Legends Never Die: Why The Undertaker should make a comeback in WWE
The Undertaker has been phenomenal in his success in the WWE arena. Ranging from his biker presence to the eerie aura that he portrayed in the ring till the recent past, his mere presence on the mat seemed intimidating, to say the least. He has overthrown countless superstars from their dominant positions and made an imminent mark in the business. The slow walk towards the ring, the unveiling of his demonic expressions after the hat is off his head, the supernatural revival after he has been knocked out…everything amounts to a wrestler who just wants to fight with all his strength, but not show his pain to the opponent or to the crowd. Hence, nobody saw what Undertaker actually went through his battle with Brock Lesnar in WrestleMania 30 as he rushed to the hospital, after collapsing backstage.
Carrying off some interesting gimmicks like The Phenom, The Deadman and The American Badass, The Undertaker has wowed many WWE fans around the globe. Hence, it wasn’t a surprise when the same fans were reeling with disappointment at the end of Undertaker’s winning streak at WrestleMania 30. It meant an end of an era and the reaction from the fans was for everyone to see. It spelled four words – a true hero lost. The WWE stocks took a downfall of 19 percent after the event. Though many are touting it to be due to the loss faced by the WWE network, it can never be doubted that the Phenom’s streak has had a huge impact on the stocks. The uncontrollable boos that Heyman has to suffer from the crowd, whenever he talks about the streak getting broken, is evidence to the strong emotions that the fans feel towards The Undertaker. A rematch with Brock Lesnar could just be what the fledgling business wants to boost the ratings higher, as the fans still have the utmost respect for the veteran wrestler.
Also, Undertaker had his bouts of fury with The Authority many times in the past. May it be the kidnapping of Stephanie, the storied rivalries with HHH or getting buried alive by Vince, Undertaker has never stopped short of throwing dirt at The Authority’s eyes over the years. Now, with The Shield dwindling in their storyline against The Evolution and with the exit of Daniel Bryan from the arena, the return of Undertaker may just be another disturbing element for The Authority and an entertaining aspect for the fans. Also, with the heavy injuries that Undertaker suffered in the Lesnar match, a return to the ring at his age may deem to be as spooky as it gets. As the Undertaker may not be able to compete week in and week out, a buildup to a Hell in a Cell match with the COO, HHH, may just pave way for another storyline – the most wins in the event, as both are tied at 6 matches each.
Sting is rumoured to make an appearance for a long time and that could give the business the opportunity that they need to bring back the Phenom as both of them haven’t announced their official retirement. So, a final match-up between the two could just be what the business needs to recuperate the lost ratings by bringing back some long lost WWE aficionados who had lost interest in the show due to various thoughts of awry business and predictable results.
Undertaker’s rivalry with the Wyatt family was short-lived but was largely effective as the “eerie vs eerie” situation grappled audiences worldwide. After an episode of RAW went off-air, the Undertaker interrupted Cena’s match against the Wyatts by going at them with full force. It was a sight to behold as fans saw the scary aspect of the Wyatt family being rubbished by the Dead Man. The Wyatts are popular for their mind-games but even these mind-games fall flat in front of what Undertaker does when he’s not in the ring. The sudden lightning strokes, the blackouts, the bell sounds and the foggy ramp are just some of the Phenom’s most influential mind-games that can rattle any wrestler. So a renewed rivalry with the Wyatts for a single match will be a treat for the fans, especially with the promos and vignettes accompanying it.
Another possibility could be The Undertaker mentoring young prospective talents like Big E and the powerhouse of The Shield, Roman Reigns. Interestingly, WWE has plans to take Seth Rollins out of Evolution, after Batista comes back, and nurture him into a solo talent. This could be the perfect stage for Roman Reigns to take his revenge over his friend-turned-foe Seth Rollins, and who can be better than The Beast Reincarnate to mentor Reigns. Even the recent fall of Big E in the ranks of WWE has been a major surprise for many fans around the globe and just an added mentorship of the Phenom may just do the trick for the former Intercontinental champion.
Renowned for his comebacks in the business, The Phenom has been as effective off-the-camera as on it due to his amazing on-screen gimmicks. Many would argue that his age and his subsequent injury list would be an obstacle, but an aged and unfit Undertaker should not be a hindrance for an appearance on TV. People love him on-screen, with his raspy voice and his daunting entrances. WWE doesn’t need him to be a regular wrestler. It just needs him to be on-screen and make him wrestle for a match or two. That would be good for business.
The last time we saw the deadman make a public appearance was at a concert when he was accompanied by his wife Michelle McCool. He looked in good spirits and hopefully he will start training soon to make a grand comeback.
@MBoone420 @RyanClarkWZR Undertaker was at the George Strait concert last night with Michelle McCool pic.twitter.com/45t29cqCB7
— Jeremy (@jbendickson) June 8, 2014