brand (where he remained until the first brand extension ended in 2011), alongside former Raw talent Brock Lesnar, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero. In the episode, Undertaker revealed that while he was preparing for his last bout at WrestleMania 36, he received a phone call from his niece, who informed him that her dad Timothy Calaway had suffered a heart attack. The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! Tim attended school in Houston. Moreover, he often appeared in a hooded black robe and sat on a throne with a towering backrest specially designed into his crucifix-like logo. and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon, USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, Undisputed WWF Championship #1 contender's Tournament (April 2002), Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, "The Undertaker announces retirement from WWE", "WWE's The Undertaker on Retirement, Boneyard Match and When Wrestlers' Court Gets Real", "My Time has Come" The Undertaker Gives an Emotional Speech on his Final Farewell at Survivor Series", "Steve Austin to Launch New WWE Network Interview Series, Sets Undertaker as First Guest", "How Did The Undertaker's "Deadman" Gimmick Become the Best in WWE History? [351], A 12-minute match between The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin drew a 9.5 rating on June 28, 1999. At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, around WrestleMania VIII (1992). Her zodiac sign is Gemini. As the years gradually progressed, more details about The Undertaker's persona outside of the wrestling world emerged and it is a known fact that The Undertakers family includes his wife Michelle McCool and four of his children. Also during this time, The Undertaker headlined the first ever episode of Monday Night Raw on January 11, 1993, with a victory over Damien Demento. [135] Introduced was a more dramatic, theatrical and supernatural Deadman than in years past, his presence, mannerisms, and entrances significantly elaborated on as well, such as with more intensity, special effects and rising and falling flames. However, accessing and securing an interview with McMahon was described by Calaway as a despairing task. PWI Staff. [248] The Undertaker appeared on the January 23 edition of Raw, confronting Brock Lesnar and Goldberg. [373] In November 2020, sports journalist Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Calaway had made several donations totalling $7,000 to Donald Trump's re-election campaign. He was married to Sara Calaway from 2000 to 2007 and to Jodi Lynn from 1989 to 1999. . For The Undertaker's final encounter, a Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36 in 2020, he introduced a three-dimensional identity that brought all of his identities into one, dubbed "The Unholy Trinity:" a mix of his Deadman identity, American Badass identity, and his natural and genuine identity as Mark Calaway. [178] In a WrestleMania rematch, The Undertaker defeated Edge once again at Backlash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. The Undertaker then appeared and beat Cena in an impromptu three-minute squash match. [192][193][191] After what was widely described as a suspenseful, competitive match, The Undertaker defeated Michaels, thus extending his WrestleMania winning streak to 170. THE UNDERTAKER POSSESSION IS 9/10S OF THE LAW, BUT ONLY 1/10 OF WHAT MADE THIS FEUD SO STUPID", "Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens To An Industry Without Competition (p. 159)", "Notes regarding segment on SmackDown with Hassan, Daivari & Taker", "New York Post and Variety cover WWE "terrorist" angle; UPN speaks up", "UPN Bans Muhammad Hassan From WWE SmackDown", "WWE's Pushed to Punished Edition Three: Muhammad Hassan", "Snakes and Demons: Why Randy Orton Vs. Undertaker Is The Best Feud Ever (CvC)", "WWE No Way out 2006: Top 5 Moments from Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker", "WWE Classic of the Week: The Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle from No Way out 2006", "WWE WrestleMania 22: Top 10 Moments from an Excellent Show in Chicago", "WWE Pushed to Punished, Edition 35: The Punjabi Plunge of the Great Khali", "The Great Khali makes Undertaker rest in peace", "No filler makes for a consistent Backlash", "Edge's "three-meditated" attack to perfection", "Judgment Day spoils streak of good shows", "SmackDown: A woman's scorn, a Deadman reborn", "The knockout heard 'round the WWE Universe", "Undertaker def. [368], In the 1990s, Calaway started a backstage "posse" called the Bone Street Krew which consisted of some of his best friends and fellow wrestlers Yokozuna, Savio Vega, Charles Wright, The Godwinns, and Rikishi. [258] As a result, the duos reunited their respective tag teamsthe Brothers of Destruction and D-Generation Xand faced each other at Crown Jewel on November 2, where The Undertaker and Kane lost (the Brothers of Destruction's final match as a tag team combination). Later that night, he helped Hollywood Hulk Hogan win the title against then champion Triple H.[124] The Undertaker then defeated Hogan for the renamed WWE Undisputed Championship at Judgment Day. [350] Shawn Valentino of Pro Wrestling Torch said "The Undertaker may have been the greatest character in the history of professional wrestling". [104], Thereafter, The Undertaker kidnapped Stephanie McMahon, forcing Mr. McMahon to enter into a reluctant alliance with his longtime nemesis Stone Cold Steve Austin. Undertaker defeated Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle in a triple threat match to become the number-one contender for the renamed WWE Championship and challenged Brock Lesnar for the title at Unforgiven that ended in a double disqualification. While very little is known about David, Michael and Paul, Timothy was in pro-wrestling business before starting his own trading company, according to reports. It was also at this event that a notorious shoot incident (non-kayfabe) befell The Undertaker: a pyrotechnics malfunction momentarily engulfed him in flames up to three times during his ring entrance. [80] At that month's In Your House: Rage in the Cage, while Diesel was facing Hart in a steel cage match for the WWF Championship, The Undertaker delivered a surprise attack, emerging from a hole he had ripped through the ring canvas and dragging Diesel with him down under amid a cloud of smoke, allowing Hart the victory. Her father's first wife, Jodi Lynn Calaway, who received primary custody of her son after divorcing her ex-husband Mark, gave birth to her brother, who is now 28 years old. 