Surviving a quarter century in WWE is an impressive accomplishment that rivals any main event victory or championship reign. Doing so while also amassing an impressive career that makes you arguably the most respected active competitor in the business is an even rarer feat. Maybe his survival can be attributed to the fact that he made his on-camera debut at Survivor Series, or perhaps being undead has something to do with it. There are obviously many reasons for the Undertaker’s sports entertainment success and they can all be found in Undertaker: 25 Years of Destruction.
Written by longtime WWE scribe Kevin Sullivan (ironically not the same Kevin Sullivan that had a dark demeanor similar to the Undertaker’s in World Championship Wrestling), this book is a beautifully-presented collection of images and text that offers an encyclopedic look at the Undertaker’s ominously illustrious career. Beginning with his 1990 debut as part of Ted DiBiase‘s Million Dollar Team and concluding with his WrestleMania 31 victory over Bray Wyatt, 25 Years of Destruction spans the Deadman’s evolution in great detail. More than just a beginning-to-end timeline (though it does include a few of those), this book chronicles the Undertaker’s numerous championship achievements, his greatest in-ring rivalries, his unstable relationships with various managers and tag team partners, and his amazing accomplishments in brutal stipulation matches and pay-per-view encounters.
As evidenced by his match at this year’s Survivor Series, re-teaming with his brother Kane as the Brothers of Destruction to take on the Wyatt Family, family has been a big part of the Undertaker’s allure. From the fatherly guidance he received from the likes of Brother Love and Paul Bearer to his hot-and-cold relationship with Kane, the dramatic turns of events in the Undertaker’s personal life have often been the most intriguing parts of his matches. That also goes for his numerous rivals, with whom he has created some of the most memorable moments in WWE history. 25 Years of Destruction provides the backstory to the Undertaker’s relationships with relatives and rivals such as Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Mankind, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Brock Lesnar. It also highlights key moments in these rivalries and examines what made these such important moments in the Undertaker’s career.
From his evolution from cartoonish Wild West mortician to minion of Satan to bad-ass biker and back to mysterious menace, no moment in the Phenom’s legacy is overlooked. In fact, this book goes into so much detail and breaks down the Undertaker’s career in so many different ways (the aforementioned chapters on specific rivalries, timelines, etc.) that the reiteration of details becomes a bit redundant at times. However, whether you’ve been a fan since he was wreaking havoc on the Ultimate Warrior and Macho Man or you’re just discovering the enigma that is the Demon of Death Valley, this book is a great resource for remembering your favorite moments or learning about them for the first time. Considering the legacy he is going to leave behind, preserving the Undertaker’s history in such an elaborate manner is an appropriate tribute to one of WWE’s greatest successes. Regardless of how many more years the Undertaker remains active in WWE, 25 Years of Destruction shows us just how his dominance has kept wrestling fans in awe for more than two decades.
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