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"That ring is my yard and I am the big dog that runs that yard"
Here is a pretty extensive listing of various articles featuring The Undertaker from past to present. If you know of any I'm missing, I'd greatly appreciate a helping hand! :) Here's more about The Undertaker for ya...
More recent articles
DeadMan Talking
by Aaron Williams
Mark Callaway likes to refer to himself as a reluctant
celebrity. Although he's
been the limelight for more than a decade as WWE's
Undertaker, he rarely speaks out, preferring to keep his
thoughts and personal life private. In this rare
interview, he discusses the origin of Undertaker, his
transformation into the American Bad Ass, his relationship
with Vince McMahon, his feelings about those who love
him-and those who don't-and much more. In addition we
asked a few other legends to give their thoughts on Mark
Callaway and where he fits in the history of this business.
WWE: How did Undertaker come about?
Undertaker: Undertaker was a vision of Vince McMahon. Everybody is
well aware of all the characters that he's created. He
liked the old Western undertaker with the long coat and the
big hat; he just never found the right guy to portray
him. I guess it would had to be somebody with a real
cold, monotone personality. Looking back, I guess I
didn't show him much personality when I first met him.
I was sitting at home when the phone rang. I answered
and heard, "Hello, is this Undertaker?" It
dawned on me after a second that it was Vince, and I said,
"Okay, sure." Then he laid out the whole
thing to me.
Initially, I was a little concerned, thing it would be too strange
or wouldn't be done the way I felt the character should be
portrayed. Fortunately, he allowed me to develop the
way I felt it should. It was a real collaboration, and
I guess the rest is history.
It's king of funny, I knew I was going to get the call from
him back then. I just felt it. At the same time,
the promotion was leading up to Survivor Series, and I was
terrified that he was going to call me and want me to be a
big egg, shave my head and eyebrows and be "egg
man." It was definitely a relief to get the
Undertaker call.
WWE: What did it mean to you to defeat Hulk Hogan for the WWE
Championship in 1991? At the time he was the No.1 man
in the business and it seemed no one could beat him.
Undertaker: It was amazing. I always knew I had something to
offer. That moment when I came champion for the first
time...all the work, all the doors that been slammed in my
face, all the people who had told me I was wasting my life,
it all paid off. I knew deep down that I had
something. I didn't know that I would be able to sustain
it as long as I have, but at that moment I knew if I stayed
focused and dealt with the crap, I would succeed. At
that moment, it was like everybody doubted me could kiss my
ass because I was here.
It was more a victory over those people than it was over
Hogan. I was excited to beat the legend, but it more
of a victory all those people would had told me that people
would never pay money to see me wrestle. I had taken
the chance, and it paid off.
WWE: Was it different this past May when you beat Hogan for
the title at Judgment Day?
Undertaker: Yeah, it was little more personal this time. I
just kind of wanted to show him who had the run of the yard
now.
WWE: During the years following your first victory over Hogan,
you fought a series of giant. It seemed as if every
huge Superstar that came to WWE fought Undertaker.
What was that like?
Undertaker: I enjoyed all the theatrics of Kamala and the other
giants, but I really didn't want to wrestle most of those
guys. They were very limited [in what they could do in
the ring]. I take a lot of pride in what I do and what
we present to our fans. We can laugh about it now, but
it was a case then where my intent was to take chicken s***
and make it chicken salad, to work around those guys as much
as I could. In doing so, I ended up putting my body
through hell. That whole stretch probably took a few
years off my career.
WWE: Do you prefer wrestling against bigger or smaller guys?
Undertaker: It doesn't matter to me. Some people are allowed
in this business because of their size and not their
ability, and that usually causes problems for whoever their
opponent is. The risk factor is already off that chart
for two guys who are excellent athletes and excellent
wrestlers. You add a guy who is neither, and there's a
huge potential for injury.
But as far as size goes, it doesn't matter to me. I
think I've had some of my better matches with guys like
Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart. On the flip side, I also
think that I had some great matches with Yokozuna. I
thought we had an unbelievable run together. I wish
out industry would have been stronger at the time.
WWE: A lot of people left WWE for other promotions during the
'90's. Yet you didn't. Why didn't you ever go to
WCW or some other organization?
