batista.Dave Batista has been “The Animal” since childhood, in temper if not in name. Raised in a rough part of southeast Washington, D.C., he describes himself as being “a skinny kid with asthma and a bad size complex”— and a penchant for getting into trouble with authorities. He spent a few years in San Francisco after his parents separated, until his mother sent the troubled teen to live with his father in suburban Virginia. By the time he turned 17, he was estranged from both parents, living on his own, and still getting into trouble.For the better part of 10 years, Batista spent his days training and competing as a bodybuilder, and his nights “bouncing in clubs, floating from here to there.” (He’s still amazed that one club he worked at is less than two blocks from Washington D.C.’s MCI Center, where he defended his World Heavyweight Championship against JBL at SummerSlam in 2005.) His drifting stopped the night he unleashed his explosive temper on two patrons who had attacked his fellow bouncers. “By the time I was finished with them,” he relates, “they were lying on the ground with their eyes rolling in the back of their heads. I was very scared they were going to die.” They didn’t, but the incident did result in Batista’s arrest, a year’s probation, and his decision to make radical changes in his life.
Enrolling in Wild Samoan Afa’s wrestling school in Allentown, Pa., Batista admits that at first he saw sports-entertainment simply as “a way to make a living”— until he was told at a WCW tryout that he didn’t have the chops to make it as a wrestler. “That lit a fire under my a**. Wrestling became an obsession that I fell in love with. I completely redirected my training and philosophies, redesigned my body and mental outlook. I just really wanted to be an athlete and an entertainer.”
Though his personal perseverance brought him to WWE in May 2002, Batista credits former Evolution colleagues Triple H and Ric Flair with developing “a muscleheaded goofball” into a World Heavyweight Champion, one who backs his composed words and demeanor with an explosive fury befitting his nickname. He considers himself neither a leader nor a follower in the locker room (“I’m just a loner, I keep to myself,” he insists), but inside the ring, on the covers of muscle mags like FLEX, and even once against budding Superman Tom Welling on The CW Network series Smallville, “The Animal” is clearly a dominant species. A dominant species who, by the way, has collected more than 50 vintage tin lunchboxes. Our advice: respect this six-foot-five, 285-pound beast and his 1967 Green Hornet sandwich container (sporting Bruce Lee’s face on the front), which he cherishes among his most prized possessions. You’ll live longer.
kane.Following months of speculation, Kane made his first appearance on Oct. 5, 1997, at Bad Blood. There, he ripped the cage door off during the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match between Shawn Michaels and Undertaker. Kane and Undertaker then stood toe to toe during a chilling stare-down. The Big Red Monster wore a mask, and he hid his body in attire designed to conceal hideous burns from a fire supposedly started by his half-brother Undertaker. Then, Kane kicked the Deadman in the stomach and Tombstoned him — allowing a bloody Michaels to pin Undertaker for the victory.Despite the unprovoked attack, Undertaker vowed he would not wage war against his own flesh and blood in front of a national audience. But Kane’s assaults continued, and when he set Undertaker ablaze inside a casket at the 1998 Royal Rumble, the Phenom was left with no choice. At WrestleMania XIV, the half-brothers met for the first time in singles competition, but it was only the beginning.
After the brutal WrestleMania matchup, Kane continued to climb the ranks by beating down the opposition. At King of the Ring 1998, Stone Cold and Kane clashed in a First Blood Match for the WWE Championship. As an added stipulation, Kane promised that if he lost, he’d set himself on fire.
The match, a brainchild of Mr. McMahon, gave Kane a distinct advantage since his face and body were covered, making it nearly impossible to confirm if he was bleeding. During the match, the referee was knocked out, and Undertaker ran to the ring with a steel chair to interfere. He swung at Kane but nailed Stone Cold, busting his head wide open. When the referee regained consciousness, he saw the blood and awarded the match to the Big Red Monster. Undertaker later revealed that he intended to bust open Stone Cold so that his half-brother wouldn’t set himself on fire. This punctuated a theme in the difficult sibling relationship, as they’d battle often but align at times to achieve great success as well. They’d also innovate during their heated rivalry, inventing such contests as the Inferno Match.
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The night following the First Blood victory, Mr. McMahon decorated the ring with a red canvas and crowned Kane the new WWE Champion. The reign lasted only one night, but it was still an amazing accomplishment considering his debut was only eight months prior. Kane did pin the WWE Champion on one other occasion, but he did so simultaneously with the Undertaker. The event was Breakdown 1998, and because the half-brothers both covered Stone Cold, neither was declared champion. Instead, the WWE Championship was vacated.
