[h1]The Undertaker is the Deadman of the WWE. He is an undeniable legend in Pro Wrestling and is regarded as one of the most brilliant characters in the history of Sports Entertainment. A defining characteristic of Undertaker is his ability to bounce back from adversity, his ability to ‘come back from the dead’ countless times to reign vengeance upon his foes. As a man, the Undertaker has been legitimately injured numerous times in his phenomenal career, and it never prevented him from being one of the best performers in the business. [/h1][h1]
The Undertaker has earned a rare status as a ‘featured performer’ who due to his almost 30 years of in-ring action, has to choose his next few matches wisely. The Deadman performed in the ring just once last year. It was one of the best matches of the year when Undertaker faced Triple H at Wrestlemania 27. Mortality haunted the mythic Undertaker after he kept ‘the Streak’ alive, only to be dragged out of the Georgia Dome on a stretcher. Before that match, Taker had been away from the ring since Wrestlemania 26. The man is picking his spots wisely to further his career.
Here are some of the notable injuries that ‘Taker has overcome.
Back : The Undertaker took one his first extended breaks in 1994, after he was defeated in a Casket Match at the Royal Rumble. The sumo giant Yokozuna with help from 10 WWE villains beat the Phenom into the casket. The Undertaker’s image appeared on the titantron and his body rose to the ceiling of the arena. In actuality, ‘Taker was recouping from a nagging back injury. Back injuries have effected the careers of many wrestlers including Shawn Michaels and JBL.
Facial injuries: At different stages in his WWE career, Undertaker’s creepy face has been wounded. In 1995, Mabel legitmately broke Undertaker’s cheek bone. The injury was a staged portion of the performance, yet the injury became real, forcing Undertaker to wear a grey protective mask that resembled the mask from 'the Phantom of the Opera'. After being called back into active duty in 2010, The Undertaker was injured in his first match back on Smackdown. Near the conclusion of the match with Rey Mysterio, ‘Taker had an orbital bone broken around one of his eyes.
Hip : In 2009 after stealing the show with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 25 in Houston, ‘Taker underwent a minor hip surgery. Though it was considered ‘minor’, hip injuries are considered to be telling sign of a pro athlete entering the twilight of their careers. Hip injuries in Pro Football are considered to be career ending. The Deadman is no linebacker, that is why he was back in action before WM26 capturing the World Heavyweight Championship only to have Shawn Michaels cost him the title at Elimination Chamber. This attack set the stage for their epic rematch which ended Michael’s career.
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