5 things you didn't know about The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak
Few things in wrestling are as legendary as The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak. It is something that will be talked about as long as wrestling exists.
What started off as a series of wins quickly became something special. As The Undertaker knocked off one big name after another, The Streak's allure grew greater. It became so illustrious that breaking it was universally considered to be a greater achievement than winning a world championship.
The Phenom notched up 21 consecutive victories before losing to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX. It was a day that stunned the entire wrestling world into silence and disbelief, with the moment being called the most shocking wrestling incident since the Montreal Screwjob.
While wrestling fans need no introduction to The Streak, it is such a big deal that there are some lesser-known facts about it. In that regard, here are five things you may not know about The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak.
#5 On our list of things that are relatively unknown regarding The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak: It began on his birthday
Every successful person's journey begins with a single step, and The Undertaker was no exception. His illustrious streak began when he defeated Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka at WrestleMania 7.
However, one interesting tidbit about the legendary streak is that it began on The Deadman's birthday. March 24, 1991, was the day it all began, bonding the performer with his legacy forever.
#4 One of his wins came via disqualification
The Undertaker has tombstoned and submitted many superstars to rack up his WrestleMania wins. However, one of the wins came through neither of those means.
That victory came in his WrestleMania 9 match against Giant Gonzalez, which he won via disqualification. Gonzalez resorted to using chloroform during the match, getting himself disqualified and handing the win to his opponent.
The match is the only disqualification victory on The Reaper's WrestleMania record. Given the classics he contested afterwards, we are glad this was a one-off.
#3 He controversially hung someone after defeating him
WWE used to do some crazy things back in the day. However, they crossed an outlandish line when they had The Undertaker hang the Big Boss Man after their match at WrestleMania.
The two contested a Hell in a Cell match that is more remembered for its shock ending. After putting his opponent out of his misery, 'Taker proceeded to hang him from the cage using a noose. It was a truly disturbing watch for everyone watching.
#2 He came back at WrestleMania 34 because he didn't like his previous match
Fans thought they had seen the last of The Undertaker when he lost to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33. He was the one who gave them reason to believe this after he left his wrestling attire in the ring before walking back.
With Reigns spending the next few months boasting that he retired The Phenom, it was all but certain that he had hung up his boots. However, he returned at WrestleMania 34 to face John Cena.
Speaking on The Last Ride documentary, 'Taker explained that he was dissatisfied with his performance against Reigns and wanted to redeem himself.
“It was appealing in one sense, but still I don’t know if I was mentally prepared at that point for what it would take. It really wasn’t a thought until I actually finally watched the match back. When I watched it back, it reaffirmed tenfold everything that I thought. All the other 27 years prior, none of that means anything. This is a brand new Undertaker. And I am going out there to prove the world, who I am and what I do.”
#1 The decision to have Brock Lesnar end the Streak was taken at the eleventh hour
When Brock Lesnar pinned The Undertaker's shoulders to the mat for the three count at WrestleMania XXX, it was a cosmic moment. No one could believe that the greatest streak in wrestling history had been erased in three seconds.
One would think that such a moment would have been planned well in advance by those backstage. However, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon made the decision to end the Streak hours before the match, arguing that Lesnar was the only credible opponent left who could pose a challenge to him.
The wrestler himself confirmed this during an interview on Broken Skull Sessions that even as of that morning, he was on course to take the victory. However, he respected the decision and took the most iconic loss in wrestling history.