The Undertaker will take his place in the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday.
Unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown or the Basketball Hall Fame in Springfield, there is no concrete structure or museum to memorialize WWE’s legends. Yet the recognition is a real honor for those who are inducted, and perhaps just as much to those who supported their favorites from childhood to adulthood.
“You don’t get to where I am without help and support,” says Mark Calaway, who reached a level of fame rarely attained in pro wrestling as The Undertaker. “My fans have been unwavering and loyal. It’s incredible to think they’ve stayed with me for over three decades. In this day and age where it’s a flavor of the week, to stay relevant for this long is due to my fan base and their loyalty to that character.”
Beginning with his pay-per-view debut at Survivor Series in 1990, The Undertaker became a fixture in WWE. This followed an up-and-down stretch when he had morsels of success in Japan and WCW, nowhere near the towering heights he reached in WWE.
“When I was younger, a Hall of Famer to me was Andre the Giant,” says Calaway, 57. “He was always larger than life. That wasn’t just because of his physical stature. It was also because of his work as a performer. Even as a kid, I went to see Andre. To think I’m going to be enshrined with Andre, and people of that nature, it’s incredible.”
Although he never crossed paths with Andre, Calaway shared the ring with nearly every legend in the industry over the past few decades, including Bruiser Brody in WCCW. He helped carry WWE during the famed “Monday Night Wars” era in the company’s battle for wrestling supremacy against WCW and had memorable feuds over the span of his career with Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Brock Lesnar, Bret Hart, Kane, Edge, Jake Roberts and Hulk Hogan. With the exception of Lesnar and Edge, the rest of those performers are no longer actively competing. Calaway believes WWE is in great hands with its new stars, particularly Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch.
“As great as she is right now, Bianca is still light years away from where she’s going to be,” Calaway says. “Bianca is a real phenomenal talent. And Becky is in such command of her gimmick. She’s at the top of her game.”
In a story that dates back to last year’s SummerSlam, Lynch and Belair have built an extraordinary story entering WrestleMania.
“I thought they threw even more gasoline on the fire this week with Becky getting her hair cut,” Calaway says. “There is so much emotion surrounding that match. I’ll try to sit down in my seat, have a beer and enjoy it.”
Another match this weekend that stands out to Calaway is one between two former WrestleMania opponents.
“I’m so excited for Edge and AJ Styles,” Calaway says. “Those guys are so in tune with what they do. They know their characters, they know how to have great matches, and this is something new for WrestleMania. It’s really going to be a fun match to watch. That match, with those peaks and valleys, it’s going to be a roller coaster.”
Calaway won’t be the only legend from his era who is a part of WrestleMania 38. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is returning for The KO Show on Saturday, which should lead to a match against Kevin Owens. The ’Taker-Austin rivalry ignited in 1997, then intensified in the summer of ’98, a year when either Austin or The Undertaker was featured in the main event of all but one of that year’s 13 pay-per-views.
If Austin does wrestle Owens, it will be his first match in 19 years. Even with his time away from the ring, Calaway expects Austin to be as intense as ever come show time.
“As a fan, I’m excited to see Austin,” Calaway says. “When Steve was in his prime and on top, he was really intense. He took all of this very, very seriously, as he should have, and he was kind of a lone wolf. After our careers, we’ve really grown closer.
“We’re two Texas boys, and we like to talk about hunting and fishing and all that good stuff. After 19 years since his last match, and with WrestleMania in Texas at AT&T Stadium, I’m just like everyone else—I can’t wait to hear and see the reaction when that glass breaks.”
While Calaway is grateful to be in a position where his career contributions are celebrated during his Hall of Fame induction, he is also adamant that the focus of the weekend should be on the stars in the ring.
“That’s the way it should be,” Calaway says. “This era’s talent is incredible. I love the way they’re developing psychology and in-ring personas. WrestleMania is going to be special.”
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Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