Undertaker: I'm very loyal-loyal to a fault sometimes. Not to
say that I wasn't displeased by the directions that our
company was going at certain times. But when no one
else believed in me, Vince did. he gave me a job and
an opportunity to show the world what I had to offer.
That became the overriding factor. I had offers to
leave and make more money and work a lot less. But
when I had nothing, Vince gave me an opportunity. I
chose to stick with him and give back.
I've grown respect for Vince as a businessman, and I
consider him a friend. I consider his family apart of
my family. That's very uncommon in this day for any
business, much less this one.
WWE: You were injured in 1999, and when you came back in 2000,
you were no longer the "Man From the Dark Side,"
but the "American Bad Ass." Why the change?
Undertaker: That was a huge decision for me. I think one of
the keys to my success has been my ability to put my finger
on the pulse of the fans. Our fans are very loyal, but
they also have a short attention span. Throughout my
career, there have been subtle changes in Undertaker.
I do that to create interest.
I think when I came back it was where our audience
was. They're much more sophisticated then they used to
be, much more knowledgeable of the business. I thought
I'd taken the older, darker Undertaker as far as I could at
the time. So my whole objective was that the American
Bad Ass was the evolution of Undertaker. I described
it as Outlaw Josey Wales 2000, a modern-day
outlaw, loner. To this day no matter how I talk, if I
mention "souls" and "death," there's
still that darkness and mystique of Undertaker. Who's
to say that if something traumatic happened to Undertaker,
he might not go out in the desert and pick up that old hat,
coat, and gloves, and ride through the darkness one last
time.
WWE: You've been called a locker room leader. What does
that mean and how does it make you feel?
Undertaker: It makes me feel good that the guys I work with and
spend so much time with look at me in that role. It's
not something I politicked for. I think that they
appreciate the way I conduct myself and the way I do
business. I think they appreciate the fact that I
treat people the way I want to be treated. Also, I,
and the other guys for that matter, are not going to tolerate
B.S. or bad attitudes. So overall, I'm glad that
people look at me like that because they respect what I
bring to the locker room and what I bring to the
company. But, there are a number of guys who could be considered
locker room leaders. Triple H, Kurt Angle, those guys
are looked up to, not only fir what they do in he ring but
for how they treat the younger talent. They help
people and they always have an ear for you if you have a
problem.
I think there are only a few of us still around who went
through the old territory system. So, a lot of guys
come to me and ask how to deal with certain
situations. I can give people insight on how to handle
problems relating to this industry.
WWE: Do you ever feel conflicted in your relationship with the
guys and Vince McMahon?
Undertaker: I don't think it's too much of a problem. First
and foremost, I never play one against the other. if
anybody tells me something in confidence, they know it stops
right there. Everybody's pretty much aware of the
relationship Vince and I have, but we've also had problems
professionally. They know that I'm not above anybody,
that I don't get special treatment. It's not like
that. But I never use my "stroke".
Back in the old days, if you went out and partied all night
long, whatever happened stayed there. Today, if I saw
somebody doing something that I thought would conflict with
business, I would take care of it personally. I don't
think that anyone feels that I go tell Vince if I see
something. But, they do know that we have to do what's
best for our industry, or they will deal with me and the
other guys. The entertainment industry is so
competitive that we can't afford to stumble.
WWE: You have your fair share of critics. Some followers
of the genre, especially those who like to voice their
opinions on the internet, have been particularly critical of
your performance/position in WWE. How do you respond
to them?
Undertaker: Those people really don't have any effect on what I
do. What those people on the internet forget-and need
to realize-is that they are only fans. They're
entitled to say what they want, but nobody puts themselves
under more scrutiny than I do, especially at this point in
my career. It's very important to me not to be out
there if I can't compete with anybody on the card.
When somebody is holding back out of respect for me, then,
hopefully, someone else will come up to me and say,
"You've lost a step, you shouldn't be out
here." I don't think I'm there yet.
These internet people think they know so much about this
business, but they don't know s***. They know what
they're allowed to know, but then they don't sign my
paychecks. I've read where they say, "He won't
move over. He won't do business." I'm
waiting for somebody to move me over. Vince McMahon is
a smart businessman and, regardless of our relationship, if I'm
not in a position where I am not drawling fans, then I'm not
going to be there. I wouldn't want to be there.
