~PAGE TWO~
~V. DEADMAN SQUARED~
For the better part of a year, there was no sign of the Deadman. Speculation arose that his WWE run was over. During this time, there were various Taker sightings, giving rise to rumors of the Phenom's return. The man responsible for bringing Undertaker into WWE, Ted Dibiase, even claimed that he had indeed brought Undertaker back to his stable. But, Bearer insisted that Dibiase's Undertaker was nothing but a cheap imitation. Finally, Bearer and Dibiase agreed to have their respective Undertakers do battle at SummerSlam '94 to decide who was telling the truth. Not long after Bearer's Undertaker stepped through the ropes, it became evident who the real Phenom was. Sporting new tattos and wearing purple gloves and stirrups, Bearer's Undertaker absorbed and exorbitant amount of punishment and kept coming back for more. In the end, the true Undertaker revealed himself by disposing of Dibiase's clone and sending him from the arena in a pine box. While Bearer was breathing a sigh of relief, Undertaker's mind was elsewhere. In order to repair his wounded soul, he needed to seek revenge on the man who nearly ended his career.
~VI. REDEMPTION~
Three months later at Survivor Series '94, Undertaker received his opportunity for redemption in another casket match against Yokozuna. The difference between this match and the fist was that action movie star and martial arts master Chuck Norris was appointed the special ringside enforcer. As the match progressed and Undertaker gained a slight advantage, Dibiase sent members of his "Million Dollar Team" to ringside to aid Yokozuna in his battle. But, Instead of another melee like in their last encounter, Norris fought off the predators by throwing lightning fast kicks at their heads. With the numbers at ringside even, Undertaker dropped Yokozuna into the casket and slammed the lid shut. While his score was settled with Yokozuna, the Deadman still harbored ill feelings towards Dibiase and his cohorts, and he wasn't about to let them walk away unscathed.
The hatred between Taker and Dibaise's group only intensified after they stole the scred urn from Paul Bearer and threatened to destroy it and exploit it's contents. At the 1995 Royal Rumble, Undertaker made short work of Irwin R Shyster and nearly regained posssession of the urn, but King Kong Bundy made sure that the relic remained in the hands of the corporation. Eventaully Undertaker challenged the 450 pound "Walking Condominium" to a match at WrestleMania XI. Taker had no problems adding the big man to his growing list of oversized casualties. And when he was finished with the behemoth, he also regained possession of his urn.
As the year progressed, Undertaker's competition seemed to get bigger and meaner. In June, he suffered a rare loss, having been defeated by Men on a Mission's Mabel in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament. But, it got worse. When Undertaker was least expecting it, Mable helped Kama Mustafa (today known as The Godfather) beat him down, allowing the "Million Dollar Corporation" to steal his prized urn once again. This time, Kama vowed that Undertaker would never see his urn again because he was going to melt it down and make himself a gold necklace. True to his word, Kama sported a brand new, two inch thick gold necklace a short time later. An infuriated Undertaker challenged Kama to a casket match at SummerSlam, where he dismantled the self proclaimed "Surpeme Fighting Machine", dropped him on his head, and sent him away in a cakset. While Undertaker regained possession of what used to be his urn, his peace of mind wouldn't last long.
~VII. TO HELL AND BACK~
On October 9, 1995 RAW, Undertaker was brutally attacked with over a half ton of intensity-in the form of Mabel and Yokozuna. Among the numerous injuries he suffered was a broken eye socket, which left his face severely bruised. Even after a month off to recover, he was forced to wear a thick, protective mask to sheild the damaged area. At Survivor Series, Undertaker returned refocused and more intense then ever. During an eight man tag team elimination match he single handedly defeated Isaac Yankem, Jerry Lawler, Triple H, and Mable to score the victory for his team. Like a phonenix, Taker returned from another setback, better then ever. Now was the time to channel all of his energy into winning back the WWE Championship.
At Royal Rumble '96, Undertaker recieved a title shot against Bret "Hit Man" Hart. The technically sound champion was considered an underdog against his bigger and stronger challenger. The Deadman took it to Hart and came close to defeating him on more then one occasion. The contest was actually so brutal that Undertaker lost his protective mask. But, before he could score the victory, "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel (now competing as Kevin Nash) interfered, attacked the Hit Man, and ended the match by disqualification. At the time, Hart was Diesel's main rival, but after costing the Man from the Dark Side his second WWE Champion, he now had a new nemesis to deal with.
A short time later, Taker received a much deserved rematch, but again Diesel showed up-only this time, he wasn't just targeting Hart, he was after the Phenom as well. After punishing Taker with three straight jackknife powerbombs, Diesel was shocked to see his victim rise up-a true testament to Undertaker's resilency.