While Kane hasn’t recaptured the WWE Championship, he’s experienced enormous success. He’s a two-time Intercontinental Champion and nine-time World Tag Team Champion. He’s shown near-unprecedented versatility in the tag team ranks, winning championships with brawlers such as Stone Cold and Mankind, as well as smaller, quicker partners such as The Hurricane and X-Pac. He’s also twice won the World Tag Team Championship with his half-brother, including a reign during the Alliance Invasion when they simultaneously held the World Tag Team Championship and WCW Tag Team Championship.
But it was during his time teaming with Rob Van Dam that Kane experienced one of the most emotional nights of his career. After being egged on for weeks about becoming “soft,” Kane agreed to a “Mask vs. Championship” Match against Triple H. Despite a valiant effort, Kane lost, and as RAW came to a close, the 7-footer unmasked and revealed his face to the world.
Once the mask was removed, Kane went on a hell-bent trail of destruction. He chokeslammed RVD, Eric Bischoff and Stone Cold. Then, he set RAW announcer Jim Ross on fire. But the action that could not be tolerated was hitting WWE CEO Linda McMahon with a Tombstone. That forced Shane McMahon to return to the ring in defense of his family, but even the risk-taking Shane-O-Mac couldn’t stop the Big Red Monster’s rage.
At Survivor Series in 2003, Kane attacked Undertaker once again and buried him alive with a bulldozer. For the following months, the Deadman haunted his younger sibling before announcing that at WrestleMania XX, the two would meet one more time.
After that, Kane began randomly attacking anyone who crossed his path. He viciously assaulted Shawn Michaels, putting him out of action. He then began to make life miserable for Lita, with whom he seemed obsessed.
Thanks to victory in a “’Till Death Do Us Part” Match against Matt Hardy, Kane got what he wanted. He married an unwilling Lita, who was carrying Kane's child. But an in-ring incident on RAW injured Lita, causing her to lose the couple's unborn son and leaving Kane an emotional and angry mess. He swore vengeance on Gene Snitsky, who he held responsible.
At Taboo Tuesday, Kane faced Snitsky in a “Weapon of Choice” match. Wielding a steel chain, Kane delivered a brutal beating. But Snitsky eventually gained the upper hand, crushing Kane's throat with a steel chair. After recuperating, Kane haunted Snitsky until he exacted some measure of revenge. Then he began tormenting Trish Stratus — Lita’s nemesis — and through doing so is seemingly finally gaining his wife’s favor. In a shocking moment the April 11, 2005 edition of RAW, Kane and Lita kissed. It was the first time both parties had done so willingly and passionately. After aligning briefly with Kane, Lita has changed her allegiances now to Edge in an act of ruthless betrayal.
Kane had a hard time dealing with Lita's betrayal. Lita took it even further and continually made out with Edge in front of Kane and even flushed her wedding ring down the toilet. Edge and Lita even had their own wedding ceremony, but Kane would not allow it to go down quietly. Kane came up through the altar and chased off the couple. Kane and Edge then fought in a series of brutal matches including a Steel Cage Match and a Stretcher Match. Lita was the one who ended up needing the stretcher, though, as Kane Tombstoned her on the stage.
After a brief hiatus, Kane returned just prior to Taboo Tuesday. Because he lost out in the voting for the Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels, he was paired up with Big Show to face World Tag Team Champions Trevor Murdoch & Lance Cade. Big Show & Kane proved to be just too much size and strength to overcome for the young tag team, and Kane won his ninth World Tag Team Championship.
Kane and his tag team partner also played a huge role in the RAW vs. SmackDown rivalry that was brewing. They were key players on RAW's team at Survivor Series, but could not lead their brand to a victory. But at Armageddon they challenged SmackDown's WWE Tag Team Champions, Rey Mysterio & Batista, to a match. Even though it was a SmackDown pay-per-view, Kane & Big Show reigned victorious in the rare Champions vs. Champions Match.
The Big Red Monster and Big Show turned back the challenge of Carlito & Chris Masters at WrestleMania 22. But just one night later, on RAW, they faced Kenny and Mikey of the Spirit Squad. If it was just a two-on-two match, the tag champs surely would have retained the gold. But the other three members of the Spirit Squad - Mitch, Nickey and Johnny - all got involved. The numbers proved to be too much to overcome, and Big Show was pinned.
