The Cliffhanger: The Undertaker - The WWF's most valuable player of the decade

Chris Sabga explains why he feels that the Phenom has contributed more to the WWF than anyone else

March 7, 2000

By Chris Sabga
Editor, IGN Wrestling

The WWF has had many impact players competing in the past ten years. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, The Rock, and Triple H have all done their fair share to keep viewers on their toes. Despite their five star efforts, only one man from the past decade can truly be considered the WWF's most valuable player.

The Undertaker.

In the span of a decade, the business has altered philosophies a countless number of times. From vitamin sucking baldies, to American and Canadian heroes, to anti-authority bad asses -- the faces on top of wrestling have changed almost as much as women's fashion. Yet, through it all, Mark Callaway has managed to remain one of the top names in the industry. What is his secret?

The ability to change with the times.

The Undertaker that debuted in 1990 wasn't the same one seen in 1994, 1996, or even 1999. Through gradual changes and evolutions in his persona executed at strategic times for maximum effect, the "Reaper" has been able to consistently keep his stock high. Unlike most wrestlers, his turns from heel to face (and back again) have been fluid and well timed.

Over the past year, the character shifted from its dark comic book roots to become a more realistic portrayal of a man who began to believe his given supernatural gimmick. Many fans initially found his early 1999 return (where he sliced wounds into Mideon's chest while chanting in a very strange dialect) disturbing and hard to get into, but it presented a significant step forward for the persona. A third WWF Title reign and several stellar rematches with longtime rival Austin brought Undertaker to perhaps the greatest heights of his career.

Consider the following:

* The Undertaker holds pay-per-view victories over Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, and The Rock (Survivor Series '91, Over The Edge '99, and King of the Ring '99 respectively). Can anyone else in the business say that they've been booked to win against ALL THREE? It is obvious that the front office has a lot of faith in Callaway's character and work ethic.
* He has won several bouts against Mick Foley, most memorably the insane Hell in the Cell contest at the 1998 King of the Ring.
* He has also defeated Sid, Yokozuna, Vader, Kane, Jake Roberts, Superfly Jimmy Snuka, and countless others.
* He has engaged in classic high profile matches with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. His unforgettable Hell in the Cell match with HBK at Badd Blood immediately springs to mind.
* He has main-evented at least one pay-per-view a year (usually more) since 1993.
* During lackluster feuds with Kamala, Papa Shango, Giant Gonzales, Mabel, Kama, the fake Undertaker (Brian "Chainz" Lee), Executioner (Terry Gordy in a horrible waste of a gimmick), and other midcarders; the "Lord of Darkness" managed to somehow keep himself over with fans. Considering the silly storylines that surrounded each of the above rivalries, Callaway's staying power is almost miraculous.

The Undertaker might not be as scientifically endowed as Bret Hart, as flashy as Shawn Michaels, as "electrifying" as The Rock, or as much of a "dirty SOB" as Steve Austin; but when his music drifts from the speakers, fans immediately drown it out with their frenzied reactions.

It has been almost ten years since a WCW jobber named Mean Mark crossed over to the WWF and became the most successful gimmick in the business. Those who can still remember a man in black tossing Dusty Rhodes around like a fat rag doll at the 1990 Survivor Series had to have known that something special was unfolding right before millions of people. It was Callaway's first night on the job and he blew the world away. He's been doing it ever since.

When The Undertaker competes in the ring, he always works extremely hard to deliver a fluid, believable, intense, and well-timed brawl that is guaranteed to get even the laziest man on his feet, hollering wildly. It is special. It has a certain energy to it. It is The Undertaker...and there's no one else quite like him.