~FROM ONE LEGEND TO ANOTHER~

~RIC FLAIR~

Undertaker's a tremendous performer. And, being a tremendous performer makes him a very good wrestler. Mechanically, he's good. He's got a great presence and persona. He can wrestle just about any style that comes down the road.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he's become a legend. He's been on top a long time in a huge position with a huge company. There are several qualifications that I think make a guy a big time player, and he's got all of them. He's got a great character. He's a great worker, and he's got a great work ethic. He's got "it," and has had it for a while.

Not only is working with him an honor, but it's something that every wrestler looks forward to: when you can wrestle a guy who is a tremendous performer--an I've lterally worked with just aobut everyone there is. I had some real good matches against him last year and when I was here before. I enjoy watching him. He does a lot of fantastic stuff.

One of the key secrets to lasting so long on top is work ethic. He's very loyal to this company, and he's got a once in a lifetime persona. It's one of those things that just took off, and he had the tools to make it happen. There are a lot of guys who couldn't have done it. I don't know too may guys that could.

~MICK FOLEY~

He's totally dedicated to his character, to the point where I'd actually get goosebumps when I was standing in the ring and would hear his music playing. There were times that I'd hear that gong, and Paul Bearer would turn to me, I'd look at his arms and see the goosebumps, and he'd look at mine and see them too. It was just a thrill to be out there.

It's flattering to think that when you look at his career, people still pair us together in their memory. When I came to WWE, it was obviously a critical point in my career, because if my WWE career had been a failure, probably the general pulic would look at my entire career as being a failure. I mentioned in my first book that I owe Undertaker a debt of gratitude for being prefessional enough to take a look at a guy who didn't have star quality written all over him in the traditional sense, and still have the faith in me as a performer to go out there and do business.

The word legend gets thrown around an awful lot, but I felt he was a legend long before I got to WWE. If anything, the last few years have just cemented that. The fact that he's been in an increasing amount of pain over the years, but has still given top level performances is really a testament to him. He's been able to roll with the punches and shift with the times, so his character has never really gotten stagnant. I thought it was a brave move when he decided to get rid of the "Deadman" persona and become the "American Bad Ass." In retrospect, he probably added a couple of years to his career.

But, in my heart, he's still the guy who turned the lights off when he came out. I'd like to see him do that again before he retires.

~SHAWN MICHAELS~

To start off with, Mark Callaway came in with the best character WWE ever had. The idea of him as Undertaker with Paul Bearer was amazing. Traditionally, you gave a guy black trunks and black boots, and he's a wrestler. But his was the first real, original, fantastic concept that had the right guy to play it. The combination of the character and his personality helped it take off more then anyone ever imagined.

He also set a new standard in a different way. When you're a guy my size, you damn sure better be able to work in the ring. When you're a bigger guy, you sometimes get a little leeway. A lot of the bigger guys back then had no substance, but Taker was different. He had tremendous athletic ability. Watching him, it was hard to believe he was almost seven feet tall and 300 pounds.

I knew he would be special the first time I saw him walk the ropes. I like to think I can spot talent when I see it, and when I saw him, a nearly seven footer, walking the ropes, I knew he was special.

From a personal standpoint, working with him was nothing but a pleasure. I had some of my best matches ever with him. What I enjoyed most was his trust in me. With other guys, I had good matches. They got what they wanted out of the match, but they didn't necessarily trust me. He did. And, he always protected me. So, that trust worked both ways. I had to trust him because I always wrestled him as a heel, so for the most part, we were telling a simple story. My job was to go out there and get beat up. I trust him in a way that I could really trust only one other person, Kevin Nash, and that's because he happens to be one of my best friends. Undertaker had no reason to take care of me. He and I weren't close friends. We had a professional relationshihp. To him, it was business. To me, it was class.

As a smaller guy, you give your body to your bigger opponent, and some guys would take advantage of it. He always took care of me. When you don't have conscious thoughts of protecting yourself running through your mind, you can let the match go, and the end result is a nice, finished product. That's what he and I always had.

I've heard him comment that our first Hell in the Cell match is his personal favorite. Here's a guy who's been in the ring with Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and some of the greatest wrestlers ever, so to hear that is very flattering. You really can't get a better compliment than that.

Behind the scenes, in a business where being boisterous usually works to your advantage, he did just the opposite. He was a quiet guy, and he set a great tone in the locker room. So aside from what he did professionally, behind the scenes, his behavior as a person was a credit to him, too.

We're two very different personalities. He's quiet; I'm loud. I'm not his style. But, he never worried about it or discussed it. We both just wanted to have a good match.

I think from a wrestling fan's point of view, you can certainly put him among the greatest. I've been in the ring with him, and I've seen him diplay that ability with me. As someone who's been in the ring with him, I feel comfortable putting him in that category.

~DUSTY RHODES~

I was a part of Undertaker's first WWE match, at the 1990 Survivor Series. I remember that he was really huge and powerful, and he had a really eerie way about him. The whole concept behind his creation was really cool. I remember thinking that he had potential to be something really special, and he proved me right on that.

There are very few who last. There are names like Dusty Rhodes, Flair, Hogan, and guys like that. A certain tier of guys that, whether you watch wrestling or not, you know their name, you know what they're all about. He's that type of character.

What's kept him where he's at is the fans. He's a guy that has pride in his product, a pride that very few guys have. No, he's not as fast or as strong as he was 12 years ago, maybe he can't do some of the tings he used to do, but every time he's out there, he shows the pride he has in the prodcut. It's what separates the big money ball players from the average ball palyers, and you can see it nightly. It comes through.

That's the type of person the fans will always come back to. Forget the money. Once you get through the ropes, you forget the money-you're entertaining 20,000 to 30,000 people, and you lay it all out for them. If you do that, they will always cling to you, and hold you to their breast. That's why you see some guys who become stars instantly and are just there for a fleeting moment.

The fans brought him to the dance, and as long as he's willing to leave with them-that's an old Texas saying-he's gonna stay on top. Because he pays them back.

His persona has placed him in that tier of 10 or so guys, who can walk into a room and be instantly recognized. When you become one name, you know you're there. When you're able to say "Taker," and the whole room knows who you mean. Even people who aren't fans will say, "Oh, isn't he on that show on Monday night?" That's how you know you've gained legendary status, when you become that one name guy. Like the Dream, the Hulkster, or someone like Madonna in the entertainment business. Taker is the same way. He transcends.

~STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN~

He always does his homework. He's in shape now-better then he has ever been. It seems like he's feeling better. He seems to be more motivated now then he has been in the past, which is not to say he hasn't been motivated-he's no slacker-but right now he's running in high gear phuysically and mentally.

He's still hungry after all these years, the Decade of Destruction. He still wants to go out there and have the best match possible, and he still wants to be in the top angles. He's done everything he can to keep his character fresh. Look at the longevity he's had-you don't just come to WWE and hang around for 10 years at the top level and not do the right things. He does a lot of the right things all the time.

When he came along, there was the shock value, the impact. I remember-I was watching. I used to work with Taker back when he was "The Punisher" down in the USWA, when they were kicking the crap out of me every night, and I was paying my dues. And, watching when he came to WWE, that character was just unreal.

I remember when I first came to WWE and stepped in the ring with him, they would dim the lights and all the people would throw their lighters up, and I would forget half the stuff that was fixing to go on. It was just an overwhelming experience.

He's definitely made his mark in the business as far as being a top draw, a top character, and one of the top big men ever to get in the ring.

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