That’s when things started going horribly wrong for the Big Red Monster. Kane thought that the madness and the voices would stop once May 19 came and went. Leading up to that day, the same day that Kane's adopted parents died in a fire, the Big Red Monster was hearing voices that drove him to the brink of insanity. But it didn't stop after May 19. Things only got stranger for Kane. On the May 29 edition of RAW, Kane came face to face with what appeared to be a mirror image of himself. The mysterious being was dressed like the Kane of old, complete with his old ring attire and mask. After a stare-down, the unknown man chokeslammed Kane.
Kane continued to be attacked by his “clone” until they finally met in a match at Vengeance where he found himself on the receiving end of all of his own moves. Bringing new meaning to “being your own worst enemy,” the imposter Kane defeated the real Kane with a thunderous chokeslam, Just one day later, though, Kane chokeslammed the imposter on the stage at RAW and then threw him out of the arena.
Whether it is Tag Team or singles, whether he is facing himself or someone else, one thing is for sure: Kane is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with
undertaker.The Deadman has overcome every challenge he's faced in his WWE career en route to becoming one of the the greatest Superstars in WWE history.
From the moment his signature gong fills the air, WWE fans are captivated by Undertaker’s mere presence. The Deadman from Death Valley is usually a man of few words, but can often intimidate even the toughest WWE Superstars with one glance. His somber persona has been a terrifying trademark of WWE for over 15 years, and no list of WWE all-time greats can be considered complete without Undertaker.
At the 1990 Survivor Series, Ted DiBiase introduced Undertaker as the final member of his “Million Dollar Team” for a Classic Survivor Series Match. From the minute he walked through the curtain with manager Brother Love, fans were in awe of the Deadman’s presence.
Undertaker soon left Brother Love in favor of Paul Bearer, and made his WrestleMania debut by defeating Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka in 1991. The Deadman quickly made major waves in WWE, winning the WWE Championship from Hulk Hogan within a year of his debut at the 1991 Survivor Series. Hogan received an immediate rematch a week later, defeating the Deadman to regain the championship and end his undefeated streak.
After defeating former ally Jake “The Snake” Roberts at WrestleMania VIII, Undertaker became a fan favorite and found himself embroiled in a rivalry with manager Harvey Wippleman. Over the next year, Undertaker fought off several of Wippleman’s associates, including a victory over Kamala in the first-ever Casket Match at Survivor Series1992. Wippleman next produced Giant Gonzales, whom Undertaker defeated at WrestleMania IX and SummerSlam 1993.
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At the 1994 Royal Rumble, the Deadman met Yokozuna in a Casket Match for the WWE Championship. It took nearly a dozen men to help the 700-pound champion defeat the Deadman, and after the match, Undertaker said he would not rest in peace. Months later, Ted DiBiase claimed that he found Undertaker, but it turned out to be only a look-alike, and the real Deadman defeated his impostor at SummerSlam 1994. Undertaker then got his revenge on Yokozuna, defeating the big man in a Casket Match at the 1994 Survivor Series.
1995 saw Undertaker continue to battle Ted DiBiase’s Corporation, who had stolen Paul Bearer’s sacred urn at the Royal Rumble. Undertaker took on and defeated DiBiase’s entire team, including a victory over King Kong Bundy at WrestleMania XI and a Casket Match victory over Kama at SummerSlam.
After a brief rivalry that saw Mabel destroy Undertaker’s face, the Deadman vanquished Mabel in a Casket Match and turned his sights back to the WWE Championship. He took on Bret Hart at the 1996 Royal Rumble, but Diesel’s interference cost the Deadman his chance. After returning the favor to Diesel the next month, Undertaker defeated him at WrestleMania XII for his fifth consecutive WrestleMania victory.
Later in 1996, Paul Bearer turned on the Deadman, casting his lot with Mankind. Following Mankind’s Boiler Room Brawl victory over Undertaker at SummerSlam, Bearer handed the sacred urn to Mankind, who nailed the Deadman in the head with it. Undertaker finally got revenge by defeating Mankind at the 1996 Survivor Series; while their rivalry was not yet over, the Deadman turned away to focus on becoming champion once again.
After narrowly losing a Final Four Match for the WWE Championship in February 1997, Undertaker finally got another chance at WrestleMania 13. There, the Deadman defeated Sid to win the gold for a second time, also pushing his WrestleMania record to 6-0. Throughout the summer of 1997, the Deadman defeated the likes of Steve Austin, Vader and Mankind before an errant chairshot from guest referee Shawn Michaels allowed Bret hart to defeat the Deadman for the gold at SummerSlam.