I think a lot of these people are so geared up to the
smaller wrestlers, the guys that jump around, that's the
only thing that entertains them. I don't use wrestling
moves as an end all be all. I'm out there to tell a
story.
So these critics don't affect me. When they say I'm
old or that I'm slow. I think they forget that I'm
six-foot-eight and over 300 pounds. Even at this point
in my career I would go against anyone my size and go move
for move with them any day. if I worried about what
they said, I would have retired a long time ago, I
worry about what the guys in the locker room say, what the
real fans that pay their hard-earned money for our shows say
and what Vince McMahon says.
WWE: Despite your critics, you are unquestionably one of the
most popular Superstars in WWE history. Did you ever
thing Undertaker would attract such a low, pronounced and
almost cult-like following?
Undertaker: I never would have foreseen that happening, especially
with the initial reaction I received when I first came
out. I remember the small kids crying and wondering
whether I was really dead. I never thought I would
have received the way I have been. Undertaker fans are
the most loyal people in the world, no matter how I've
changed over the years. They've always respected what
I've tried to give them. I'm sure most of them would
refer the old, gothic, darker Undertaker, but they all
appreciate what I bring and my vision of where Undertaker
needs to go.
I think fans in general like to go with the flavor of the
week. Shawn Michaels was the hot thing for a while,
then Stone Cold, then The Rock. Where my fans are
concerned, they've never wavered. They've stuck with
me through thick and thin. It's really amazing that
I've been received that way, and it really inspires me when
my hips are hurting so badly. It helps me gear up and
do what I'm supposed to do.
WWE: You've accomplished everything that one could accomplish
in this business. What motivates you to keep competing
now?
Undertaker: For years, my personal life was in such disarray, my
whole release was work. I enjoyed work. I
enjoyed being on the road, I enjoyed the
nightlife. I think right now what motivates me is that
my personal life is in check. My marriage to Sara has
changed me as a persona. I'm happy. Being around
for so long and being able to perform at a level with
today's Superstars, the 25-year-olds and their style is a
real challenge. To be able to come from the era I did,
and to be able to compete with these athletes, go be able to
perform at their level, and to be able to pass on my
knowledge so that maybe they can have career similar to
mine, motivates me. It's fun trying to keep up.
Dead Man ready to roll - January 19, 03
by Phil Speer
When someone appears on your television for as long as
Undertaker, you naturally assume you know all about
them. But can even the most ardent devotes of the
Deadman honestly say they know Mark Callaway?
The likely answer is no. Callaway is someone who works
diligently to separate his 'Taker persona from the personal
life he closely protects, and ever people who knew him
"from way back when" might be shocked by the
transformation Callaway's life has recently undergone.
For years, he was a self-professed hellraiser away from the
ring, indulging in life on the road to the fullest.
Those were fun times and the stories have become legend, but
they were not necessarily happy times. Then he met
Sara, who would have a profound effect on him in every way imaginable
and eventually become his wife.
Now, long nights of partying with the boys and raising hell
have been traded in for quiet times with Sara on their
spacious and private Texas ranch. It's a change which
has made lift better for Callaway both personally and professionally.
"It took meeting Sara to really know what personal
happiness was," Callaway says. "After that,
I had no desire to go to strip clubs; I had no desire to go
out and drink Jack Daniel's by the gallon. I guess
those were all crutches, for lack of a better term.
But once we met, I found somebody I was not only attracted
to physically, but also mentally. We have so many of
the same interests. Everything was like, 'Here is my
best friend, who I'm also highly attracted to.' It's
been that way every since.
"It's just amazing that after going out every night
drinking, hanging out and carrying on...boom!
Overnight, I had no desire to," he continues.
"As much as I went out and partied, I was waiting for
that desire to go and hang out to come back. But it
hasn't."
The new, more domesticated lifestyle Callaway has enjoyed
with Sara is like night and day compared to the wild days of
yore. Like many athletes and entertainers who spend
extended period of time on the road, sports-entertainment
performers can often be notorious party animals.
Even within that framework, however, Callaway's nights of
excess stood out. But as great as those stories might
be, they become a heavy price. Callaway was burning
the candle at both ends, and burning it down fast.