At WWE's In your House in February '96, Diesel was battling Hart in a cage match when Undertaker riped through the canvas and dragged Diesel under the ring. Moments later, a shaken Diesel reappeared with his pant leg torn and a glazed look in his eyes. Taker had shown Diesel a sample of the dark side-and the seven foot monster didn't like what he'd seen. The rivalry remained unsettled, and a match was soon made between the two at WrestleMania XII. While he did give up a few inches to Diesel, Undertaker soundly defeated him with a Tombstone piledriver and ended the big man's tenure in WWE.
Not wanting to end up like Diesel, few superstars stepped up to face Undertaker in the coming months. But soon the deranged Mankind challenged him to match at King of Ring. The masked madman was unlike any opponent Undertaker had ever faced. He was fearless, unpredictable, and mentally disturbed. A true psychotic, he not only was practically impervious to pain, he seemed to relish it. Going into this match, Undertaker knew he had a formidable opponent. What he didn't know was just how sadistic and volatile Mankind could be. No matter how much punishment Taker dished out, Mankind just kept coming at him. And, when Bearer "accidentally" hit Undertaker with his urn, it allowed the Deranged One to gain the advantage and win the match via a Mandible Claw. As Undertaker's fans scratched their heads at the surprise victory, many wondered if Bearer's actions were truly accidental.
The hatred between Undertaker and Mankind boiled through the summer. At SummerSlam '96, the rivals agreed to meet in the first ever "Boiler Room Brawl", where most of the match occurred in the bowels of the Gund Arean in Cleaveland, Ohio. In one of the most brutal battles in WWE history, Taker and Mankind attemtpted to maim each other with ladders, steel pipes, and other foreign objects. Everything was legal, but the biggest shock came when a weakened Undertaker knelt in front of Bearer to salute the urn and was knocked across the head by his manager. As Bearer sneered over his accomplishment, Mankind again picked up a win. For unknown reasons, Bearer had decided to sever his ties with the Deadman and formed an unholy alliance with Mankind.
While it was rare for Undertaker to suffer a defeat, two consecutive losses were unheard of. Mankind had taken it to the Deadman and beaten him by using Undertaker's own weapon of choice--mind games. But, Taker was determined to take his rivalry to the next level by challenging the Deranged One to a Buried Alive match--where the only way to win the contest was to throw your opponent into a six foot hole and cover them completely with dirt. A focused Undertaker took Mankind apart and eventually delivered a Tombsone pileriver before dropping his foe's limp body into the gravesite and covering him. No sooner had Undertaker's hand been raised in victory when he was struck with shovel by Bearer's newest assailant, a masked man known as the Executioner. Mankind and the Executioner then attempted to finish off Taker by thrusting him into the hole and filling it with topsoil. As Buried Alive came to a close, a bolt of lightning struck the gavesite and a purple glove reached from the gave, leaving all to wonder if they had seen the last of the Deadman.
The next month at Survivor Series, Undertaker--dressed all in black and wearing a cape--returned to settle the score with Mankind. To prevent outside interference, Paul Bearer was suspended in a shark cage high above the ring. Proving his superiority, Undertaker bested Mankind in what turned out to be a grueling, yet even contest.
As Mankind lay helpless, Undertaker lowered the cage to release his remaining aggression on his former manager. But, just as Taker was about to seize Bearer, the Executioner stormed the ring and attacked him. Taker now realized that in order to get his hands on Bearer, he'd first have to finish off the Executioner.
Undertaker got his wish at WWE In Your House: It's Time where he faced the Executioner in an "Armageddon Rules" match--where the winner was declared after their opponent was pinned or submitted. Since there were no rules, Undertkaer had to fight not only the Executioner, but Mankind as well. Against all odds, Undertaker prevailed after hitting the Executioner with a Tombstone, pinning him and leaving him unable to answer the 10 count. As 1996 came to a close, Undertaker had overcome everthing his former manager threw at him, but the bad blood between the two was as strong as ever.
Since Mankind and the Executioner failed to destroy the Deadman, Bearer enlisted the services of Vader to aid in his quest. His plan came to fruition at the 1997 Royal Rumble when he used the urn to help Vader defeat the Man from the Dark Side. On that night, both Vader and Taker competed in the Royal Rumble contest and were eliminated by Stone Cold Steve Austin. But, video footage later revealed that Austin has already been thrown over the top rope without being seen by a referee. A decision was made that the only fair way to determine the winner of the vacant WWE Championship would be to hold a Fatal Four Way match at the next months pay-per-view. At WWE In Your House: Final Four, Undertaker faced Vader, Steve Austin, and Bret Hart--who had also been illegally eliminated at the hands of Stone Cold. After Vader and Austin were eliminated, Undertaker and Hart battled for the title. But, before Taker could score a victory, an engraged Austin raced to the ring and cost him the match.
