Why Super Showdown should be The Undertaker's last ride
He is one man who has towered over every other Superstar in the WWE. For almost three decades now, The Undertaker has put his body on the line and has continuously morphed and adapted to the changing requirements of the business.
‘The Phenom’ has been involved in feuds with some of the biggest names in the industry, including the likes of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Batista, Ric Flair, Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, and has given WWE fans memories that will last a life time.
But then, the last three years have shown us a very different Undertaker. An Undertaker who has been struck by the ravages of Father Time, an Undertaker who now labors in the ring, and most importantly, an Undertaker who now looks mortal.
At WrestleMania XXXIII, in his match against Roman Reigns, ‘The DeadMan’ struggled to keep pace with his opponent, almost twenty years younger to him, and was handed his second loss at ‘The Grandest Stage Of Them All’.
After the match, The Undertaker slowly got to his feet, placed his iconic hat, his trademark black coat, and his gloves in the centre of the ring, and walked away, with thunderous chants of ‘Thank You Taker’ resounding in the back ground.
If ever there was a perfect moment to walk away, and draw the curtains down on his illustrious career, it was this moment. He had put a young Superstar over, and his loss had symbolically proven that no Superstar could rise above the business.
Almost eleven months later, John Cena starts teasing a match at WrestleMania XXXIV against The Undertaker, and even goes to the extent of calling him a coward.
Will ‘The Phenom' show up? Will he answer the call?
And, on 8th April 2018, the gong struck, and over 70000 people in the stadium went wild. And then, through all the smoke, came the man, and entered the ring for the 26th time at WrestleMania. And finally, the match that fans had craved for years was finally materializing in front of their eyes.
But then, what transpires in the ring leaves them in a state of shock. In under 3 minutes, The Undertaker squashed Cena to go 24-2 at WrestleMania.
And, he does not stop there. ‘The DeadMan’ featured in a ‘Last Time Ever’ battle against Triple H at Super Showdown in Australia last year. Both the icons labored in the ring, and The Undertaker put up a lackluster performance. And, if this was any indication, then his performance at Crown Jewel confirmed that age has indeed caught up with him.
But, the question is, when will the WWE let go of The Undertaker?
In another two days, he will feature in another blockbuster showdown against Goldberg, a match that has been booked a decade too late. Both these legends are well past their prime, and this match might end up doing more harm than good to their legacies.
The WWE has enough talent in their roster, and they do not need these icons to continuously show up. Braun Strowman has been booked as the ‘Monster Among Men’, Finn Balor is an exciting prospect, Seth Rollins is a box office attraction, and Brock Lesnar has not retired yet.
And finally, all of us need to understand this. There has been no Superstar who has enthralled and bewitched the WWE Universe for such a long period of time like how The Undertaker did, and no Superstar can ever match up to his aura.
But, at this point in his career, The Undertaker has nothing new to offer to the fans, and it is indeed time for him to finally ‘Rest In Peace.’
His match against Goldberg at Super Showdown should indeed be his ‘Last Ride’, and it is high time that he walks into the sunset for good.