Professional wrestling is a lot like listening to music. Watching it on TV is similar to listening to a CD or a recording of your favorite artist. Live performances, however, are unlike anything you see from your living room or listen to on your Airpods. They’re inclusive. The show is just overwhelming. You are part of the performance you see on TV. There is one entity in the WWE that really speaks to that analogy almost to a tee. The Undertaker.
The Undertaker is the measuring stick. In order to step up and if you wanted to take your place as a draw, and if you wanted to take your place as a top performer…then you had to hold your own against the Undertaker.”
– Bruce Prichard (WWE Exec. Producer)
The most iconic entrance of all time. That long, terrifying stride to the ring. When that bell tolls and the lights go out…Business is about to pick up and hell will be paid. The Phenom has spanned a career of over 30 years and the list of his victims is endless. John Cena. Triple H. Shawn Michaels. Ric Flair. The names hold their weight but the reaper holds their souls for all eternity.
“When I think about the Undertaker’s legend. You almost can’t really put it into words. But I would say…Respect. When I think of the Undertaker’s legend, I think about respect.”
– Randy Orton
Although there are many rivalries of the Undertaker that can be profiled, two stick out to me as monumentally underrated. In 2008, the Phenom had faced off against two superstars that in my opinion are Hall of Fame caliber stars. One of them is in the HOF, but not at the time. Edge and the Big Show. Two feuds, each with a finale of hellacious and instrumental proportions, respectively. Let’s take a look back, shall we?
Hell Hath No Fury…
In December of 2007, to close out the year on a high note, The Rated-R Superstar Edge had captured the World Heavyweight Championship at Armageddon against Batista and The Undertaker in a Triple Threat match. Batista declared a rematch on SmackDown! and lost shortly following his request. The Undertaker would however bide his time and strike when the iron was hot. At No Way Out in February, Taker entered the Elimination chamber set on becoming the #1 Contender at WrestleMania XXIV against Edge for the World title. Undertaker bested five other competitors including Batista to capture that spot at Mania vs Edge.
This, as you can gather, turned into a “Streak vs Title” match. Considering the Undertaker was 15-0 going into WrestleMania in Orlando that year. SPOILER ALERT: Undertaker won by submission. Reclaiming the World title and overtaking his throne atop the WWE. I’m not sure if that was a secret to anyone but in case you were unaware for the past 12 years, that’s what happened. After his victory, he continued to feud w/ Edge throughout the summer.
For those unfamiliar or just don’t really have an idea at all…Edge’s then-storyline wife/ SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero screwed over the Deadman in June after he lost to Edge at One Night Stand. A match that was in Edge’s favor if he won, Undertaker was exiled from the WWE. She reinstated the Undertaker to seek revenge on Edge for getting hit with a Spear at The Bash in July. The Phenom was now doing the bidding of the GM heading into SummerSlam.
With their rivalry culminating at “The Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer,” Edge and the Undertaker met one final time. It’s only fitting that it would be inside Hell in a Cell. This is arguably one of my favorite matches in WWE. The story that is told inside the hellacious steel is simply unparalleled. Very few matches with extreme stipulations like Hell in a Cell come close to this match. Ok, maybe Cactus Jack (Mick Foley) vs Triple H at No Way Out (2000). Not only the carnage, but the chemistry between these two legends is just pure magic. Something you would never find on The Bachelor/ette or Love Island. That I can assure you.
Now I won’t spoil this outcome, I promise. Even though it was 12-years ago, I’ll let you research the results yourself or you can watch the match below. But I’ll give you a hint, the winner’s name rhymes with The Undertaker.
With Edge finally sent to the depths of hell, Taker still had unfinished business with the Smackdown general manager.
A Giant ‘Undertaking’
At Unforgiven 2008, the Big Show had a bone to pick with Vickie Guerrero for not being put in the World Heavyweight Championship “Scramble” match that night. He strolled down to the ring accompanied by a resounding cheer from the crowd to air his grievances w with the boss and she goes down to discuss their issues. Shortly after their dispute, Guerrero is again haunted by the presence of the Undertaker as a casket is brought to the ring to send a message.
Emerging from the fog onstage thereafter, was the Deadman to procure Vickie’s soul and send her to the depths of hell with her husband Edge. Against the ropes, she’s held by Big Show as a mere sacrifice but turned out to only be used as bait to reel the Undertaker in where Show could attack him.
It’s interesting to point out that this rivalry begins and ends with the use of a casket. The ominous receptacle is introduced as the final resting place for the soul of the Undertaker’s victim. However, the Big Show uses it to his early and short-lived advantage against the Phenom. The use of the casket blatantly and mysteriously foreshadows the fate of one of these competitors down the line… Leaving Undertaker in the ring helpless, Big Show and Vickie make their way out of Cleveland that night with a burden to bear. And their sins yet to be punished.
Big Show continued to run on the fumes of his attack for the next couple of weeks heading into No Mercy to face the Phenom in a singles match. This was a very “blah” match as it was basically a build-up to the big fall-season PPV at Survivor Series. Big Show was able to rip off the turnbuckle pad and use the exposed metal to debilitate the Deadman. Following up with a knockout punch, Big Show walked away with the victory and a huge chip on his shoulder.
Look, I didn’t go to the production meetings for this feud but for some reason, it was a very short rivalry, unfortunately. I guess it made sense though since they needed a good angle to take into Survivor Series as a part of the “Big 4” pay-per-view events. Aside from Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, and SummerSlam. To sort of fill the void leading up to Survivor Series in Boston, one more match took place on Cyber Sunday. An event where fans voted on the match stipulations throughout the evening. Yeah, I know. It’s a good gimmick PPV but it is just the store-brand version of the classic Taboo Tuesday.
