Superstar Appreciation Week







It is the final day of the first Superstar Appreciation Week. This week we have shared some great memories from the legendary career that is The Undertaker. So today we are going to take you back to 1999 and The Undertakers Ministry days.

 

After building up to his second heel run in the latter part of 1998, the Undertaker introduced an updated version of his Deadman identity by January 1999—the dark priest who in the initial period of this persona reigned over a stable known as the "Ministry of Darkness." In this form, he took on a wicked, Satanic presence, much more so than ever before. He often claimed to be invoking and taking orders from a "Higher Power." Moreover, he often appeared in a hooded black robe and sat on a throne that was specially designed into his character symbol. With the help of his minions, he often performed sacrifices on select WWE superstars, using various incantations and magic words with intent to extract out the dark side of the superstars in question so as to recruit them into his Ministry.

The completed "Ministry of Darkness" consisted of The Brood (Edge, Christian and Gangrel); The Acolytes (Bradshaw and Faarooq); Mideon; and Viscera. Calaway himself did not wrestle for a period having undergone a hip replacement. As part of the angle, Undertaker expressed a desire to take control of the World Wrestling Federation, displacing its owner, Vince McMahon. These ambitions culminated into a rivalry between The Ministry and The Corporation, ultimately resulting in a match between Undertaker and Corporation enforcer the Big Boss Man. The two faced off in a Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania XV, which Undertaker won. At Backlash, Undertaker defeated Corporation member Ken Shamrock after interference from Ministry member Bradshaw.

Thereafter, the Undertaker kidnapped Stephanie McMahon, forcing Vince McMahon to enter into a reluctant alliance with his longtime nemesis Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Undertaker attempted to marry Stephanie in an eldritch ceremony conducted by Paul Bearer, but Austin was able to rescue her. At the Over the Edge pay-per-view, the Undertaker defeated Austin for his third WWF Championship with help from Shane McMahon, the special referee. The Ministry eventually merged with Shane McMahon's Corporation alliance to form the Corporate Ministry. The Undertaker later revealed that Vince McMahon had been his "Higher Power" all along. After the Undertaker dropped the WWF Championship back to Austin following King of the Ring 1999, and an additional loss to him in a First Blood match at Fully Loaded, his relationship with the McMahons dissolved and the Corporate Ministry disbanded.

The Undertaker then began a storyline where he teamed with The Big Show in a tag team known as the Unholy Alliance, which held the WWF Tag Team Championship twice. After their victory at SummerSlam (1999), the Undertaker suffered a groin tear and was seen limping in several matches.

He avoided competing in wrestling matches in the following weeks, instead tyrannically ordering The Big Show to fight all his battles and oblige all his many wishes. To compensate for his lack of physical action, Undertaker became more vocal on the mic, often making smart-aleck remarks and performing commentary at the announcer's table. In an angle that occurred in September 1999 on SmackDown!, Undertaker was fired by Mr. McMahon in a backstage interview when he refused to participate in a casket match against Triple H. In actuality, Undertaker went on a four month hiatus from WWF in order to treat his groin injury. In January 2000, one week before a scheduled surprise return at the Royal Rumble, he tore a pectoral muscle.