"Within the circle of our business, my nightly and
partying was the stuff that legends are made of," he
says. "My home life, without getting to details,
was miserable. I hated being home. When I was
out, I got the most out of a celebrity's nightlife.
But I didn't take care of my body, I never allowed it to
affect what I did in the ring-business always came first-but
it made things harder for me at times."
Callaway is quick to point out that his hard living and
endless excess never affected the business he is fiercely protective
of. he never missed shows feeling hung over, nor did
his performance in the ring ever suffer from the previous
night's libations. Those are transgressions he will
never tolerate from himself, nor from others in the locker
room.
Yet, it was not until he abandoned that lifestyle that he
began to notice that he wasn't as young as he used to e, and
that his body had suffered form years of neglect and
abuse. As happens to many big men who perform in the
ring for so many years, Callaway was suffering from painful
hip and knew ailments. His metabolism had also
naturally slowed with time, and food he used to burning off
with little effort was now sticking to him and adding
weight, causing further stress on his ailing lower body.
Unlike many WWE Superstars, Callaway was never a gym
rat. He worked out and did general maintenance on his
body, but did only what was necessary to stay in
shape. Blessed with superior genetics, he was able to
stay on top of his game with very little effort in the
weight room.
Now, not only was he happy to spend his nights at home with
Sara, he also found that he had a partner who was a fitness
fanatic, and who inspired him to hit the gym with her.
"Sara really pushes me to the brink sometimes,"
Callaway says with a laugh. "You can see how
great body is in the WWE Divas 2002 swimsuit magazine.
With her energy, desire and motivation to keep her body at
that level motivates me. We motivate each other, and
that's fun. She's a great training partner."
When Mark and Sara moved from Florida to their Texas ranch
one of the first things he did was install a
state-of-the-art gym on the property. The couple works
out there often, and Callaway takes the much of the restless
energy he once spent living the while life and puts it to
work in the gym, strengthening his battered and
injury-plagued body in order to keep up with the younger members
of the WWE roster.
Callaway has embraced this new outlook at the latest
greatest challenge of his legendary career-defying the
effects of time and revering years of punishment suffered
both in and out of the ring.
"I'm getting a little older; I don't recover as quickly
as I used to, and the weight isn't as easy to keep off as it
used to be. Now that I have this personal happiness, I
had to take it and use it to motivate me to keep physically
fit. When we moved to Texas, it was a new struggle to
keep my body at a level to fight off injuries and to compete
with guys that are 25 or 26 years old. It's a constant
struggle, but with the commitment I have now, I'll be able
to be productive for some time to come."
The new spread also allows Callaway some much-needed peace
of mind when he's not on the road. It's a place where
he can leave Undertaker behind and be himself-a husband and
a father, and a man who'd now much rather spend time at home
than out raising hell.
"This is awesome. I am a very reluctant
celebrity," he says. "I don't put much
status in being seen or having notoriety like that.
When I'm off, it's nice to be able to come out here to the
ranch and not have to deal with anything other than my
animals and my family. It's fun to be able to live
that kind of life and be normal. I can go out on the
property and be lost all day. It keeps my feel
grounded when I'm here.
"I can't wait to get home now. I guess it would
have been nice if Sara continued to work with
me. I know a lot of the fans didn't appreciate her
being with Undertaker, because he had been a loner for so
long. I think they took that awkwardly. But it
was nice having her on the road with me, traveling and
training together. Now that she's home, I can't get
home soon enough-and I can't stay long enough. It's
always nice having someone you can love and respect waiting
for you."
With his personal life now in order. Callaway has
begun to give thought to life beyond Undertaker. He
remains a force in the industry, a legend who is still very
much on top of his game. But Callaway realizes that
even the phenomenon known as Undertaker has a finite
lifespan, and the day will come when the character is gone
and only Mark Callaway remains.
But even then, the business he has given so much to over the
past several years will always be a part of his life, in
some form or another.
"I think in the next few years I'll work a little
less. but I'll still be out there quite a bit," Callaway
says. "I just want to take a little time to spend
with my family. The reality is, I don't know how many
years I have left. The people who backed me and stayed
behind me all these years, I don't want to sell them
short. It's going to be a juggling act.