Following SummerSlam, Undertaker began stalking Michaels, leading up to the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match at Badd Blood. As it seemed that the Deadman was set to win the match, Kane made his WWE Debut, attacking his brother and costing him the match. Undertaker originally refused to fight his brother, but changed his mind at the 1998 Royal Rumble.
That night, Kane helped Michaels defeat Undertaker in a Casket Match, then wheeled the casket into the entranceway and set it on fire. Undertaker returned a month later to challenge Kane to a match at WrestleMania XIV. It took three Tombstone Piledrivers, but Undertaker turned back his brother that night to keep his WrestleMania record intact.
That summer, Kane & Undertaker continued to battle, and the Big Red Machine found an ally in his brother’s arch-nemesis, Mankind. Mankind battled Undertaker in an infamous Hell in a Cell Match at King of the Ring 1998; the Deadman won the match, which provided one of the most breathtaking visuals in WWE history when he threw Mankind off the Cell through the Spanish announcers’ table nearly 20 feet below.
A month later, Undertaker teamed with Stone Cold to defeat Kane & Mankind for the World Tag Team Championship. They would lose the gold shortly thereafter, and Undertaker would lose to Austin at SummerSlam 1998 in a classic battle for the WWE Championship.
After SummerSlam, Undertaker reconciled with Kane, and the two simultaneously pinned Austin in September during a WWE Championship Match. The controversy surrounding the championship led to the Deadly Game Tournament at Survivor Series; Undertaker beat Kane in the first round but later lost to The Rock, who went on to win the tournament and his first WWE Championship.
Early in 1999, Undertaker recruited the Acolytes, The Brood, Mideon & Viscera to form the Ministry of Darkness. They targeted Mr. McMahon and the Corporation, with Stephanie McMahon being Undertaker’s ultimate target. The war between Undertaker and the McMahons led to the Deadman defeating Big Boss Man in a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XV; soon after, the two groups patched up their differences and merged into one super group, and Undertaker defeated Steve Austin for his third WWE Championship in May 1999.
Undertaker later lost the gold back to Austin, and after that loss, he shifted his focus. The Deadman formed a team with Big Show, and together they captured the World Tag Team Championship twice in the fall of 1999. Later that fall, Undertaker refused to participate in a Casket Match against Triple H, leading to Mr. McMahon suspending the Deadman indefinitely.
He would not return until May 2000, when he began a rivalry with then-WWE Champion Triple H and D-Generation X. Reconciling once again with Kane, Undertaker ran roughshod over WWE, nearly winning the WWE Championship on several occasions. That December, Undertaker teamed up with The Rock to win the World Tag Team Championship, a reign that would last only three days.
Despite that loss, Undertaker went on to have a big year in 2001 After defeating Triple H at WrestleMania X-Seven to improve his WrestleMania record to 9-0, the Deadman teamed with Kane to win the World Tag Team Championship that April. Undertaker also helped Mr. McMahon fight off the ECW/WCW Alliance’s invasion, and Undertaker & Kane won both the WCW and World Tag Team Championships that summer. Undertaker was also on the victorious WWE team at Survivor Series, putting the Alliance out of business.
Following that win, however, his attitude began to change. He won the Hardcore Championship from Rob Van Dam at Vengeance in December, then began a rivalry with Ric Flair after Flair cost him a match at No Way Out. The Deadman defeated Flair in a No-Disqualification Match at WrestleMania X8, marking the Deadman’s 10th consecutive WrestleMania win. Regardless, Flair chose Undertaker as RAW’s No. 1 pick in the brand extension draft that April, and the Deadman paid immediate dividends by defeating Hulk Hogan for his fourth WWE Championship at Judgment Day.
After losing the gold at Vengeance, Undertaker became a fan favorite once again, taking on the Un-Americans. After defeating Test at SummerSlam, the Deadman moved from RAW to SmackDown, where he became a top contender to WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. After a bitter rivalry, Lesnar finally defeated the Deadman at No Mercy in a bloody Hell in a Cell Match, and the two put their differences aside. That same week, Undertaker was injured by Big Show, putting him out of action for three months.
The Deadman returned at the 2003 Royal Rumble, where he entered No. 30 but was the last man eliminated by eventual winner Lesnar. Undertaker set his sights on Big Show, and at WrestleMania XIX, he defeated Show & A-Train in a Handicap Match to get retribution. The rivalry between Big Show & Undertaker continued throughout 2003, with Lesnar and Kurt Angle once again getting involved during the summer. Finally, Mr. McMahon got involved, helping Lesnar defeat the Deadman at No Mercy.