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts. [187] At the same time, The Undertaker was engaged in a short feud with Jeff Hardy, who interfered during his match with Vladimir Kozlov on the November 7 edition of SmackDown. For 30 long years Ive made that slow walk to this ring and have laid people to rest time and time again. Near the end of the match, Paul Bearer seemed about to assist Kane by handing him a steel chair to hit The Undertaker with, but as Kane had his back turned, both Bearer and The Undertaker hit Kane with chair shots. In the process of being assaulted, Bearer was deprived of his urn by the Corporation. [370] A dog lover, Calaway and his ex-wife Sara established The Zeus Compton Calaway Save the Animals Fund at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences to help pay for lifesaving treatments for large-breed dogs. [168] Undertaker faced Batista in a rematch at Backlash, this time in a Last Man Standing match. The Undertaker's gimmick has a dark and disturbed family backstory which involves him intentionally burning down his family funeral home as a teenager, resulting in the deaths of his parents and purportedly a brother of his as well. Discover your ancestry - search Birth, Marriage and Death certificates, census records, immigration lists and other records - all in one family search! Shortly before SummerSlam and after much speculation, The Undertaker finally disclosed that he and his half-brother were working together. [53] However, Jones was removed before the match, making it a handicap match, which The Undertaker won with the help of Jones. The confusion allowed Undertaker to surprise Lesnar with a low blow and apply Hell's Gate, in which Lesnar passed out. The Undertaker, however, lost the title at Vengeance to The Rock in a triple threat match that also involved Kurt Angle. [51] Histrionic, wailing and ghostly in character, Bearer complemented The Undertaker and was almost always seen bearing an urn which he raised in the air to transmit supernatural healing powers to The Undertaker; this typically resulted in The Undertaker recovering from attacks and counterattacking his adversaries. [190] Michaels also made the buildup to their WrestleMania encounter personal, repeatedly demonstrating his Christian objections to the demonic dark side nature of The Undertaker's Deadman gimmick, even creating his own heaven-esque bright side spin-off of what he felt The Undertaker's gimmick should be (Michaels having become a real-life born again Christian by this point in his career). [204] The Undertaker lost the title to Chris Jericho after interference from Shawn Michaels that night;[205] Jericho has said on multiple occasions that the pyrotechnician responsible for the accident was immediately escorted from the arena and relieved of his employment with WWE, following a threat of violence from Calaway. [127] As a result, Undertaker assaulted his son David Flair. Calaway himself did not wrestle for a period, having undergone a hip replacement. [117] This transition lasted 3 and a half years until 2004 when The Undertaker resurrected his Deadman identity in hybrid formresidual features of his American Badass identity remaining. "I was like oh wow, OK, erm what hospital did they send him to? After The Undertaker refused and attacked Bearer, Bearer had Mankind set a fireball to the Undertaker's face, leading up to a match at In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker, for which The Undertaker was victorious. [113], In May 2000, Calaway expanded on The Undertaker gimmick, returning under a human alter ego of the gimmicka smack-talking, redneck biker, dubbed "The American Badass", known for motorcycle-riding, tobacco chewing/spitting, and donning a sporty appearance and manner. Timothy Callaway was born in Oakland, California on June 6, 1962 and grew up in the Bay Area. In 2000, Calaway married for the second to Sara, with whom the famous wrestler has two daughters, however, the couple divorced in 2007. For years WWE fans believed Undertaker and Kane were actual half-brothers who feuded and also sometimes teamed up as "The Brothers of Destruction" since the latters debut in 1997. 3 (See section 11 of 53)", "Match Listing And Artwork For WWE's The Attitude Era DVD & Blu-ray", "WATCH: When WWE Legend the Undertaker Crucified Cold Steve Austin in a Chilling Segment", "Undertaker attempts to embalm Stone Cold Steve Austin: This Week in WWE History, Dec. 8, 2016", "Backlash: Austin wins, Stephanie abducted", "The Higher Power of The Corporate Ministry is revealed", "The Higher Power: How Vince and Undertaker Formed the Corporate Ministry", "Pro wrestling's Wolfpac is tighter than ever", "Undertaker, Royal Rumble, Vickie Guerrero and more", "The Evolution of The Undertaker's 'American Badass' Character in WWE", "20 YRS AGO: WWE RAW REPORT (8-14-2000): The Rock, Angle, Stephanie, Triple H, Shane, Hardys, Lita, Undertaker, Trish, Guerrero, X-Pac", "Why WWE Changed The Undertaker Into A Biker (Then Switched Him Back)", "The Undertaker: Master of Pain (see page 21 and 22)", "The Infamous Kiss My A** Club of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon", "WWE Hell in a Cell Preview: The History Of The Undertaker Vs. Kane Feud (section 6 of 9)", "How Triple H, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels Crafted Epic 4-Year WrestleMania Saga", "The Undertaker: The greatest moments in The Deadman's Hall of Fame career", "WILLIAM 'PAUL BEARER' MOODY PASSES AWAY", "INDUCTION: THE ORTONS VS.