A short while later at WrestleMania 13, Undertaker, dressed in his "old school" costume, paced the ring to face Sycho Side for the WWE Championship. Before the night was over, Undertaker had regained the title--five and half years after his initial run. Around this time, Paul Bearer re-appeared on the scene and began blackmailing Undertaker with a demon from his past. He claimed that if Undertaker didn't accept him back as his manager, he would reveal an explosive secret that would ruin Undertaker's career and forever turn his "creatures of the night" against him. At first, Undertaker acquisced to suppress the tale, but when Bearer's presence became more of a hindrance then a help, Undertaker knew that he couldn't keep his secret buried forever.
During an episode of RAW, Bearer revealed how at a very young age, Undertaker was playing with gasoline and accidentally started a fire that killed his parents and a younger brother at the family's mortuary. He claimed to have proof that Taker's younger brother Kane survived and was living somewhere in hiding. Initially, Taker denied Bearer's accusations, not wanting fans to know the details of his dark past. He also didn't believe that the brother he thought had died in a house fire could still be alive. Week after week, Bearer cryptically shouted, "He's alive, Undertaker, and he's coming!" causing the Deadman to become increasingly enraged.
Despite those challenging summer months, Undertaker successfully defended his title against Vader, Mankind, Faarooq, and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Finally, Bret Hart received his title shot at SummerSlam '97. With Shawn Michaels appointed the special referee of the contest, it seemed that Undertaker had the deck stacked in his favor, because Michaels and Hart despised each other. As the contest started, the HeartBreak Kid kept his word to be completely impartial, even though he was continuously antagonized by Hart. Eventually, Michaels had had enough and picked up a steel chair to scramble the Hit Man's brains. But, at the last moment, Hart moved and Undertaker absorbed the vicious blow. As Hart made the pin, Michaels grudgingly counted to three and awarded the championship to Bret.
~VIII. THROUGH HELLFIRE AND BRIMSTONE~
Bearer continued his threat to reveal Taker's long, lost brother but the Phenom had other more pressing issues to deal with. Whether Michaels had actually meant to hit him at SummerSlam was unimportant; he wasn't about to let the Heartbreak Kid get away with costing him the WWE Championship. The two initially battled at In Your House: Ground Zero, but when the match ended in a no-contest, Undertaker remained unsatisfied. WWE officials knew that in order to have a fair fight between the two without any outside interference or faulty finishes, they would need to find a way to keep the action in the ring. Before long, Undertaker and Michaels agreed to meet in the first ever "Hell in the Cell" match at WWE In Your House: Badd Blood.
On October 5, 1997, a sold out crowd in St. Louis witnessed history in the making as Undertaker and Michaels tore each other apart inside and out of the custom made steel structure. As they embarked on one of the most dangerous and grueling encounters ever in sports entertainment, Undertaker's mind was filled with thoughts of impending doom. As a bloodied Michaels lay semi-conscious, the arena was engulfed in darkness while a thunderous explosion echoed through the crowd. Dreary organ music played and dim red lights filled the arena. A seven foot monster, dressed all in red and black, his horribly burned face covered in a mask, paced towards the cage and tore the door off it. Looking at each other for the first time in years, Kane and Taker began a chilling staredown until finally the interloper kicked Undertaker in the stomach and Tombstoned him in the center of the ring. These actions allowed the beaten and battered Shawn Michaels to pin the Phenom and pick up the victory.
When Undertaker recovered, he appeared distraught and did everything he could to avoid a confrontation with his younger brother. Throughout the following months, he refused to fight is sibling, citing that it was too personal and that he would not wage a public war against his own flesh and blood. Led by Bearer, Kane walked through "hellfire and brimstone" on a rampage, leaving a trail of destruction and managed to carve his name into an elite list of title contenders. Kane wasn't looking for a title, though. He wanted revenge on his brother. Bearer threatened Undertaker by saying that Kane would destroy everyone in WWE until he got what he wanted. To that end, Bearer schemed to break Undertaker down and get the siblings in the ring. The plan began when Kane came out after one of Taker's matches, while the Phenom was still in the ring, Kane dropped to one knee saluting him, and Taker responded by saluting back, stunning onlookers. Speculation began as to whether the demonic siblings had buried their differences and formed a bond, or if it was all part of a master plan to gain Undertaker's trust. Still wanting to enrage the Deadman, Bearer told a story of how he got lonely one night at the funeral parlor and had an affair with Undertaker's mother, revealing that Kane was actually his son. Thus, the two were actually half brothers.