Undertaker then challenged McMahon to a Buried Alive Match at Survivor Series. McMahon was victorious with help from RAW Superstar Kane, who attacked his brother to help the WWE Chairman bury him alive. Undertaker would not be seen again for four months, but made his presence felt wherever Kane went. After two months of mind games, Paul Bearer and the Deadman returned at WrestleMania XX to defeat Kane for a second time at WrestleMania in an inter-promotional match.
Following his return to SmackDown, Undertaker took on all comers, but was forced to leave Paul Bearer behind. Eventually, he found himself as the top contender to WWE Champion JBL, and the two met at SummerSlam. JBL won the match by disqualification, but the rivalry was only beginning.
Undertaker stalked JBL for months, but was unable to win the gold. Heidenreich’s interference helped JBL win a Last Ride Match at No Mercy; because of this, the Deadman shifted his focus to go after Heidenreich instead. He would defeat Heidenreich at Survivor Series, then once again in a Casket Match at the 2005 Royal Rumble.
It was around that time that RAW’s Randy Orton was looking to do something big at WrestleMania. After much deliberation, the Legend Killer decided to try to slay the biggest Legend of them all, challenging the Deadman to a match at WrestleMania. Despite the best efforts of both Orton and father Cowboy Bob, the Deadman defeated the Legend Killer to make it a perfect 13-0 at WrestleMania, injuring Orton’s shoulder in the process.
Orton would strike back in June, costing Undertaker a match with JBL after being drafted to SmackDown earlier in the night. Orton then helped JBL defeat Undertaker again in July on SmackDown, and the Legend Killer and the Deadman were set for another showdown at SummerSlam. This time, Cowboy Bob’s interference helped Randy defeat Undertaker, but the war was far from over.
Undertaker haunted the Ortons throughout the fall, leading to a Handicap Casket Match at No Mercy. Randy & Cowboy Bob were victorious, but after the match, they lit the casket containing Undertaker on fire, seemingly burning him alive. It was not to be, however, and after Orton was the sole survivor to help Team SmackDown defeat Team RAW at Survivor Series, Undertaker made his triumphant return.
Two nights later at the SmackDown special, Orton tried to take out the Deadman again, driving him through the stage as he clung to the back of a lowrider. It didn’t work, and the two were put into a Hell in a Cell Match at Armageddon. Undertaker finally got revenge that night, defeating the Legend Killer with a Tombstone Piledriver.
At the 2006 Royal Rumble, the Deadman set his sights back on the World Heavyweight Championship, challenging Kurt Angle for the gold after Angle defeated Mark Henry. The match was set for No Way Out, and after a classic encounter, the champion was able to pin the Deadman to retain the championship. Undertaker said he wasn’t done with Angle yet, and a rematch was set two weeks later on Friday Night SmackDown.
During the match, it looked like the Deadman had the gold won once again when Mark Henry interfered. The World’s Strongest Man viciously attacked Undertaker, splashing him through the announcers’ table at ringside. The following week, after Henry & Randy Orton faced Angle & Rey Mysterio, the Deadman’s voice filled the air. He challenged the World’s Strongest Man to a Casket Match, which Henry readily accepted immediately. The next week, Henry called Undertaker out to meet face to face at Saturday Night's Main Event; the Deadman responded, attacking Henry and giving Daivari a Tombstone onto the lid of a casket.
Finally, Undertaker defeated Henry in the Casket Match at WrestleMania 22 to improve his perfect WrestleMania record to 14-0. Henry requested a rematch the following week on Friday night SmackDown, but the match served only as a backdrop for an attack on the Deadman by Henry's manager, Daivari and his new protege The Great Khali.
Khali came into the ring and nailed Undertaker with a vicious chop, leaving the Deadman down in the ring. For weeks, the Deadman was not seen or heard from, leading Daivari to claim that his spirit had been broken and he was afraid. Finally, Theodore Long announced that the Deadman had challenged Khali to a match at Judgment Day; Khali accepted, and the confrontation was finally set.
Coming into Judgment Day, Undertaker had successfully turned back every other challenger he had faced in his long and illustrious WWE career. However, the 7 foot 3, 420 pound Great Khali proved to be an exception to the rule. Never before was Undertaker manhandled in such a fashion as he was by the threatening Khali. Daivari's new monster disposed of the Phenom with ease, leaving all to wonder if Undertaker will ever be heard from again. He turned down an invitation to be on Piper's Pit on the June 2 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, furthering speculation that there may be truth to Daivari's earlier claim that the Deadman's spirit has been broken by Khali.
