Top 10 Facts about Mark William Calaway ‘The Undertaker’

Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) on April 5, 2014 during WWE’s WrestleMania XXX week by Miguel Discart – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Facts about Mark William Calaway ‘The Undertaker’

Mark William Calaway, better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Calaway spent the vast majority of his career wrestling for WWE and is best known for his critically acclaimed Deadman Undertaker gimmick, for which he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022. Calaway remains employed by WWE through a 15-year contract signed in 2019.

Calaway began his career in 1987, working under various gimmicks for World Class Championship Wrestling and other affiliate promotions. He became USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion and WCWA Texas Heavyweight Champion during this time. After signing with World Championship Wrestling in 1989, he had a brief stint in the mid-card as MeanMark Callous, before joining the World Wrestling Federation in 1990.

Here are the top 10 facts about Mark William Calaway, also known as ‘The Undertaker’

1. Calaway is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time

Calaway spent the vast majority of his career wrestling for WWE. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc abbreviated as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. 

For the better part of his career, The Undertaker was observed as a focal point of WWE’s flagship annual event, WrestleMania, where he became esteemed for The Streak a series of 21 straight victories. He is also known for pairing with his in-storyline half-brother Kane, with whom he had alternatively feuded and teamed off and on with as The Brothers of Destruction from 1997 through 2020.

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2. Calaway was rebranded as “The Undertaker” once joining the WWF

The Undertaker makes his entrance at WrestleMania XXX on 6 April 2014 by Megan Elice Meadows – Wikimedia Commons

After signing with World Championship Wrestling in 1989, he had a brief stint in the mid-card as “Mean” Mark Callous, before joining the World Wrestling Federation in 1990.

Calaway was rebranded as “The Undertaker” once joining the WWF. As one of WWE’s most high-profile and enduring characters, The Undertaker is famed for his undead, funereal, macabre “Deadman” persona, which gained significant mainstream popularity and won him the Wrestling Observer Newsletter award for Best Gimmick a record-setting 5 years in a row.

3. Calaway is the longest-tenured wrestler in WWE history at 30 years

Calaway began his career in 1987, working under various gimmicks for World Class Championship Wrestling and other affiliate promotions. He officially signed with WWE in 1989.

Calaway spent the vast majority of his career wrestling for WWF/E, and is best known for his critically acclaimed Deadman Undertaker gimmick, for which he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022. Calaway remains employed by WWE through a 15-year contract signed in 2019.

Other professional wrestlers of his time included Alberto Del Rio. Read the Top 10 Interesting Facts about Alberto Del Rio. 

4. The Undertaker is one of the most prominent figures of the Attitude Era

The Undertaker beats C.M. Punk in a Casket Match by Vishal Somaiya – Wikimedia Commons

The Attitude Era was a term used by the World Wrestling Federation, WWF, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE to describe the company’s programming during the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

This era was part of a wider surge in the popularity of professional wrestling in the United States and Canada as television ratings and pay-per-view buy rates for WWF and its rival promotions saw record highs.

The Attitude Era marked the rise of many WWF male singles wrestlers, including, The Undertaker, Steve Austin alias Stone Cold, The Rock, Triple H, Kane and Mick Foley.

5. The Undertaker was esteemed for The Streak at  WrestleMania

WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view and live-streaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world’s largest professional wrestling promotion. The Undertaker was observed as a focal point of WWE’s flagship annual event, WrestleMania, where he became esteemed for The Streak.

The Streak was a series of 21 victories for a professional wrestler.  The Undertaker at WWE’s premier annual event, WrestleMania.The Streak became the cornerstone of WrestleMania, with a potential win over The Undertaker at the event being described as a greater honour than winning the WWE Championship.

6. The Undertaker is one of WWE’s most prolific pay-per-view performers

The Undertaker during Wrestlemania 28 by Simon from United Kingdom – Wikimedia Commons

Calaway has headlined several pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania on five occasions.

Pay-per-view is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events distributed through PPV typically include boxing, mixed martial arts, professional wrestling, and concerts.

7. Calaway won the WWF/E Championship four times

During his wrestling career under The Undertaker gimmick, Calaway won the WWF/E Championship four times.

The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It is currently defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE’s main roster, alongside the WWE Universal Championship on SmackDown.

8. The Undertaker won the Royal Rumble match in 2007

The Undertaker WWE WrestleMania 34 by Miguel Discart – Wikimedia Commons

The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers, traditionally 30 aimed at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the floor. The match is typically the main event of WWE’s January pay-per-view event known as the Royal Rumble. The winner of the event is the last wrestler remaining after all others have been eliminated.

9. The Undertaker is a lover of motorcycles

The Undertaker collects Harley-Davidson and West Coast Chopper motorcycles. 

He purchased his first such motorcycle after defeating Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship at the 1991 Survivor Series PPV.

10. The Undertaker was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame 

Calaway was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the headline inductee for the Class of 2022. The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honours professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. 

The 2022 WWE Hall of Fame was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE that featured the introduction of the 23rd class into the WWE Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on April 1, 2022, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, the night preceding WrestleMania 38.