The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 34?

[Loganity]

I know we all saw Roman Reigns defeat The Undertaker at WM33 and The Undertaker appeared to retire after the match by taking off his gear in the ring and disappearing under the ramp.

But, we all also read the rumors of him returning at Summerslam that turned out be untrue. We also read where Jim Ross said he considers The Undertaker to be "active" and could "wrestle at any time." JR certainly didn't feel that way a few months ago, and it's well known he and Taker are close personally. Is it possible he knows something we don't?

My point to all this is am I only one who thinks The Undertaker may not be done and could wrestle at WM34 next year? I know most people on here don't want to see him return due to age, health, quality of match, Mania record and various other reasons. But is it a possibility? He's constantly referred to as "possibly retired" Or "may have retired" We all know that's by design. While I'm sure no decision has been officially made as Taker reportedly doesn't make his decision until December- January. It's also well known that Taker has been talked into coming back the last several years, as every year he says he's done. So why not this year? He'll always have value, it's diminished, but Mania will always be synonymous with him.



Finally, if he were to return next year who will he face? Logic says Roman, but I personally would like to see him face an upper mid card heel like Corbin or Owens instead. A less high profile match, less pressure and less expectations all the while still getting Taker at Mania in a noteworthy match where another young star can say they faced him on the grandest stage of them all. Maybe give Luke Harper a push? Before anyone thinks him coming back to randomly face a upper mid card heel is nuts, remember his match with Bray was pretty random too and I think it told a decent story and did the job.

So, wishful thinking on my part? Or is The Undertaker wrestling next year a real possibility?

 

[LynchCats]

There is one match that I want to see The Undertaker come back for. John Cena. With the reports that Reigns is likely to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WM34, I would rather see Undertaker vs. John Cena, because Cena will be able to take care of the Undertaker in the ring a lot better than someone like Baron Corbin who isn't as experienced in the ring. I know fans will probably shit all over the match because Cena isn't one of their darlings, but Taker/Cena is the match we haven't seen in the last 15 years that I wish we had seen when both guys were in their primes in the late 2000s. I would love to see Undertaker get the same HOF treatment that Ric Flair got, in that he's the headliner for the 2018 Hall of Fame, and then wrestles his retirement match the following night against Cena, with Cena doing the job and showing the ultimate respect. I know that decision would go against conventional wisdom of the retiring vet doing the job, but Cena doesn't necessarily need the rub, and with Cena's Hustle, Loyalty, Respect mantra, I can see Cena taking the loss.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I think that at this point, it would be stupid for taker to comeback after the way he left at this year's mania. The way taker left at mania 33 was the best way he could have left by putting over the future of the company and then leaving his his gear in the ring.

All I want to see as far as taker at mania 34 is him getting inducted into the hall of fame and then let give him a supercool entrance during the hall of fame segment. If taker come back for mania 34 in a match, it kills everything the the mania 33 accomplish and after taker crying retirement twice already, will fans really believe him if he does it again next year?

 

[Un-Bo-Lievable Jeff]

I would love you to show where Taker ever said he was done. It's always rumours that he was finished but was dragged back for another match.

He doesn't do interviews so to say he said he was done, is really just making things up.

 

[LODemolition]

I really don't care one way or another if he has another match. The guy gave us 25 WrestleMania matches, far more than you can even think to ask of a wrestler. I mean damn, he even missed a couple so when you stop and think about his career lasting nearly 3 decades, it's impossible for me to sit and nitpick about never getting this match or that match.

If there's anything I'd still like to get out of Taker, it's more a moment than anything else. I've always just wanted to see he and Sting finally come face to face and have that bone-chilling stare down where you know it's not going to come to blows and they'll eventually walk off and go their separate directions. I've been waiting for that since the months leading up to WM31. But with Sting now being retired, we obviously have no chance of seeing that match and I'm fine with that. At their age, well it's probably just better left to the imagination at this point.

If Taker made up his mind that he had another Mania left in him, then his opponent would of course need to be somebody who would take the loss because who wants to see Taker go out losing the last 2 of his career and finishing up 23-3? So there's really only 2 people who come to mind for his opponent and they are Cena and Reigns, both for obvious reasons. To me, it's probably better to just have him be done without ever actually saying the words though. He already left everything in the ring so we don't need a big retirement speech. I think the way they ended WM33 was perfect because it leads you to believe he's finished, but it also leaves the window cracked open in case he should feel like he can go again next year. And even if he had said he was retired, it's pro wrestling. He wouldn't be the first to ever come out of retirement for WrestleMania.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

I have no interest or desire whatsoever in seeing Taker return.

I don't understand what's the fascination people have with wanting old, weary, broken-up wrestlers return for "one more match".

He gave us all for over two decades and thus is in no way obliged to perform another match.

Moreover, the streak is broken, and he put over Roman Reigns last year, unarguably the best choice for that honour. (One can imagine, had Vince not chosen Brock to end the streak, it could have been Roman instead).

What is there to be accomplished now? He doesn't need to beat Roman again, because that'd make the original match pointless.

He doesn't need to face Cena because that's utterly pointless in 2017, with the streak long being broken. Neither of them have to gain anything by a win over the other.

Finally, considering the condition of his body after all these years, the matches aren't going to be stellar.

Not to be rude but Taker facing Baron Corbin or KO or any new superstars from the roster at all at this point seems like a joke, an exercise in futility.

If you could bring back Taker's fitness level from 2008, then it wouldn't be a bad thing because I wouldn't have minded seeing him face the likes of AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Seth Rollins, Sheamus, and even Kurt Angle.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

The fact that people think Undertaker will wrestle again is completely fucking baffling.

Even more baffling is the fact that some people want him too.