At The Great American Bash, the Phenom survived the most fiendish, barbaric match in WWE history: the Punjabi Prison Match. Undertaker was scheduled to collide in the Prison with his nemesis, Khali, until SmackDown GM Teddy Long replaced Khali with Big Show following a backstage ambush by both Show and Khali. After being dominated for weeks by The Great Khali, the Deadman rose to the occasion and prevailed in a match never before seen in the Western world.
From the moment his signature gong fills the air, WWE fans are captivated by Undertaker’s mere presence. The Deadman from Death Valley is usually a man of few words, but can often intimidate even the toughest WWE Superstars with one glance. His somber persona has been a terrifying trademark of WWE for over 15 years, and no list of WWE all-time greats can be considered complete without Undertaker.
At the 1990 Survivor Series, Ted DiBiase introduced Undertaker as the final member of his “Million Dollar Team” for a Classic Survivor Series Match. From the minute he walked through the curtain with manager Brother Love, fans were in awe of the Deadman’s presence.
Undertaker soon left Brother Love in favor of Paul Bearer, and made his WrestleMania debut by defeating Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka in 1991. The Deadman quickly made major waves in WWE, winning the WWE Championship from Hulk Hogan within a year of his debut at the 1991 Survivor Series. Hogan received an immediate rematch a week later, defeating the Deadman to regain the championship and end his undefeated streak.
After defeating former ally Jake “The Snake” Roberts at WrestleMania VIII, Undertaker became a fan favorite and found himself embroiled in a rivalry with manager Harvey Wippleman. Over the next year, Undertaker fought off several of Wippleman’s associates, including a victory over Kamala in the first-ever Casket Match at Survivor Series1992. Wippleman next produced Giant Gonzales, whom Undertaker defeated at WrestleMania IX and SummerSlam 1993.
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At the 1994 Royal Rumble, the Deadman met Yokozuna in a Casket Match for the WWE Championship. It took nearly a dozen men to help the 700-pound champion defeat the Deadman, and after the match, Undertaker said he would not rest in peace. Months later, Ted DiBiase claimed that he found Undertaker, but it turned out to be only a look-alike, and the real Deadman defeated his impostor at SummerSlam 1994. Undertaker then got his revenge on Yokozuna, defeating the big man in a Casket Match at the 1994 Survivor Series.
1995 saw Undertaker continue to battle Ted DiBiase’s Corporation, who had stolen Paul Bearer’s sacred urn at the Royal Rumble. Undertaker took on and defeated DiBiase’s entire team, including a victory over King Kong Bundy at WrestleMania XI and a Casket Match victory over Kama at SummerSlam.
After a brief rivalry that saw Mabel destroy Undertaker’s face, the Deadman vanquished Mabel in a Casket Match and turned his sights back to the WWE Championship. He took on Bret Hart at the 1996 Royal Rumble, but Diesel’s interference cost the Deadman his chance. After returning the favor to Diesel the next month, Undertaker defeated him at WrestleMania XII for his fifth consecutive WrestleMania victory.
Later in 1996, Paul Bearer turned on the Deadman, casting his lot with Mankind. Following Mankind’s Boiler Room Brawl victory over Undertaker at SummerSlam, Bearer handed the sacred urn to Mankind, who nailed the Deadman in the head with it. Undertaker finally got revenge by defeating Mankind at the 1996 Survivor Series; while their rivalry was not yet over, the Deadman turned away to focus on becoming champion once again.
After narrowly losing a Final Four Match for the WWE Championship in February 1997, Undertaker finally got another chance at WrestleMania 13. There, the Deadman defeated Sid to win the gold for a second time, also pushing his WrestleMania record to 6-0. Throughout the summer of 1997, the Deadman defeated the likes of Steve Austin, Vader and Mankind before an errant chairshot from guest referee Shawn Michaels allowed Bret hart to defeat the Deadman for the gold at SummerSlam.
Following SummerSlam, Undertaker began stalking Michaels, leading up to the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match at Badd Blood. As it seemed that the Deadman was set to win the match, Kane made his WWE Debut, attacking his brother and costing him the match. Undertaker originally refused to fight his brother, but changed his mind at the 1998 Royal Rumble.
That night, Kane helped Michaels defeat Undertaker in a Casket Match, then wheeled the casket into the entranceway and set it on fire. Undertaker returned a month later to challenge Kane to a match at WrestleMania XIV. It took three Tombstone Piledrivers, but Undertaker turned back his brother that night to keep his WrestleMania record intact.
