Credit: Wrestleline.com, dallasnews.com, and Cody Monk

The Undertaker's rise to glory began in Dallas
October 8, 1999
By Cody Monk
Dallasnews.com

Fritz Von Erich stood in the back of the stoic, dimly-lit Sportatorium in Dallas with a smile on his face. He watched his oldest son, Kevin Von Erich, bounce off the ropes, jump from the turnbuckles and take the match to the floor, trying desperately to get the new student to simply make eye contact.
 
Despite Kevin Von Erich's obvious frustration, Fritz Von Erich kept the grin as he walked out the back door. The legendary Fritz Von Erich rarely missed on a prospect, and he knew he had something special with 6-9, 300-pound Mark Callaway - also known as The Undertaker.

"When he first started, he would just stand there and look straight down at my knees or my boots," Kevin Von Erich said of the wrestler who became one of the most revered and transcendent stars in the past 20 years. "I wasn't sure he would ever develop a personality. He was a star in Dallas as The Punisher, but he didn't ever say anything. I've enjoyed seeing him become successful even though those first few times I wrestled him, I wasn't sure he was ever going to look at me."

Callaway has since developed the personality. With The Undertaker character, he has carved a niche that has kept him at the top of the industry since he joined the World Wrestling Federation at the Survivor Series in November 1990.

Since then, Callaway has held the WWF tag team and champion titles three times each. He has become a mainstream media presence and has exemplified staying power in a character.

Callaway has been both babyface and heel. While his peers have switched monikers and gone through several creative changes, however, Callaway has only massaged The Undertaker. "You have to keep giving the fans what they want," said Stone Cold Steve Austin, who changed from Stunning Steve Austin to the Ringmaster before finding his current character.

"The best characters are the ones that are extensions of your own personality," Austin said. "That is the way my character is. When it's that way, you are really in tune with it and the fans normally respond. The Undertaker is a guy the fans like. You keep guys like that the way they are."

Like most wrestlers, Callaway grew up watching wrestling on television. A Houston native, he became familiar with Fritz Von Erich and, eventually, his five sons. Callaway had never given much thought to actually getting into the ring until the summer before his junior year at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth.

Callaway had attended several matches at the Sportatorium and inquired about getting involved. Because he was playing basketball for Texas Wesleyan, Callaway wanted to finish school before making a full-time commitment to wrestling.

That plan, however, was prior to an altercation that changed Callaway's life.

Before the season began, Callaway, who played center, told the coach he wanted to keep playing while continuing his wrestling training.
The coach told Callaway he needed to make a commitment and asked him to stop wrestling.

Considering he was playing at the college equivalent of the minor leagues and his tombstone pile driver was developing much faster than his baseline jumper, Callaway said he couldn't give the team his full attention.

"I had every intention of coming back and playing that last year," Callaway said. "The coach asked me about wrestling and I said it was something that I was interested in doing. We had some words, so I quit the team. He ran me down in the papers, saying that I was the first player he had ever lost to pro wrestling."

Callaway left Texas Wesleyan and became a bouncer at a bar in Arlington while honing his wrestling skills. He made a run through the Sportatorium with Fritz Von Erich's promotion before moving on to the WCW and eventually the WWF, where he has become one of the company's cornerstones.

"I never talked to that coach again," said Callaway, who has a comic book series and is the subject of a Toliver Racing funny car that debuted in July. "That was 15 years ago. I'd actually like to see him. I'd say he did me a favor."

During his early days in Dallas, Callaway met William Moody, who was managing as Percy Pringle. Moody had been working with Austin, Chris Adams, Kerry Von Erich, The Ultimate Warrior and several others during his Dallas stint. But, Moody saw something he liked in Callaway. The two became friends, and when Callaway landed in the WWF, Pringle jumped at the chance to manage "The Phenom." It's a decision that prolonged Moody's career and created an aura that is fast becoming legendary.

"I loved my time in Dallas because you saw guys like Mark (Callaway) develop," Moody said. "Mark found a great fit. That's what you're looking for."