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 figures in wrestling history.
He is best known for his dark, gloomy and supernatural “Dead” character, which earned him the nickname “Phenomena“ .
He is also famous for his unmatched 21-match winning streak at WrestleMania, wrestling’s biggest event, which was finally broken by Brock Lesnar in 2014.
He won numerous championships and awards, and was involved in some of the most memorable matches and feuds in wrestling history.
File
- Full Name: Mark William Calaway
- Nickname: The Burier
- Date of birth: March 24, 1965
- Age: 59 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Houston, Texas, United States
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Retired professional wrestler
- Height: 6 ft 10 in (208 cm)
- Parents: Frank Compton Calaway and Betty Catherine Truby
- Siblings: David, Michael, Paul and Timothy Calaway
- Spouse: Michelle McCool (married 2010)
- Children: Gunner Vincent Calaway, Chasey Calaway, Gracie Calaway and Kaia Faith Calaway
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $20 million
Early life and education
Mark William Calaway, who turns 59 in 2024, was born on March 24, 1965 in Houston, Texas, United States.
He was 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 basketball team, which won the district championship in his senior year.
He also played football as a center and linebacker and received a scholarship to Trinity Valley Community College.
He graduated from high school in 1983 and attended Trinity Valley, where he continued to play basketball.
He then transferred to Texas Wesleyan University, majoring in sports management, and played for the Rams during the 1985-1986 season. He dropped out of college in 1986 to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
Personal life
Calaway has been married three times and has five children. His first marriage was to 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 to Sara Frank, whom he married in 2000.
They have two daughters, Chasey and Gracie Calaway, born in 2002 and 2005. They also have tattoos of each other’s names on their necks.
They divorced in 2007. His third and current marriage is to Michelle McCool, whom he married in 2010. McCool is a former WWE Divas Champion and a wrestler.
They have a daughter, Kaia Faith Calaway, born in 2012, and an unnamed son.
They live in Austin, Texas, and own 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 motorcycles and has appeared on the reality TV show American Chopper.
Career
Calaway began his wrestling career in 1987, working for various promotions under various guises. He debuted as Texas Red for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), facing Bruiser Brody in his debut match.
He also wrestled for the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA), World Wrestling Association (WCWA) and United States Wrestling Association (USWA) as The Master of Pain, The Punisher and Punisher Dice Morgan.
He has won several titles, including the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship and the USWA World Unified Heavyweight Championship.
He signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1989, where he took 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 considered 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 given the ring name The Undertaker and was paired with manager Brother Love.
He debuted at Survivor Series as 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 slowly walk into the ring wearing a dark coat, hat and gloves, accompanied by a eulogy.
He quickly changed managers and allied himself with Paul Bearer, who brought with him a jar said to contain his mystical powers.
He won his first WWF Championship at Survivor Series 1991, defeating Hulk Hogan with help from 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 such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, Diesel, Mankind and Vader.
He also faced challengers claiming to be his long-lost brothers, such as the impostor The Undertaker and Kane. He allied with Kane, known as the Brothers of Destruction, and they dominated the tag team division.
He also briefly served 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 character in 2004 after being buried alive by Kane at Survivor Series 2003. He had a new theme when he played the role, “You will pay the price.”, and the 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 after 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 what is considered a best-of match. 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 winning streak to 20-0.
He also had a brutal match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30, where he suffered a concussion and lost his winning streak, as Lesnar became the first and only man 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 has also wrestled 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 lost the title to Kane again at Night of Champions 2010 and Hell in a Cell 2010.
He also feuded with CM Punk in 2013, when Punk showed disrespect for 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, marking the 30th anniversary of his debut.
He gave a farewell speech, thanking fans, colleagues and family and saying it was time to let The Undertaker rest in peace.
He received a standing ovation from WWE legends, the current roster and the online audience and performed his signature pose and salute before leaving the ring for the final time.
Argumentative
The Undertaker has been involved in a number of controversies throughout his career, both in and out of the ring.
Some of them are:
In 1991, he was charged with injuring Brian Lee, his cousin and fellow wrestler, in a backstage brawl.
He was accused of breaking Lee’s nose and eye socket, which sidelined him for several months. He denied the accusations and claimed that it was a misunderstanding.
In 1994, he became involved in a legal dispute with the WWF over his name and character rights. He claimed that he created the Undertaker gimmick and owned the trademark, while the WWF argued that they had provided him with the name and 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, particularly those from other promotions.
He was also accused of being a member of a group of wrestlers known as the BSK (Bone Street Krew), who were loyal to him and opposed to another group, the Kliq, led by Shawn Michaels and Triple H. 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 customers of Signature Pharmacy, an online pharmacy under investigation for distributing steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
He was suspended by WWE for 30 days and later admitted that he had used steroids in the past, but not since 2004. He said he had a prescription for the drug and that he had used them to recover from injuries and surgeries.
In 2018, he was criticized by some fans and media for attending WWE 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 he was not involved in politics and was just doing his job as a wrestler.
Social media
- Instagram Name: @undertaker
- Twitter Username: @undertaker
List of movies played
- Suburban Commando
- Poltergeist: Legacy
- Celebrity Death Match
- The Flintstones & WWE: Battle of the Stone Ages!
- Big show
Net worth
According to sources, The Undertaker has a net worth of $20 million. He earned the majority of his fortune from his long and successful career in WWE, where he is one of the highest-paid wrestlers.
He also makes money from endorsements, merchandise, and appearances. He owns several properties in Texas, Colorado, and Florida and has a collection of vintage motorcycles.
