WrestleMania has been hailed as the ‘showcase of the immortals’. For 21 WrestleManias, the Undertaker defined immortality by staying unbeaten against the biggest, strongest and quickest opponents. So many superstars including ‘Big Daddy Cool’ Diesel, Triple H, CM Punk, and the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels tried to take the Deadman down but in the end, they all failed.
For what is known as the ‘grandest stage of them all’, Wrestlemania 30 in New Orleans truly lived up to its reputation. As always, the biggest excitement was about the Undertaker’s undefeated streak. In recent years, the streak challenge has become a highlight of Wrestlemania. It always seemed like the WWE would keep his winning streak alive forever or at least, until the day he decided to hang up his boots.
Vince McMahon has been known to shock audiences when least expected and what better way to do so than to give the Undertaker’s streak a fitting end against a competitor that defines pain. Paul Heyman’s client Brock Lesnar returned to the WWE after a stint at UFC where he earned several championship honors. He took on the role of a no-nonsense extreme fighting machine, engineered to deliver pain to his opponents. He seemed like the most suitable opponent to take on the Undertaker on the 30th edition of WrestleMania.
Having faced powerful foes before, fans expected the Undertaker to pull off a victory in the end making it 22-0. However, in a twist of fate, Lesnar delivered two F-5s back to back and lay to rest the once immortal Deadman. Undertaker left the arena to a standing ovation, shock and sadness in the eyes of every fan.
With the streak over, where does the Undertaker go? Does he still have a role to play at WrestleMania where his match was even bigger than the main title event? Due to his age and fatigue, Mark ‘the Undertaker’ Calaway would only feature in the build up to WrestleMania where he would do promos with his annual opponent. If there’s any reason for him to return to the squared circle, most fans expect him to take on the mysterious grappler Sting.
The master of the ‘Scorpion Deathlock’ was a fan-favorite back in the WCW and he is one of their few alums that’s never competed in a WWE ring, even after McMahon bought out his competition a decade or so ago. Breaking tradition, Steve ‘Sting’ Borden has reportedly signed with the WWE but has only appeared on ‘Monday Night Raw’ as part of a vignette to promote the video game ‘WWE 2K15’. According to the Daily Mirror, Sting wants a piece of the Phenom as his last big match, and it may just happen at WrestleMania 31.
Recently Brock Lesnar delivered a brutal beating to Cenation leader John Cena at WWE’s biggest summer pay-per-view ‘Summerslam’ and won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt. A dream match would be to have Undertaker and Lesnar go after the title at Wrestlemania 31 in an epic rematch. The streak may be over, but the Deadman still lives. Will he return to the ring for one last rodeo and if he does, who will it be against?
The Prince of Darkness may still have one epic WrestleMania moment left to thrill us all, before he finally ‘Rests In Peace’.