That summer, Kane & Undertaker continued to battle, and the Big Red Machine found an ally in his brother’s arch-nemesis, Mankind. Mankind battled Undertaker in an infamous Hell in a Cell Match at King of the Ring 1998; the Deadman won the match, which provided one of the most breathtaking visuals in WWE history when he threw Mankind off the Cell through the Spanish announcers’ table nearly 20 feet below.
A month later, Undertaker teamed with Stone Cold to defeat Kane & Mankind for the World Tag Team Championship. They would lose the gold shortly thereafter, and Undertaker would lose to Austin at SummerSlam 1998 in a classic battle for the WWE Championship.
After SummerSlam, Undertaker reconciled with Kane, and the two simultaneously pinned Austin in September during a WWE Championship Match. The controversy surrounding the championship led to the Deadly Game Tournament at Survivor Series; Undertaker beat Kane in the first round but later lost to The Rock, who went on to win the tournament and his first WWE Championship.
Early in 1999, Undertaker recruited the Acolytes, The Brood, Mideon & Viscera to form the Ministry of Darkness. They targeted Mr. McMahon and the Corporation, with Stephanie McMahon being Undertaker’s ultimate target. The war between Undertaker and the McMahons led to the Deadman defeating Big Boss Man in a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XV; soon after, the two groups patched up their differences and merged into one super group, and Undertaker defeated Steve Austin for his third WWE Championship in May 1999.
Undertaker later lost the gold back to Austin, and after that loss, he shifted his focus. The Deadman formed a team with Big Show, and together they captured the World Tag Team Championship twice in the fall of 1999. Later that fall, Undertaker refused to participate in a Casket Match against Triple H, leading to Mr. McMahon suspending the Deadman indefinitely.
He would not return until May 2000, when he began a rivalry with then-WWE Champion Triple H and D-Generation X. Reconciling once again with Kane, Undertaker ran roughshod over WWE, nearly winning the WWE Championship on several occasions. That December, Undertaker teamed up with The Rock to win the World Tag Team Championship, a reign that would last only three days.
Despite that loss, Undertaker went on to have a big year in 2001 After defeating Triple H at WrestleMania X-Seven to improve his WrestleMania record to 9-0, the Deadman teamed with Kane to win the World Tag Team Championship that April. Undertaker also helped Mr. McMahon fight off the ECW/WCW Alliance’s invasion, and Undertaker & Kane won both the WCW and World Tag Team Championships that summer. Undertaker was also on the victorious WWE team at Survivor Series, putting the Alliance out of business.
Following that win, however, his attitude began to change. He won the Hardcore Championship from Rob Van Dam at Vengeance in December, then began a rivalry with Ric Flair after Flair cost him a match at No Way Out. The Deadman defeated Flair in a No-Disqualification Match at WrestleMania X8, marking the Deadman’s 10th consecutive WrestleMania win. Regardless, Flair chose Undertaker as RAW’s No. 1 pick in the brand extension draft that April, and the Deadman paid immediate dividends by defeating Hulk Hogan for his fourth WWE Championship at Judgment Day.
After losing the gold at Vengeance, Undertaker became a fan favorite once again, taking on the Un-Americans. After defeating Test at SummerSlam, the Deadman moved from RAW to SmackDown, where he became a top contender to WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. After a bitter rivalry, Lesnar finally defeated the Deadman at No Mercy in a bloody Hell in a Cell Match, and the two put their differences aside. That same week, Undertaker was injured by Big Show, putting him out of action for three months.
The Deadman returned at the 2003 Royal Rumble, where he entered No. 30 but was the last man eliminated by eventual winner Lesnar. Undertaker set his sights on Big Show, and at WrestleMania XIX, he defeated Show & A-Train in a Handicap Match to get retribution. The rivalry between Big Show & Undertaker continued throughout 2003, with Lesnar and Kurt Angle once again getting involved during the summer. Finally, Mr. McMahon got involved, helping Lesnar defeat the Deadman at No Mercy.
Undertaker then challenged McMahon to a Buried Alive Match at Survivor Series. McMahon was victorious with help from RAW Superstar Kane, who attacked his brother to help the WWE Chairman bury him alive. Undertaker would not be seen again for four months, but made his presence felt wherever Kane went. After two months of mind games, Paul Bearer and the Deadman returned at WrestleMania XX to defeat Kane for a second time at WrestleMania in an inter-promotional match.