"I've got a lot of different irons in the fire. I
think initially I'll just sit back, relax and enjoy the
fruits of my labor. I definitely feel like I have
something to give back to the business. Whether I stay
on the ranch and have WWE Superstars come and work out with
me, or whether I go out on the road and do something behind
the scenes, I don't know. I don't have any desire to
go out and be a full-time agent. I want to spend more
time at home. So the more things I can do from here,
the better. I have some interest in developing some
real estate as well. But I think most of it will be
here, hanging out at the ranch, relaxing and enjoying my
life."
Undertaker Interview After No Mercy - October 22, 02
by Phil Speer
Less than 48 hours after his Hell in a Cell battle against Brock Lesnar at No Mercy, Undertaker discussed his condition, his thoughts on the match and more in this interview with WWE.com.
WWE.com: How are you doing?
Undertaker: I feel like I got in a train wreck. But you know what they say: that which does not kill you makes you stronger. I’m feeling all right all things considered, I guess.
WWE.com: Nothing broken as far as you know?
Undertaker: I don’t know that yet. I’ve got some stuff going on in my lower back - some unusual swelling and pain. I mean, my right hip is in bad shape all the time, but this is more on the left side, which is new. But I haven’t had an MRI or anything done yet. I’m hoping it will subside in a few days.
WWE.com: So at this point you’re going to wait and see? You don’t have a doctor appointment or anything like that?
Undertaker: I’m just going to wait and see. It’s only been a couple of days. Usually with something like that, I’ll wait for a few days to see if it starts healing, and then if it doesn’t, then I’ll get a doctor’s appointment. But no plans for a doctor yet.
WWE.com: Have you ever lost that much blood in a match?
Undertaker: I’m sure I have. I think I lost quite a bit of blood when I got hit in the head with a sledgehammer by Triple H a couple of years back, right before WrestleMania. But that time, I wasn’t out there as long, and continuing to compete, as I was Sunday at Hell in a Cell. I don’t remember losing that much blood recently.
WWE.com: How were you able to continue the match while losing so much blood?
Undertaker: You know what? When things like that happen, it tends to make you more aggressive. With some people, that much blood will worry them and confuse them and make them apprehensive and nervous. Or you can use it the way I did, to fuel my aggression and to kind of feed off it. You know you’re in a bad way. You just don’t lose that much blood and don’t realize you’re in some bit of harm. But that’s the way I use it - it kind of perked me up and made me want to fight even harder.
WWE.com: What’s it like mentally, going into the match, knowing that you’re going to end up in a lot of pain?
Undertaker: That’s just part of it. You have to gear yourself up for what you have to put your body through. You just have to realize that you’re going to have to deal with the pain and the consequences of what you put your body through, after the fact. You really can’t worry about what you’re going to feel like. You just have to focus on what you have to do, and deal with the pain and the injuries afterwards.
WWE.com: But when you have a Hell in a Cell, your mentality the day of the show must be different than if you were having a standard match.
Undertaker: I think so. I think Hell in a Cell - if you don’t focus at 100 percent, you can really come out a lot of worse off than how you’re going to anyway. You really have to focus at Hell in a Cell. Not only do you have to figure out how to be entertaining, but you have to be at your most violent (and) your most aggressive. With the standards that are set for Hell in a Cell, you have a lot of pressure to deliver in that match -- especially me, because I’ve been in so many, and there are so many memorable moments that involve the Undertaker in Hell in a Cell. So all of those things. Not only personally, but professionally, you have a lot of pressure on you when you go in Hell in a Cell.
WWE.com: Did you have stitches?
Undertaker: Yeah, they had to put in 18 stitches to close the wound.
WWE.com: Overall, what did you think of the match?
Undertaker: I thought it was probably the most brutal of all of the Hell in a Cells. I know some people were saying, “Well, nobody came off the top. No one took a huge bump.” The Cell itself was originally intended to enclose two men - two men enter, one man leaves. With all the different ways in which the Cell had been broken - and people have gotten out and got to the top and created those huge bumps - it was really my focus and my goal to not be able to get out of that cage. To make the Hell in a Cell be what it was meant to be - two men enter, one man leaves. Hopefully, we redefined what it means, and that you can have that kind of match without having to have someone fly off the top. Because that match is all about the brutality of what one man does to another, inside that Cell. And hopefully that’s where we took the match.
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