The Undertaker has been making his presence known ever since he came onto the World Wrestling Wederation
scene at the 1990 Survivor Series. But the 6"10' grappler has done more than survive in his 10 years between
the federation ropes. As a matter of fact, this "Badass" wrestler has been involved in some of wrestling's
most memorable matches in his illustrious career.
The dark warrior engaged in a fight for the ages on October 5, 1997, in a Hell in the Cell square-off against
"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. The Pay-Per_View was dubbed Badd Blood, and the title seemed to fit the
match the 2 were going to take part in that infamous night.
Months earlier, " The Heartbreak Kid" had served as a guest referee for The Undertaker and Bret Hart in a match
for the WWF championship belt. All throughout the contest, Hart provoked Michaels, causing hime to swing a chair
at "The HItman." This action would hurt The Undertaker in more ways than one. Hart would duck under the swinging
chair, causing the 'Taker to get nailed and pinned almost at the same time. Michaels had cost him the belt and
win, and The Undertaker wanted revenge. He couldn't ask for a better setting to take out his frustrations on his
foe, as the cell match consisted of the 2 men fightinmg ina ring enclosed by a 16" steel cage.
Neither wrestler would have any place to run and that's just how The Undertaker wanted it. He was used to matches
that involved hellish surroundings and circumstances, so this was just what the voodoo doctor ordered for him. He
would go to work on HBK as soon as the bell sounded. Michaels tried to mount an attack against his enormous opponent
but nothing seemed to be working. It looked as though it was going to be a night of sweet revenge for The Undertaker,
but it wasn't to be.
When a camerman was injured inside the ring, the locked entrance to the cell had to be opened to let the injured man
out. Michaels tried to take advantage of this opportunity and darted for the opened gate, only to be thwarted in his
efforts by The Undertaker. In the process The Kid's face was plastered into the side of the cell.
With his face busted open and the cage now relocked, Michaels tried to escape his dark foe by scaling the cage, but
the Undertaker was right behind him and the 2 then began to battle on top of the cell. As HBK tried to retreat back
down the side of the cage, he was knocked off onto an announcer's table, and it seemed only a matter of time before
The Undertaker took the vicory. When he was about to pin Michaels after leveling him with a viscious chair shot, the
unexpected happened; the Undertaker's brother, Kane, showed up and ripped open the cage. He then tombstoned the dark
warrior, causing hime to lose the match. Although he did not win, The Undertaker did get his revenge on Michaels by
rendering him a bloody mess on that night. And his 2 friends Triple H and Chyna had to carry him back to the locker
room.
Another Hell in the Cell match that will go down as one of wrestling's bests occurred on June 28, 1998, in Pittsburgh,
when The Undertaker duked it out with the masked grappler, Mankind.
While this match didn't contain the action of the Michaels-"Taker cell fight, it did have its key moments that have
people to this day scratching their heads, not believing what they have witnessed. The fans who were in attendance and
even those watching at home knew they were about to see an historic event even before the match had started. Mankind,
a.k.a.Mick Foley, was making his way with chair in hand right to the top of the cage.
When The Undertaker was introduced and saw his opponent 16" above the arena, he didn't hesitate to scale the cage and
meet Foley on top. Upon arriving there, The Undertaker was greeted with 2 monstrous chair blows from Mankind. He would
return the favor in a crazy way, launching Foley 16 feet below onto an announcer's table. The crowd was silent and
Mankind lay alomost motionless for about 3 minutes until the paramedics and doctors rushed onto the scene. The Undertaker
took all this in from his perch above the arena, still on top of the cell.
Just when it seemed the match was over, with Mankind beeing wheeled off on a stretcher, Foley jumped up and made his way
not only back into the arena, but back on top of the cage! Not knowing when to quit, Mankind was then thrown right through
the top of the steel cage, down onto the mat 16" below, by The Undertaker, and this time there was nothing to break his
fall. Again he would lay motionless, but again, Foley would get up and go at the dark angel, even managing to sprinkle the
ring floor with thumb tacks twice before finishing him off with a tombstone piledriver.
But that was the old Undertaker. Today, there's a newer, badder,and bolder version of his character in the WWF--a modern-day
'Taker if you will.
This modern-day "Badass" appeared on the scene at Judgement Day 2000, in stunning fashion during a Triple H vs. The Rock
Ironman match for the World Heavyweight Championship title. In a crazy all-out 60 minute match that had Shawn michaels as the
guest referee, Shane, Stephanie, and Vince McMahon at ringside, and Dx involved in the ring action, the Undertaker would steal
the show on this night as he came riding down the aisle on his motorcycle to Kid Rock blasted music and a thunderous crowd ovation.
Although the crowd roared in appreciation for their longtime superstar, they all stared at the grappler, not because he had been
missing in action for almost a year, but because he now had a new look. No longer was he dressed in an eerie al-black outfit, he
was now sporting a biker's getup, wearing dark sunglasses and a bandanna around his head. A look that plainly stated--BACK-OFF!
That's what everyone should have done that night at Judgement Day as The Undertaker, now know as "The American Bad Ass," kicked
some pretty good butt in the ring. He showed everyone in attendance that night he was ready to be a prime-time player once again. He
was now back to claim what he felt was rightfully his before he'd left, the top-dog spot in the federation. Also equipped with a new
new finishing manuever, "The Last Ride," he was ready to take on anyone who wanted to give the "Bad Ass" a try.
And if he feels like it, the 3 time WWf Heavyweight Champion might go after another title belt; after all, when your'e an "American
Bad Ass" you pretty much get to do what you want.
As the 'Taker said in an interview in WWF Magazine's October issue, "I've always stood on my own and done what i wanted to do and have
either reaped my rewards or taken the consequences."
Mostly the take-no-prisoners wrestler has reaped the rewards as he's battled and beaten some of the game's greats. Over the course of
his career, he's gone toe-to-toe with the likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock,Triple H, Big Bossman, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart,
--hell he's even fought his own flesh and blood, his brother, Kane, in the ring. There are no limits and no one that can stop him when he's determined.
"I don't care if it's Vince McMahon, I dont take orders from anybody," he said.
Spoken like a true BAD ASS that he is!
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Bam Bam Bigelow