Anyway, so the Deadman and World’s Largest Athlete faced off in a Last Man Standing match. The match itself was solid, with no real high spots (big wrestling moves) that were notable. But there were foreign objects used like steel chairs, TV monitors, very unconventional tactics to win. One moment that seemed to gain traction for Big Show came when he chokeslammed Taker off the barricade and through the announcer’s table. Big Show being the bad guy that he was, got a lot of heat as the match went on. In the end, Show got distracted and fell victim to the Hell’s Gate submission, and lost consciousness to avoid answering the referee’s 10-count.
So for those at home keeping score…the series is now tied at 1 each.
Surviving the Deadman
The 2008 Survivor Series was filled with many overwhelming elements. Most notably, for me anyway, it was the first WWE pay-per-view event I’d been to. Since then, Boston has been a hotspot for WWE and I may have been to a few more shows than I would like to admit. But that’s neither here nor there. However, being 10-years old at the time, the matches that took place were obviously the highlight of my experience. The (hometown) return of John Cena. Edge making a jaw-dropping comeback at the expense of Jeff Hardy to steal the WWE Championship. But surprisingly the one match that drew the most intrigue to me was The Undertaker vs. Big Show in a “Casket match.”
Now I don’t know if you know this, but caskets/coffins are pretty ominous and creepy when you see them up close. You know, at like funerals and wakes or memorial services? Granted this was a staged wrestling event. But the legend of the Undertaker and his mysterious aura, live and in living color, added to the realism of what I was seeing unfold before me.
See I find it ironic because my grandfather literally owned and operated a mortuary for a living. So you’d figure I was unfazed by the theatrics, but you would be incorrect. It was still quite chilling, to say the least.
“[Casket matches] are fun because it gives you a whole different element of the out, the in, the finish. Not only do you have to incapacitate your opponent. But you have to incapacitate them enough to where you can roll them into a casket and shut the lid.”
-The Undertaker (Mark Calaway)
Personally, I thought the match was a success in telling the story that this was the final chapter in this rivalry. For most of the match like usual, Big Show had a lot of heat and took control. He had control for all of maybe five minutes until he was on the receiving end of a “guillotine leg drop” through the announce desk. Another prop bet in this series…The over/under on announcer’s desks destroyed was set at 2, I’m pretty sure.
The presence of the casket really creeped out Show, as well as 17,000 people at the TD Garden that night. So what do you do? You flip it over and break the casket so it can’t be used. Duhhh. Big Show then tried leaving the arena to live and see another day. But the Undertaker said “F that.” He summoned another casket to be placed atop the Survivor Series stage. The only thing the Big Show was gonna see that night was the darkness inside that casket.
Of course, when you step to the Deadman and challenge him in his own match, chances are you’ll be rewarded with a field trip to the depths of Hell. Mankind at King of the Ring. Randy Orton at Armageddon. Edge at SummerSlam. They’ve all suffered the same fate. And the newest member to the list. You guessed it, the Big Show at Survivor Series.
Sitting in the rafters at the TD Garden in Boston, I was smiling from ear to ear the entire night. Well, I was smiling because of my favorite superstars winning, sure. But I think it was because I was on a sugar high from all the soda I had and the fact that I was staying up way too late for a school night. Listen, John Cena and Undertaker won their matches and that’s all a 10-year old me cares about.
Laying the Legend to Rest
As I said, the Undertaker has been digging holes and taking souls for 30 years. His legacy is above championships. He’s won 7 world titles in his WWE career but it’s not a feat that most people associate with the Phenom. The WrestleMania streak is a legacy in and of itself. 21 WrestleMania’s and 21 victories. Unheard of. Brock Lesnar defeating that streak at WrestleMania 30 will be forever etched in the history books. But looking back now, the streak only built on the mystique of the Undertaker.
There is no one man or character in professional wrestling history more well-known or well-respected than Mark Calaway/the Undertaker. I grew up, thankfully somewhat on the “latter half” of Taker’s career having started watching around 2005-06. WWE from 2005 to 2008, I mean pre-PG era, was the best era for a kid to watch. Any WWE fan really. I could build a strong case against the Attitude Era but Friday Night SmackDown! was honestly the A-show in my opinion. Could be because I could actually watch the whole show from 8-10 PM, unlike Monday Night RAW which started at 9 PM on a school night. I know, breaking curfew going to Survivor Series and skipping RAW, doesn’t make sense. But I was the most well-rested 5th grader I’ll tell you that.
“Tonight, you will go one-on-one…with THE UNDERTAKER!”
-Teddy Long
SmackDown! will forever be the Deadman’s Playground, laying waste to anyone that GM Teddy Long put in front of him. Or anyone who tried to make a name for themselves. One by one, they’ve all fallen by the wayside. It’s ironic. Father Time is undefeated and surely catches up to everyone. But the Undertaker is simply timeless.
We may have seen the last of the Undertaker as an in-ring performer sadly, but the digital age and “meme” culture will surely keep the legacy alive. There are so many good examples to add but, too many to choose from honestly. I’ll let you do the homework. But as the 30th Anniversary of The Undertaker’s WWE debut at Survivor Series creeps closer, we may get one last look at the Phenom on Sunday before he rides off into the sunset for good.
It’s almost poetic. That after an illustrious and decorated career as the one Mark Calaway has presented us with, we can lay the legend to rest. His legacy will live on forever. But after 3 decades of destruction, the Undertaker can now…Rest. In. Peace.
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