Is the original Undertaker still alive? 10 most Googled questions about WWE's Mark Calaway answered

Kane was introduced to WWE as The Undertaker's brother

The final episode of WWE Network series ‘Undertaker: The Last Ride’ saw The Undertaker drop his biggest hint yet that he will never compete in a WWE ring again.

Throughout the five-part series, the WrestleMania icon has questioned whether he should finally call time on his legendary 33-year career as an in-ring performer.

During the last episode, the 55-year-old described his Boneyard match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36 as the “perfect ending” and said he has no desire to compete again at this stage of his career.

He did, however, admit that he would consider lacing up the boots again if Vince McMahon ever needs him in an emergency, which means he has still not officially retired.

The man behind The Undertaker character, Mark Calaway, has revealed lots of information about himself in media interviews since his WWE Network series started, but there are still plenty of questions being asked about the WWE legend on Google on a daily basis.

In this article, let’s try to find out all the answers as we count down 10 of the most frequent questions about The Undertaker.

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#10 What is The Undertaker’s net worth?

The Undertaker is one of WWE's wealthiest Superstars

Given The Undertaker’s WWE star power and longevity, it is no surprise that he has been one of the highest-earning sports entertainers over the last three decades.

The Undertaker’s net worth in 2020 is estimated to be around $17 million, while it was reported in 2019 that he earns $2.5m per year in WWE.

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#9 Is the original Undertaker still alive?

Only one man, Mark Calaway, has played The Undertaker!

Long-term WWE fans will probably find it amusing to read that people think there is more than one version of The Undertaker.

The fact that some people even think that is a huge compliment to Mark Calaway and his ability to evolve his character over the course of 30 years.

In answer to the question, though… yes, the ‘original’ Undertaker is still alive. The same man has played the character since 1990!

#8 Who was the first person to defeat The Undertaker?

The Ultimate Warrior defeated The Undertaker in 1991

If we’re counting Royal Rumbles, The Undertaker’s first WWE defeat came in January 1991 when he was eliminated by Road Warriors Hawk and Animal in the Royal Rumble match.

Excluding Royal Rumbles, his first WWE losses came on a live event circuit against The Ultimate Warrior in April 1991 - five months after The Undertaker character debuted at Survivor Series 1990.

The Undertaker’s first televised defeat also came against The Ultimate Warrior in a Body Bag match at Madison Square Garden in July 1991.

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#7 What is The Undertaker’s height?

WWE has been known to exaggerate the height of its Superstars, including the likes of The Big Show and The Undertaker, for many years.

The Undertaker’s billed height in WWE is 6ft 10in, while he was billed as 6ft 9in during his time as “Mean” Mark Callous in WCW.

However, the man himself said on the final episode of his WWE Network series that he is actually 6ft 8in.

#6 Are Kane and The Undertaker brothers in real life?

In storyline, Paul Bearer tormented The Undertaker in 1997 by revealing that his brother, Kane (real name Glenn Jacobs), did not die following a fire at the family’s funeral home when they were children.

This kick-started one of the greatest feuds in WWE history, with Kane debuting at Badd Blood 1997 by tearing off the Hell in a Cell door before attacking his storyline brother.

The keyword here? Storyline.

These two are not brothers in real life – they just played The Brothers of Destruction on television.

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#5 When did The Undertaker join WWE?

The Undertaker was told by WCW executives in 1990 that nobody will ever pay to see him wrestle, which is why they refused to give him a pay rise towards the end of his time with the company.

The former “Mean” Mark Callous handed in his notice to WCW in September 1990 and assumed he was going to sign for WWE after arranging a meeting at Vince McMahon’s house.

Although McMahon did not have a character in mind during the two-hour meeting, he contacted his future Superstar over the phone in October 1990 and simply asked him, “Hello, is this The Undertaker?”

And the rest is history!

#4 Is The Undertaker in the WWE Hall of Fame?

Simple answer: no. WWE tends to induct Superstars into the Hall of Fame when their in-ring careers have come to an end, so do not expect to see The Undertaker headline a HOF ceremony until his retirement has been officially confirmed.

There have been exceptions in recent years – Goldberg and Kurt Angle, for example – but it is rare for active performers to receive a Hall of Fame induction.

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#3 Are The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar friends?

If you read our Brock Lesnar version of this article, you would already know the answer to this question. And that answer, unfortunately, is a vague one.

Backstage footage from ‘Undertaker: The Last Ride’ has shown The Undertaker and Lesnar joking around on a couple of occasions, but that does not necessarily mean they are friends.

It is clear from The Undertaker’s recent media interviews that he has a ton of respect for Lesnar as a performer, but who are we to say they are friends outside of WWE? Only the Superstars themselves can answer that!

#2 Who is The Undertaker’s wife?

Michelle McCool is a two-time Women's Champion and two-time Divas Champion

Anybody who has watched WWE programming in 2020 will know that the man behind The Undertaker character, Mark Calaway, is married to Michelle McCool.

The couple met in WWE and married on June 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas. They have one daughter together, born in 2012.

The Undertaker also has a son and two daughters from previous marriages.

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#1 Did The Undertaker retire?

As the introduction to this article explained, The Undertaker has still not officially retired.

Speaking on the final episode of ‘Undertaker: The Last Ride’, the WWE icon said he has no desire to get back into the ring, but he would consider returning if Vince McMahon ever needs him in an emergency.

"I'm at a point, it's time this cowboy really rides away. There's nothing left for me to conquer or accomplish. The game has changed. It's time for new guys to come up. The time just seems right."

Michelle McCool mentioned during the docuseries that McMahon “is the one person he [The Undertaker] can’t say ‘no’ to”, so only time will tell if he really is finished as an in-ring competitor.