For more than two decades, The Deadman has loomed over the WWE landscape like a menacing shadow, spelling out doom for those who dare cross him. Imbued with seemingly mystical abilities and preternatural in-ring ability, The Undertaker is a WWE great in a class by himself, and no list of legends would be complete without him.
First introduced at 1990’s Survivor Series, The Phenom debuted as the final member of Ted DiBiase’s “Million Dollar Team.” It wasn’t long before he began to battle with Hulk Hogan, then at the top of the food chain in WWE. This clash set the tone for Undertaker’s dominant career. No one was too big and no one was safe from his gloved grip.
A multiple WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, a six-time tag team titleholder and a Royal Rumble winner in 2007, Undertaker’s accomplishments in WWE have cemented his place among the greatest in the game. He is a true, in-ring pioneer, having been part of many WWE firsts, including the inaugural Hell in a Cell Match in October 1997, the first-ever Casket Match at Survivor Series 1992 and the first-ever Buried Alive match in 1996. But it is one achievement that stands out above all others; one that is likely never to be topped. Since Tombstoning “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka at WrestleMania VII in 1991, Undertaker has enjoyed a winning streak at The Show of Shows that stands at an astounding 21-0. CM Punk, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Randy Orton, Kevin Nash and many more have fallen at The Deadman’s hand, leaving the WWE Universe to believe that this record will perhaps never be blemished for the rest of time.
Or will it? The Phenom made his long-awaited return to WWE on Monday Night Raw after Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman – informed by The Authority that Lesnar would not face the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 30 – decided there was no one worthy of facing The Anomaly at The Show of Shows. The Undertaker’s presence changed that opinion almost immediately; Lesnar, surprised but not afraid, signed the open-ended contract that committed him to a WrestleMania match with The Deadman. Undertaker responded by forcing the pen into the back of Lesnar’s hand, then chokeslamming The Beast Incarnate through a table. And with that, “The Streak” – arguably held in as high a regard as any World Championship – is once more in peril.
Lesnar has since tried to intimidate The Deadman and brutalized Mark Henry in an effort to send a message. The Phenom remains unfazed, direcrly threatening Paul Heyman on WWE Main Event and playing mind games of his own with Lesnar. On Raw following the confrontation with Heyman, The Beast Incarnate called out The Deadman. Instead, druids came to the ring with a casket. Lesnar reluctantly opened it, revealing it was empty. However, Undertaker eventually revealed himself inside the casket and drove off Lesnar.
The week before WrestleMania 30, The Undertaker delivered his final message to his opponent. However, Brock Lesnar showed no fear and took down The Deadman with a powerful F-5.
On The Grandest Stage of Them All, the time for talk was over and The Phenom and The Beast Incarnate finally came to blows. As expected, the battle was brutal and the legendary Superstars battled with unbridled intensity. Lesnar's initial strategy was methodical but the bout degraded into an all-out brawl. However, no one inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome was prepared for the outcome of the match. After three F-5s, Brock Lesnar pinned The Undertaker and ended The Streak, leaving The Deadman at 21-1 at The Show of Shows.
In the face of all challenges, The Phenom has risen stronger and mightier than ever, serving as sports-entertainment’s grim reaper of justice — his name permanently etched like an epitaph on the history books of WWE. It seems that no grave can hold him; no god will claim him and no devil will have him. In the end, there can only be one suitable resting place for the almighty Deadman: the WWE Hall of Fame.
Below is The Undertakers WWE Debut back at Survivor Series 1990 :
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