The Legend of Undertaker
The date is November 22, 1990. The United States sits on the brink of the first Gulf War as the Untied Nations orders Iraq leader Saddam Hussein to withdraw his forces from Kuwait. The U.S.S.R. is on the verge of collapse, with many republics breaking free of Soviet control, and the Berlin Wall already down.
At the movies, audiences flock to see America's No. 1 film, Home Alone, as well as others hits like Ghost, Jacob's Ladder, and that year's Oscar-winner, Dances with Wolves. The No. 1 record in the country is M.C. Hammer's "Pray," followed closely by Mariah Carey's "Love Takes Time" and Vanilla Ice's infamous "Ice, Ice, Baby." The TV landscape is ruled by shows like Cheers, Roseanne, A Different World, Murphy Brown and Designing Women.
In the world of technology, Microsoft's recently released Windows 3.0 represents the cutting edge in personal computers, and Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. 3 becomes the pinnacle of video game achievement. It is just nine days after that the first known Web page is written.
Ultimate Warrior is on a tear as WWE Champion, the Intercontinental title is strapped firmly around the waist of Mr. Perfect, and the Hart Foundation is enjoying their second reign as World Tag Team Champions. Intense rivalries rage between "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes and "Million-Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase; Jake "The Snake" Roberts and "The Model" Rick Martel; and Hollywood Hogan and Earthquake. The WWE roster also includes the likes of Koko B. Ware, Hercules, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, the Warlord, the Bushwhackers and the Orient Express. And in the midst of all this, a mysterious newcomer is about to make his WWE debut. Next to nothing is known about him, other than a short-lived stint in WCW and rumors about a fire years ago that took the lives of his family. None dare speak his true name. He calls himself Undertaker.
Backstage at the 1990 Survivor Series in Hartford, Connecticut, he stands by the curtain, cloaked in a long black overcoat. A wide-brimmed hat obscures his pale features as he clenches his fists over and over in his thick, gray gloves. With his cold, green eyes, he peers intensely at the ring. DiBiase, microphone in hand, is about to announce the mystery member of his tag team. As he finally does so, the haunting strains of Chopin's "Funeral March" resound through the Hartford Civic Center. Every other Superstar in the locker room stands back several feet as Undertaker very purposefully, almost robotically, lifts up his head, parts the curtains, and begins that slow march to ringside.
That particular moment in time represents the birth of an era in WWE, one that continues to this day. Although in many cases like this it's argued that few realized the magnitude of what was happening, that was not so with Undertaker. From the first time he emerged before the public, there could not haven been a soul watching back-stage, in the arena, or on television that didn't get the distinct impression that they were watching something historic.
No one like this had ever been seen before anywhere in sports-entertainment. He seemed supernatural, able to withstand punishment that no mortal ever could, drawing power from a source beyond this world. Even when he allowed fans more access to his human side in later years, he still retained that larger-than-life aura. And now that he has once again embraced the powers of the Darkside, that aura has grown stronger than ever before.
Unlike many WWE rookies who debuted to modest fanfare at the bottom of the card and needed time to develop into major forces, Undertaker was the Phenom from the word go. It was clear that this man was a main-eventer from his first match. If anyone possessed that quality from the beginning, it was him. In a time when the roster was populated with competitors with some of the most outlandish and histrionic personas ever witnessed, Undertaker stood out from the pack. Just like that, he was in the mix with the likes of Warrior, Hogan, Randy "Macho Man" Savage and other topflight Superstars of the day. And he hasn't let up since. The list of those who have come and gone reads like a litany of major stars of the past decade and a half: Sycho Sid, Lex Luger, Yokozuna, Bret "Hit Man" Hart, Diesel, Razor Ramon, Stone Cold, Brock Lesnar, and so many others. All of these men came, had their day, and went.
The Rock, Triple H, Kurt Angle, John Cena, Randy Orton and other major WWE Superstars of today had barley even thought about lacing up a pair of boots for the first time on the night when Undertaker debuted. The Rock was a freshman at the University of Miami. Angle was wrestling at Clarion University. Triple H was months from approaching Killer Kowalski to begin his training. Cena was a high school freshman. Orton was a sixth-grader.
And still, like a force of nature, Undertaker goes on, imposing his will on those around him with the determination and confidence of a god. The world changes. WWE changes. And although "Taker himself has adapted with the times, the core of the man has always remained constant. He has competed against the best and the brightest, and even being able to say you've been in the ring with him is considered a badge of honor-the ultimate test of anyone who believes himself worthy of WWE Superstar status. And it's a test that only a select few can ever claim to have passed. For 14 years, he has remained in the upper echelon of WWE Superstars. To put that in perspective, Hogan's original stretch in the 1980s and early '90s was only nine years long, and Hart's impressive run with the company lasted 13 years. And unlike the "Hit Man," who only spent the latter five years of his stint at main-event level, Undertaker has consistently been among WWE's top handful of competitors during every one of his 14 years.