Top 4 moments from Undertaker's Hall of Fame career

To borrow three words from The Rock, “It doesn’t matter” whether you’re a pro wrestling fan or not, because chances are good that you’ve heard of The Undertaker either way. The ghostly character was brought to life, or rather, put to death, by Mark Calloway in 1990, and has since transcended "sports entertainment."

From the dead man's effigy that appears every year as cosplay for Halloween costumes to Bollywood film depictions, Saudi statues and comic book collectibles, popular culture often nods to The Undertaker. So tonight, after an in-ring Career over 30 extraordinary years, one of them WWE is the most successful and enduring stars will walk the red carpet and claim its rightful place in the company's Hall of Fame.

Undoubtedly, Calloway's desire to avoid interviews and the media spotlight in order to keep his Undertaker persona mysterious was one of the keys to his success, but behind the black trench coat and sinister demeanor lies a dedicated athlete who has thrilled millions of fans with his feats of gut strength. Ahead of Takers' big night during WrestleMania week, M&F takes a look at Undertaker's long-standing career in the squared circle and the moments that changed WWE history.

The Undertaker and the Choke Slam

Immediately after his first-ever pinfall victory against Dusty Rhodes at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in the 1990s, The Undertaker would cite this move as one of his signature strikes. When the Deadman slammed his giant hands onto an opponent's neck before lifting him off the ground and bringing him back to earth with authority, no one was safe from the choke slam.

“You're about ready to walk around when he gives you that big hand,” says AJ Styles, who faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania 37. “I know because it happened to me and he is without a doubt a legend!”

The gravestone

Another victim of The Undertaker in his debut at Survivor Series was Koko B Ware. He would prove to be the first of hundreds to suffer the Phenom's "Tombstone" finisher. The move, technically known as the reverse piledriver, has doomed some of WWE's biggest stars. It's a move that requires strength and control to plant your opponent headfirst on the mat.

"It's very devastating, you don't see many people do that, but when he did it, it was all over, baby!" says WWE Hall of Famer and legendary ringside manager Jimmy Hart.

Walking on the ropes

In professional wrestling, it's rare for a 6'10" man to walk the length of the top rope of the ring, but few "big men" in wrestling have ever been as athletic as The Undertaker.

“It was so out of the box,” says Sammi Zayne, who will be presentingDonkeyStar Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania. "Especially for the time, and now, 30 years later, we're still talking about it, especially for a man his size. If you see some of the ropes from the early '90s, those ropes were sagging and he kept his balance so well. It was ahead of his time, no question, he was ahead of his time."

The Undertaker breaks Shawn Michaels heart

After the “Phenom” feuded with The Undertaker in many memorable matches, “Heartbreak Kid”'s active in-ring career would finally come to an end at WrestleMania 26 in 2010 in one of the greatest pro wrestling matches of all time. “I was in tears,” recalls Beck Lynch, who will defend her WWE RAW Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair at WrestleMania. "It was one of the greatest matches of all time. I watch The Undertaker, he's such a legend, and I study everything he does. It's one of the greatest careers in WWE history and I'm thrilled to see him inducted into the Hall of Fame."

Despite burying hundreds of hapless opponents throughout his more than three-decade career, Undertaker's respect for his peers often gave fans a momentous match that only served to seal his fate as one of WWE's most feared and equally beloved warriors. With his unmatched combination of power, speed and intensity, Mark Calloway created a character that will remain immortal WWE's Hall of Fame Class of 2022 on Friday evening. Congratulations, dead man!