Evolution Schematic 07.05.08: Mark 'The Undertaker' Calaway (Part 2)

Posted by Mathew Sforcina on 07.06.2008

Short, but then again he...isn't...

Writer's Notes

Wow, when I made that crack about Controversy in the teaser from Part 1, I was expecting a bunch of comments from, let's be honest, not very smart people, all about how I couldn't use the Mark Calaway (which I spelt right every time, thank you Randle) name, or that clearly his time in WCCW doesn't count or something.

Instead I got a few comments full of reasonable criticisms.

That's always the hardest to take.

I defended myself in the comments, but again- I make no bones about this being my opinion, and my opinion only. If the WWE or someone hired me to right out Taker's entire life story to be read on Raw or something, this is just how I'd do it. You might disagree, you might think some other version of facts presented is the ‘right' one. And hey, more power to you, at least you're remembering the past, as opposed to the majority of the WWE, it seems.

I also apologise for the relative shortness of this week's effort, but I'm in the middle of a wrestling weekend and thus am really, really tired from being unslammable.

Oh, and for the record, I hereby add my name to the growing chorus that is "Fans of The History Of WWE Site". I just wish I had found it a bit sooner, because my goodness is it jam-packed with historical goodness. Practically every major wrestling card ever held, plus a lot more information and what have you, all in the one place. It's everything the WWE Writing Staff isn't!

And yes, I'm only trying to get my name added to their quotes thing. When the best outcomes I can gather of my column's popularity are "Jed Shaffer likes me" and "Some lady linked my Chyna article to a Youtube video for no apparent reason", I gotta beef up the ego somehow. Besides, no-one really reads this bit, they just scan ahead to the main parts to see where I messed up and/or to look for the jokes.

But Taker V DDP is much later. When we left off, Mark was waiting for that call, waiting to take the next step towards immortality.



Phase 5- Kane The Undertaker. Yeah.

As last week established, Mark was reliant on Paul Bearer throughout his career. The closest thing he had to a family, Paul knew he had to be careful. If he and The Undertaker debuted together, people would automatically link them together, someone looking for an edge might look back into their pasts, find out about Kane, and Paul's plans would all come tumbling down.

He had to play this very carefully. So, he called up an acquaintance, Brother Love, and offered him a new, huge talent to manage, short term. Until he got out of some contracts and what have you, one manager to another. Brother Love, probably after meeting Mark, agreed, and then got in touch with Ted DiBiase. Ted needed a fourth man for his Survivor Series match, and Brother Love had a new client.

But a new manager wasn't the only change to Mark's career. One final name and persona change was required. Either Paul or Mark (all right, it might have been Brother Love, but considering the history involved it's unlikely), probably Mark, decided to honor his fallen family, and call himself The Undertaker.

Well, actually his full name in his first couple of non-televised matches that Brother Love organised to make sure Mark was all right, was Kane The Undertaker.

Now that does make sense, he thought his brother was dead, so of course he'd want to honor him. But before they got to the Survivor Series PPV, Paul got to Taker and convinced him it was a bad idea. The name was clunky, The Undertaker is such a simple, great name. Mark agreed.

Phase 6- The Undertaker- Zombie.

And he made an immediate impact, eliminating Koko B. Ware (with the very ‘first' Tombstone Piledriver in the WWF) and Dusty Rhodes before getting counted out when he went and saved Brother Love from Rhodes.

To say The Undertaker was a natural in the role he was now playing was an understatement. For now, Mark didn't have to worry about learning new moves, he focused instead on his toughness, as he just kept sitting up after punishment, then choking people before a Tombstone, or move off the top rope would put them down, the mind games that his rolling of eyes and ‘supernatural' powers doing half the work for him. People were ending up beating themselves, as they let the mind games work, and failed to realise that this was just a man, not a hideous, unstoppable machine of a creature. And when you're up against a HUMOAC, you don't tend to fight that hard, since it's just a lost cause.

Taker, with Brother Love, went on a winning streak, beating anyone foolish enough to fight him, entering the 1990 Royal Rumble as one of it's first entrants. In the lead up to the event, Taker was signed to fight Jimmy Snuka at Wrestlemania (although Tugboat did lay a challenge out for Taker, Snuka was the bigger name and thus Brother Love decided it was a better man for Taker to fight). The whole "Winner gets a title shot" was not yet established.

Taker entered the 91 Rumble 12th, eliminating Bret Hart, Bushwhacker Butch and Kerry Von Erich (a rare time when those three names are said together) before suffering the closest thing to a loss he had yet taken by being eliminated by the Legion Of Doom.

