It was a moment that millions of WWE fans had waited for. Madison Square Garden went dark,
then became bathed in deep purple. A sharp, shrill scream echoed throughout the arena and
a familiar theme began to play. Druids, complete with torches, made their way toward the
ring.
The 20,000-plus who had filled The World's Most Famous Arena for WrestleMania XX rose to
their feet in anticipation. Finally, he appeared. Undertaker, the man from the dark side,
was back.
When Undertaker disappeared after Survivor Series, many thought his career was over. He
had accomplished everything that could be done in the industry and had remained a
main-eventer longer than anyone in the modern era ever had. For 13 years, he had fought
and defeated every major Superstar thrown in his way. The crux of his personality had
evolved from the Deadman to the American Badass. What more could he do? Where could he go?
The answer, of course, was spelled out in the WrestleMania slogan, "Where It All
Begins…Again." If there's been one constant with Undertaker, it's that while his core
personality has remained the same, he has adapted to the times. When the Deadman was
fresh, he was as dark as can be. When the fans yearned for something a little different,
he evolved into the American Badass. As WrestleMania approached, it was clear that the
fans were clamoring for a taste of the past. Having learned what it takes to stay on top
all these years, Undertaker, too, knew that it was time for a change.
"The key to Undertaker's success is being able to evolve," says the undead master of the
supernatural. "It's just like everyday life when people grow up and change. They evolve
their personal beliefs and who they are. It evolves through life's experiences, and it
is the same for Undertaker. But the core, regardless of all the subtle changes, has always
been the same. The core of Undertaker has never changed. It's just how it is presented.
I think the fans appreciate that and realize that. It's always been the same entity.
It just gets tweaked to stay up with the times."
As for the moment of return, for a man who has lived through so many special moments,
it was still one that he will never forget.
"It was very interesting to come out to the ring at WrestleMania," he says. "Obviously,
the fans were anxious to see the return and in what form I was going to return. There
was a lot of energy there. It kind of let me know that we are moving in the right direction."
For months, SmackDown! and Raw had aired videos teasing Undertaker's return. The videos
were often the highlight of the shows, and Undertaker was well aware of the reaction he
was getting.
"I was kept informed of what was going on with the videos," he says. "People said seeing
it on TV didn't do justice to the actual reaction live. It was getting off-the-chart
reactions and anticipation. People kept saying the hair would stand up on their arms.
I guess they proved it at WrestleMania. There was a lot of energy."
While fans were made aware that Undertaker would make his return at WrestleMania XX,
no one knew that his trust companion and longtime manager, Paul Bearer, would be at his
side. Bearer came back at the Deadman's request, and it certainly wouldn't have been
the same without him there.
"It felt good and very comfortable to have Paul there," Undertaker says. "I don't think
that any of this would have been completely right without Paul. I don't that it could be
done the right way, and I don't think I can take Undertaker where I want to go without Paul.
Coming out at Madison Square Garden with him felt as natural as the first day we walked out
together."
So was Undertaker nervous at all?
"I didn't have nerves in the sense you would think," he says. "I was a bit nervous about
how I would be perceived rather than coming out and wrestling. Anytime you move backward,
you have some second thoughts. I hadn't presented that side of the Undertaker in a
long time, and to bring it back was going to be interesting. I had a few anxious moments
thinking and hoping that I was bringing the things that the fans who had watched the
Undertaker al these years wanted. I didn't want to sell them short.
"I also thought it was a huge risk," he says. "If it didn't come across right, I think
people would have felt shorted. So there were a few anxious moments. And, it was complete
different from when I first arrived on the scene as Undertaker. From the first day,
I knew that this is who I am. There was never any doubt in my mind. But after not
presenting that side of Undertaker for so long, I really wanted to make sure I gave
people what they remembered."
Now that Undertaker has made his return and has been well received by the fans, the big
question is where does he go from here?
"I think we have to start with the entrance at WrestleMania and understand that it was a
culmination of a lot of things, but it was also a signal of the direction we are heading
in. The slogan was 'Where it all begins…again,' and WrestleMania was the beginning of a
journey that Undertaker is taking. It' s just the first step in the process of getting
back to the origins. Everything that you see is Undertaker. People had a lot of
preconceived ideas of what Undertaker was going to be like at WrestleMania, but it was
a long journey to get to the American Badass, and hopefully, it will be a long journey
back to complete darkness."