2008 and then to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25 in a widely considered one of the best matches. He also defeated Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 26 in a career vs. streak match, ending Michaels’ career.
He then faced Triple H at WrestleMania 27 and 28, both in no-holds-barred matches, and won both times, extending his streak to 20-0.
He also had a brutal match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30, where he suffered a concussion and a broken streak, as Lesnar became the first and only person to defeat him at WrestleMania.
He continued to wrestle sporadically, facing Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 31, Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 32, Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33, John Cena at WrestleMania 34, and AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36. He also had matches with Triple H, Kane, Rusev, and Goldberg at various events in Saudi Arabia.
He won his seventh and final world title, the World Heavyweight Championship, at Fatal 4-Way 2010, defeating Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, and Jack Swagger.
He lost the title to Kane at Money in the Bank 2010, then to Kane again at Night of Champions 2010, and Hell in a Cell 2010.
He also had a feud with CM Punk in 2013, where Punk disrespected the memory of Paul Bearer, who had passed away earlier that year. He defeated Punk at WrestleMania 29, his last victory at the event.
He announced his retirement from wrestling in 2020 after a documentary series called The Last Ride chronicled his final years in the ring. He made his final appearance at Survivor Series 2020, which marked the 30th anniversary of his debut.
He delivered a farewell speech, thanking the fans, his peers, and his family and saying it was time to let The Undertaker rest in peace.
He received a standing ovation from the WWE legends, the current roster, and the virtual audience and performed his signature pose and salute before leaving the ring for the last time.
The Undertaker has been involved in some controversies throughout his career, both in and out of the ring.
Some of them are:
In 1991, he was accused of injuring Brian Lee, who was his cousin and a fellow wrestler, during a backstage fight.
He allegedly broke Lee’s nose and orbital bone and caused him to miss several months of action. He denied the allegations and claimed that it was a misunderstanding.
In 1994, he was involved in a legal dispute with the WWF over his name and character rights. He claimed that he had created the Undertaker gimmick and owned the trademark, while the WWF argued that they had given him the name and the creative input. The case was settled out of court, and he remained with the WWF.
In 2002, he was accused of using his backstage influence and seniority to bully and intimidate younger wrestlers, especially those from other promotions.
He was also accused of being part of a group of wrestlers known as the BSK (Bone Street Krew), who were loyal to him and opposed to another group, the Kliq, which Shawn Michaels and Triple H led. He denied the accusations and said he was only trying to maintain respect and discipline in the locker room.
In 2007, he was named as one of the clients of Signature Pharmacy, an online pharmacy that was under investigation for distributing steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
He was suspended for 30 days by WWE and later admitted that he had used steroids in the past, but not since 2004. He said that he had a prescription for the drugs and that he had used them to recover from injuries and surgeries.
In 2018, he was criticized by some fans and media outlets for participating in WWE’s events in Saudi Arabia, which were controversial due to the country’s human rights violations and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
He defended his decision and said that he was not involved in politics and was only doing his job as a wrestler.
According to sources, The Undertaker has a net worth of $20 million. He earned most of his wealth from his long and successful career in WWE, where he was one of the highest-paid wrestlers.
He also made money from endorsements, merchandise, and appearances. He owns several properties in Texas, Colorado, and Florida and has a collection of vintage motorcycles.
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