But then, a few weeks later, Taker's career really flourished.

Phase 7- The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer.

For on the 16th of February, Brother Love announced that he was no longer The Undertaker's manager, and instead, he had a ‘new' one, Brother Bearer.

Paul Bearer.

And, of course, the new duo went together like a hand and a glove. As Taker prepared for Snuka at Wrestlemania by wrestling Tugboat a lot, Bearer was getting his name out there, establishing himself for the first time on a global scale, showing off his brand new urn, and debuting his Funeral Parlor segment.

Taker's first Wrestlemania match was short, Taker easily (well, after just one false start) Tombstoning Snuka for the win within 5 minutes, an impressive win, albeit one that didn't really hint towards his future streak.

But after disposing of Snuka, Taker set his sights on a new threat, one who by challenging he would rise up the ranks with.

The man who had retired Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior.

Phase 7b- Taker V Warrior: Someone's Gonna Get Stuffed!

Taker had a unique way to begin to taunt Warrior, as after he would defeat his hapless foes, after effortlessly beating young guns and journeymen, he would stuff them into a bodybag, in essence declaring their careers dead.

This then was clearly a reference to Warrior killing Savage's career and thus Taker threatened to do the same.

After a few handicap matches, where Taker and Warrior would brawl away leaving Hogan to defeat Slaughter and Adnan, Taker and Warrior's feud would become the prototype for many of Taker's mindgames, as after more mundane situations like getting DQed for bopping Warrior with the urn, and directing beatdowns on Warrior, Paul Bearer on an episode of Prime Time wheeled a casket down to ringside as Warrior wrestled Sgt. Slaughter, covered in Warrior symbols. And, shockingly (for the time) Taker was inside it, and then attacked Warrior.

Taker's win loss record in mid 91 wasn't great, as he lost most of his matches, all of them by DQ, no-one yet pinning him or making him submit, Taker resorting to nailing Warrior (and, in Europe, Davey Boy Smith) with the Urn to end matches. Taker and Warrior would then advance to Bodybag matches, in which Taker would, surprisingly, lose most, sorry, ALL of the time after being stuffed into a bodybag (but neither pinned nor submitting, which is important), although he did manage on one memorable night to injure Roddy Piper severely with a Tombstone on the outside.

And then… Warrior began pinning him on occasion. So, Taker, thrown, went for help. And got Jake Roberts on his side. Roberts then approached Warrior and offered to help him prepare for The Undertaker (Warrior needing help since his wins were few and far between, most of the time Taker would cheat, Warrior wanting to end the threat once and for all). Roberts then turned on Warrior and aligned himself with Taker.

The Taker/Warrior feud would continue throughout the year, the two fighting on practically every show, Randy Savage being given rare one night only reprieves from his retirement to sub for the Warrior if and when Warrior was detained, Parts Unknown not having the greatest airport. In these matches Taker rarely got the upper hand for long, but Warrior never getting that one, decisive win he was looking for. Warrior would win the matches, but not win the war.

As Summerslam rolled past, Taker moved onto Sid Justice, who Taker again fought in matches up and down the country, never winning but never truly losing.

The Gravest Challenge was then signed, as Hogan was set to defend his title against the ‘Undefeated' Undertaker at Survivor Series.

Ok, this claim is clearly wrong, but Taker was certainly undefeated on TV and PPV, which is much more important. When the pressure was on, Taker won. And secondly, most of Taker's losses were by DQ or fairly weak, so even if you looked at every card being equal, Taker certainly had a decent record of competing at a high level.

Both relatively weak, but he was a major name, he was a major player, so he deserved a shot, and you can forgive the announcers for being a little overzealous.

After the announcement, Taker would lose some matches to Roddy Piper and Tito Santana of all people before really gearing up for Hogan by fighting ‘Hacksaw' Jim Duggan, given that he's a fellow proud American and all that. Duggan at first would get DQed mostly for using the 2X4, but soon enough Taker had him scouted and was easily beating the man every time they fought.

After proving a point with Duggan, Taker began to take on all comers, slowly but surely getting key victories over key men, building momentum, building steam. Davey Boy, Von Erich, Duggan again, Big Bossman, everyone would fall. Anyone who couldn't put up a decent fight was bodybagged, everyone else was just beaten, often with a shot from the Urn. Taker also attacked Hogan at various points, including bringing out a coffin for Hogan, covered in Hulkamania stickers.

And then, at Survivor Series, with help from Ric Flair, Taker shocked the world with a Tombstone Piledriver onto a chair held by Flair, and a 3 count later, The Undertaker was WWF Champion.

And what a glorious, long and defence-filled reign it was too…