But really, this match is being confirmed around the net. Oh, and when RAW went off the air this week, the Undertaker made the save for Austin. Kane got a tombstone and Mankind got a Stunner for their troubles. Plus, the Austin/Taker tag team has been used numerous times at house shows this month, including the Madison Square Garden show that was featured on RAW. It'll be a good match - nicely rehearsed, and fluid. Though the end should set up for the Taker/Austin main event at Summerslam. I thought that match would happen at KotR, but I guess its not that important of an event as it used to be. Afterall, Sumerslam is just "WrestleMania-Lite".
Speaking of Summerslam, Vince is rumored to be trying to get Marilyn Manson to make an appearance. It what way, I don't know. At least MarilynDust has hung up his tights.... or pantyhose, whatever. 8)
Before the Undertaker, Mark had a brief stint in WCW as "Mean Mark Callous" and in some indie feds as "The Punisher". But it was in the WWF, that Mark became one of the most recognized wrestlers ever.
The Undertaker debuted at Survivor Series 1991 (correct me on these dates if I'm wrong) when he was the mystery partner for Ted Dibiase's team against Dusty Rhodes' team. At the time, the Undertaker was ironically managed by Brother Love. But in time, Love turned over to Paul Bearer, the perfect match for The Undertaker.
One year after his debut, the Undertaker had racked up numerous victories over many other superstars. He had suddenly become a main eventer as he was pitted against the WWF's #1 face: The Immortal Hulk Hogan at Survivor Series. However, with help from Ric Flair, he defeated Hogan for his first title reign. Unfortunatley for the Taker, that reign was cut short three days later, at the last minute ppv "This Tuesday in Texas" which featured the Hogan/Taker rematch. Hogan won the title back after throwing ashes in the Taker's eyes.
The Undertaker went on to fight many of the top faces like The Ultimate Warrior, winning most if not all his feuds. He aligned himself with the newly heel-turned Jake Roberts. But then a strange thing happened. The Undertaker became a face, or a "good guy". The gimmic which characterized all that was evil, dark and gloomy started to become popular. Much like his "brother" Kane, the Undertaker started to get cheers as the lights went down, and the bell began to toll.
Then, to solidify his face turn, he saved Randy Savage and his new bride Elizabeth from a vicious chairshot from Jake "The Snake" Roberts after a match. The fans ate it up. And the "good" Undertaker hasn't looked back since.
Since then, the Undertaker has gone through numerous "unstoppable" opponents like: The Giant Gonzolas, King Kong Bundy, Mabel, Kamala, Deisel, Sid, Vader and even his evil "twin", "The Underfaker". He's even gone through several wardrobe changes as you can see from the photos above. But the Undertaker's best matches have been against smaller opponents such as Mick Foley, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. They've all been main event matches, and each one delivered. When wrestling smaller men, the Taker gets to display his strength, speed, and stamina in real, high intensity matches.
More recently, the Undertaker has been caught up in a feud with his "brother" Kane. It's been an entertaining feud and the matches though slow, haven't been horrible either. (Surprising considering the size of the wrestlers involved) I wouldn't expect any real resolution until Wrestlemania 15. The bottom line: much like Hart and Michaels, the Undertaker has helped carry the WWF through its hardest times of a limited roster, by providing some good Main Event matches, reigning as World Champion and being able to mix up the pot when storylines were becoming old and drawn out. The "undead wrestler" gimmic really has gotten old with a lot of fans these days, and the Undertaker has become more "human" because of it. The only part of the original Undertaker gimmic that exists today is the entrance. The urn is gone, the manager is gone, the zombie-like expression is gone, he always sells punches, etc. I don't even think that the Undertaker "sits-up" anymore. The Undertaker of today is just a really tough..... guy.
I just wish they'd give him a first name. I can't stand to hear anyone say that Kane's brother is... The Undertaker. "I had sex with... The Undertaker's mother. "The" is not a first name. 8)
Now for some news (some old, some new)... plucked from various sources around the web. If you want to read about these tidbits in greater detail, I suggest checking out some of the great wrestling newspages located on my Links page.
The new Monday Night Recap is up at Slobberknocker Central for this week. Nitro gets quite the trashing. 8) Click here to read John Petrie's great column.
A short column this time..... I tried not to be so long winded as I was last time.
Click to visit the previous "News and Views". (though slightly condensed)
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