Following his return to SmackDown, Undertaker took on all comers, but was forced to leave Paul Bearer behind. Eventually, he found himself as the top contender to WWE Champion JBL, and the two met at SummerSlam. JBL won the match by disqualification, but the rivalry was only beginning.
Undertaker stalked JBL for months, but was unable to win the gold. Heidenreich’s interference helped JBL win a Last Ride Match at No Mercy; because of this, the Deadman shifted his focus to go after Heidenreich instead. He would defeat Heidenreich at Survivor Series, then once again in a Casket Match at the 2005 Royal Rumble.
It was around that time that RAW’s Randy Orton was looking to do something big at WrestleMania. After much deliberation, the Legend Killer decided to try to slay the biggest Legend of them all, challenging the Deadman to a match at WrestleMania. Despite the best efforts of both Orton and father Cowboy Bob, the Deadman defeated the Legend Killer to make it a perfect 13-0 at WrestleMania, injuring Orton’s shoulder in the process.
Orton would strike back in June, costing Undertaker a match with JBL after being drafted to SmackDown earlier in the night. Orton then helped JBL defeat Undertaker again in July on SmackDown, and the Legend Killer and the Deadman were set for another showdown at SummerSlam. This time, Cowboy Bob’s interference helped Randy defeat Undertaker, but the war was far from over.
Undertaker haunted the Ortons throughout the fall, leading to a Handicap Casket Match at No Mercy. Randy & Cowboy Bob were victorious, but after the match, they lit the casket containing Undertaker on fire, seemingly burning him alive. It was not to be, however, and after Orton was the sole survivor to help Team SmackDown defeat Team RAW at Survivor Series, Undertaker made his triumphant return.
Two nights later at the SmackDown special, Orton tried to take out the Deadman again, driving him through the stage as he clung to the back of a lowrider. It didn’t work, and the two were put into a Hell in a Cell Match at Armageddon. Undertaker finally got revenge that night, defeating the Legend Killer with a Tombstone Piledriver.
At the 2006 Royal Rumble, the Deadman set his sights back on the World Heavyweight Championship, challenging Kurt Angle for the gold after Angle defeated Mark Henry. The match was set for No Way Out, and after a classic encounter, the champion was able to pin the Deadman to retain the championship. Undertaker said he wasn’t done with Angle yet, and a rematch was set two weeks later on Friday Night SmackDown.
During the match, it looked like the Deadman had the gold won once again when Mark Henry interfered. The World’s Strongest Man viciously attacked Undertaker, splashing him through the announcers’ table at ringside. The following week, after Henry & Randy Orton faced Angle & Rey Mysterio, the Deadman’s voice filled the air. He challenged the World’s Strongest Man to a Casket Match, which Henry readily accepted immediately. The next week, Henry called Undertaker out to meet face to face at Saturday Night's Main Event; the Deadman responded, attacking Henry and giving Daivari a Tombstone onto the lid of a casket.
Finally, Undertaker defeated Henry in the Casket Match at WrestleMania 22 to improve his perfect WrestleMania record to 14-0. Henry requested a rematch the following week on Friday night SmackDown, but the match served only as a backdrop for an attack on the Deadman by Henry's manager, Daivari and his new protege The Great Khali.
Khali came into the ring and nailed Undertaker with a vicious chop, leaving the Deadman down in the ring. For weeks, the Deadman was not seen or heard from, leading Daivari to claim that his spirit had been broken and he was afraid. Finally, Theodore Long announced that the Deadman had challenged Khali to a match at Judgment Day; Khali accepted, and the confrontation was finally set.
Coming into Judgment Day, Undertaker had successfully turned back every other challenger he had faced in his long and illustrious WWE career. However, the 7 foot 3, 420 pound Great Khali proved to be an exception to the rule. Never before was Undertaker manhandled in such a fashion as he was by the threatening Khali. Daivari's new monster disposed of the Phenom with ease, leaving all to wonder if Undertaker will ever be heard from again. He turned down an invitation to be on Piper's Pit on the June 2 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, furthering speculation that there may be truth to Daivari's earlier claim that the Deadman's spirit has been broken by Khali.
At The Great American Bash, the Phenom survived the most fiendish, barbaric match in WWE history: the Punjabi Prison Match. Undertaker was scheduled to collide in the Prison with his nemesis, Khali, until SmackDown GM Teddy Long replaced Khali with Big Show following a backstage ambush by both Show and Khali. After being dominated for weeks by The Great Khali, the Deadman rose to the occasion and prevailed in a match never before seen in the Western world.
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