During this period, Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series '97. Undertaker still had unfinished business with HBK for costing him the title to Hart and for his defeat at Badd Blood. To settle the score, Undertaker challenged Michaels to a Casket match for the title at the 1998 Royal Rumble. Taker and Michaels pulled out the stops in their attempt for victory. Michaels used everything form salt in the eyes, to steel ring steps, to assistance from D-Generation X, but Undertaker kept coming. In fact, it was in this match that Michaels injured his back. At one point, both conbantants were locked in the casket simultaneously. After delivering a particularly vicious Chokeslam from Hell, Undertaker gained the advantage and delivered a Tombstone piledriver right into the casket. Before he could slam the lid, a bevy of WWE Superstars ran out and attacked the Deadman. Just as they began pummeling him, the lights went out, pyro exploded from the entranceway, and Kane rushed the ring. Within seconds, Kane cleaned house and rescued Undertaker. But, as soon as he'd saved his brother, Kane attacked him, chokeslamming him into the casket and watching as Michaels and Triple H slammed the lid shut for the victory. Kane wasn't finished, though. As his brother lay helpless in the casket, Kane wheeled it to the entrance way and doused it in gasoline. Bearer lit a pack of matches and threw it onto the casket, causing it to explode in flames. Just as he had been burned during his youth, Kane exacted retribution on his brother.
For one month, nobody saw or heard from the Deadman. But, much to the surprise of Bearer and Kane, he returned in February a changed man. Even though Taker swore he'd never lay a hand on his brother, Kane's actions at the Royal Rumble sent him over the edge, and he vowed to ignore their blood ties and seek revenge at WrestleMania XIV. On March 28, 1998, the brothers finally faced off at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. After another chilling stare down, the two exchanged blows while taking the double reinforced ring to it's limits. Paul Bearer watched as his protege absorbed an extraordinary amount of pain and came back for more. After three consecutive Tombstones, Undertaker was finally able to cover Kane for the three count. As Taker triumphantly made his way to the dressing room, there was little doubt that this sibling rivalry was far from over.
A month later at WWE In Your House: Unforgiven, Taker and Kane met in an Inferno match. The lights were extinguished and the ring was surrounded by fire. The brothers locked up, hoping to set the other ablaze. Finally, Kane was set afire and Undertaker was victorious.
Now that he had gotten two huge wins over Kane, Taker felt the rivalry was cooling, and he decided to move on to bigger things. He demanded a title shot. Vince McMahon ordered a match between the brothers, with the winner becoming No.1 contender to battle the WWE Champion, Stone Cold Steve Austin at the 1998 King of the Ring. With the aid of Mankind, Kane won and earned an opportunity to compete for the title.
On that same night, Undertaker met his nemseis Mankind in what is still considered the single most brutal cage math in WWE history. When the combatants were freed form the enclosure, they climbed atop the 15 foot steel structure where they contineud beating each other senseless. But, as Mankind ran towards Taker to attack him, the Deadman sidestepped and sent "Mrs. Foley's baby boy" flying through the air and crashing through the announcers' table. Despite a dislocated shoulder, severe concussion, and missing teeth, Foley refused medical attention and climbed the cage to continue the fight. As fast as Foley had reached the top, he was sent crashing through it again, right back into the center of the ring. With Mankind now a bloody mess, Undertaker looked at the carnage through the open panel of the cage's roof. Yet Mankind wasn't finished. In an act of insanity, he poured thousands of thumbtacks all over the mat. In his weakened state, it took Undertaker a chokeslam and Tombstone piledriver onto the thumbtacks before emerging victorious.
On that unforgettable night, Undertaker had shown the world just now merciless he could be. But, he still had unfinished business to attend to. Later that night, Kane and Austin clashed in a First Blood match--where the first competitor to make his oppenent bleed would win the match. As an added stipulation, Kane promised that if he lost the contest, he'd set himself on fire. This kind of match gave Kane a distinct advantage because his red costume made it difficult to tell if he was bleeding. During the match, the referee was knocked out and Undertaker bolted to the ring to interfere. He missed a chair shot that appeared to have been meant for Kane, and nailed Austin across the top of the head, busting him wide open. Even bloodied, Austin continued his assault on Kane, but when the referee came to, he awarded Kane the match. Undertaker later revealed that he really had intended to bust Stone Cold open so that Kane wouldn't set himself on fire.
Kane lost the title back to Austin the next night on RAW. And a short while later, Kane and Mankind became Tag Team Champions by upending the New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg Jesse James and Badd Ass Billy Gunn). Suddenly, Undertaker and Austin were forced to team to make viable conpetition for the Tag Champs. Despite their open hatred for each other, the two actually formed a formidable tandem and surprised themselves by winning the titles at Fully Loaded. Immediately after winning the championships, Undertaker grabbed both the titles and walked back to the dressing room with them.
Naturally, the uncooperative duo didn't last long at the top and Kane and Mankind soon reclaimed the titles. It also became evident that Austin and Undertaker were destined for a collision Upon agreeing to meet at SummerSlam, the road to their encounter was properly deemed the "Highway to Hell." Oddly enough, it was around this time that a rumor began circulating backstage that Kane and Undertaker had settled their vendetta and were secretly in cahoots.