5 wrestlers The Undertaker has faced outside WWE 

When the inevitable happens, and The Undertaker does retire (if he hasn't already), we're certain that many in the WWE Universe will dub him as the greatest ever. After all, he has always been at the top of the card, in the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, since his debut.

In a career that has spanned generations, The Undertaker has faced many opponents in WWE. But what is not well-known to some, is the fact that long before he was in WWE, The Undertaker did face a variety of opponents. This article is a nostalgic look back at some of those matches.

Through this article, we wish to give old fans a walk down memory lane. As for new fans, we hope to provide a background about one of the greatest wrestlers in professional wrestling history.

Without further ado, here are five men that The Undertaker faced long before he was ever in WWE.

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#5 Lex Luger

Long before Paul Heyman became the man who orchestrated the end of 'The Streak', he was the manager for The Undertaker in WCW. Yes, believe it or not, The Undertaker was originally a 'Paul Heyman guy'.

Why this match is interesting is because The Undertaker, then 'Mean Mark Callous' takes on Lex Luger, who'd become a prominent name in his own right in WWE history. It is also interesting because Jim Ross, who'd become the voice of the Monday Night Wars is on commentary.

However, what makes this match truly special is the fact that Mean Mark wrestled this match with a disclocated hip. He did so because Vince McMahon was watching this match, and The Undertaker truly wanted to create a great impression upon his future boss.

Subsequently, Mean Mark would meet with Vince McMahon, and the rest, as they say, is history.

#4 Brian Pillman

Long before Brian Pillman would pull out a pistol and unofficially kickstart WWE's Attitude Era, he was a high flying babyface in WCW. Right before the match against Lex Luger (that we've linked on the previous page) took place, Mean Mark took on Brian Pillman.

The announcers give us a keen insight into the gimmick that The Undertaker was playing at that period of time. Mean Mark was supposed to be a man with a fondness for snakes. Mean Mark was also working at a much faster pace than he did in WWE, especially for a man his size.

It is clear that Mean Mark was destined for great things in WCW, considering he picks up the win here. Of course, who knows if his career would have panned out in such a legendary manner had he continued with the company.

For what it is worth, this is a great match to behold and enjoy, if only for the enthusiasm of the raucous crowd!

#3 Bruiser Brody

Even before he was 'Mean Mark' Callous, The Undertaker was Texas Red. What makes this match amazing is that Bruiser Brody vs The Undertaker would have been a dream match, only a few years down the line.

Bruiser Brody was the original 'Undertaker' so to speak. He was a huge towering man who was nimble on his feet and an incredible worker to boot. Unfortunately, he was stabbed and killed in the prime of his career.

Also, look at The Undertaker's manager. It's Percy Pringle (who would later be known as Paul Bearer), The Undertaker's greatest manager during his WWE stint.

This is a really cool match to watch and enjoy from the WCCW days (owned by the legendary Von Erich family).

#2 Steve Austin

Yet another gimmick donned by The Undertaker, long before he became 'Mean Mark' Callous was that of 'The Punisher'. As was the case with the previous video, Callous was wrestling under a mask in this match as well.

Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker would go on to redefine The Attitude Era. They later faced each other in the ring, as far bigger superstars. This is a great nostalgic look at Austin (with hair) taking on his future nemesis.

At that time, Austin was known as Steve Williams. Stone Cold Steve Williams does not have quite the same ring to it, right?

#1 Sting

This dream match did happen once, twenty eight years ago

For many years now, fans have wanted to see The Undertaker and Sting square off. After all, Sting's 'crow' gimmick was not very dissimilar from that of The Undertaker's classic avatar. Also both men were the generals of their company, during the 'Monday Night Wars' era. For various reasons, this match has never really come to pass.

However, the men have faced each other once. Sting, in his 'beach' avatar took on 'Mean Mark' Callous at the Greensboro Coliseum in 1990. They even faced off in a tag team match after that.

No footage exists of their match though. After all, it was only a house show.

If only people had known how sought after this clash would be, just a few decades later.