He is over 50. It was sad and pathetic to see the state he was in at last WrestleMania. And there was a defnitive statement that he was done when he left the hat and gloves in the ring. He is retired. I don't know how this could go over the heads of some people.

He will go into the Hall of Fame this year. It's New Orleans, the same place the streak ended. Him wrestling again is not a possibility, and nobody should want it to be.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

So he takes his hat off and gloves and places The Undertaker gimmick in the ring before leaving the ring, Mark exits the ring and kisses his wife and leaves with his head held high to end Wrestlemania. He has put over Roman Reigns in his last hurrah on the way out of the door. Why in the world is there even rumours of him coming back? Wouldn't you think that just shits all over the ending they told at last year's WM? Come on!

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

If it's not Cena then it's not worth the time. Anything else would be uniteresting and unnecessary. Taker vs Cena at WM is a dream match. Taker took the losses he could take at Mania: a streak breaker and putting over an up and comer.

There's no point having Taker return if he's going to beat any of the up and comers. Kane vs Taker won't draw shit. So it's up to Cena vs Taker.

Maybe a tag team match, teaming up with Finn Balor or something. Definately not Taker vs Balor though.

 

[Loganity]

There is one match that I want to see The Undertaker come back for. John Cena. With the reports that Reigns is likely to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WM34, I would rather see Undertaker vs. John Cena, because Cena will be able to take care of the Undertaker in the ring a lot better than someone like Baron Corbin who isn't as experienced in the ring. I know fans will probably shit all over the match because Cena isn't one of their darlings, but Taker/Cena is the match we haven't seen in the last 15 years that I wish we had seen when both guys were in their primes in the late 2000s. I would love to see Undertaker get the same HOF treatment that Ric Flair got, in that he's the headliner for the 2018 Hall of Fame, and then wrestles his retirement match the following night against Cena, with Cena doing the job and showing the ultimate respect. I know that decision would go against conventional wisdom of the retiring vet doing the job, but Cena doesn't necessarily need the rub, and with Cena's Hustle, Loyalty, Respect mantra, I can see Cena taking the loss.

I would love to see The Undertaker vs John Cena next year. At this stage it's probably the biggest match either can have at this point. I'm not sure about Taker headlining the hall of fame the same year, as I think we just leave that distinction to Flair. Not that Taker doesn't deserve it, but I wouldn't be surprised if he feels the same way. I wonder if that mach is being discussed?

 

[Loganity]

The fact that people think Undertaker will wrestle again is completely fucking baffling.

Even more baffling is the fact that some people want him too.

He is over 50. It was sad and pathetic to see the state he was in at last WrestleMania. And there was a defnitive statement that he was done when he left the hat and gloves in the ring. He is retired. I don't know how this could go over the heads of some people.

He will go into the Hall of Fame this year. It's New Orleans, the same place the streak ended. Him wrestling again is not a possibility, and nobody should want it to be.

Well I want it to be. A WrestleMania without him at this stage would feel like something is missing. I'm not foolish enough to try and convince you he looked good this year, but maybe he will be greatly improved with whatever surgery he's rumored to be having done on his hips. But, he still has value and people still want him, as was obvious by the crowds in Brooklyn on Sunday & Monday. Why not match against Cena, that would sell and potentially tell a great story

 

[Jack-Hammer]

While I suppose it's possible that what we saw at WrestleMania wasn't the final curtain for Taker's in-ring career, that it was an old school means of throwing fans off as to what it means, I personally doubt it.

On camera, Taker is someone who almost never breaks kayfabe as doing something like leaving his ring gear in the center of the ring, walking to ringside and kissing his wife are all too human qualities that the "Dead Man" has been consistently shown as being beyond. As a result, it's all too easy for anyone to believe that WrestleMania 33 was his last match. It's not a guarantee as there are very few guarantees in life itself, let alone in pro wrestling, but I think the odds are against it.

As LODemolition mentioned, I'd be more interested in seeing Taker generate some last moments, things we'll remember for years to come, that don't have to revolve around him getting into the ring to wrestle. From a realistic perspective, there are probably only a small handful of men left in which a match would be interesting to see, at least in my opinion. Taker vs. Cena is one that's been mentioned a lot in the past few years, it's something that I think would be a cool spectacle though I'm not sure about how great of a match it'd be when you get right down to in-ring action. I'd be interested to see Taker go against AJ Styles as I think Styles has a great chance of helping to carry Taker through a strong in-ring match even if it lacked the spectacle that a bout with Cena would have. Given how far he's come and how over he's become, the notion of Taker vs. Braun Strowman is something that could be a money match. It'd potentially be cool to see Taker take on Finn Balor in his Demon King persona or even Samoa Joe or Shinsuke Nakamura.

However, Taker will officially be 53 years old by WrestleMania next year and you have to consider if the positives outweigh the negatives and, for me personally, they don't. We've all seen that Taker just doesn't have the same ability in the ring he once did, there's no way around that and there's no denying it anymore. He's also at an age where fans aren't going to suspend disbelief, at least some of them aren't, to believe that he can put on competitive matches against men 12 to 20 years younger than he is considering his diminished in-ring ability.

Potentially, Taker could have matches with any or all of these men I named but Taker is too big of a star to be put into a Chris Jericho type of role in which he ultimately loses to every young gun he faces. If Taker came back for one more match, which I don't think that he should, I think it'd be best for him to go against a young gun to whom a victory over Taker could still mean a huge deal.

Given how in love Vince is with Roman Reigns and that he's had Reigns, and just about everyone else for that matter, say for the past 5.5 months that he retired the Undertaker, maybe it's just best to let it lie.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I always thought Undertaker could have lasted until WM 35 due to his limited schedule and since he could still pull out good matches.

But there was a huge drop off between WM29 and WM30. Taker went from having the best match of the night to having the worst high profile match on the card. Plus he looked like he aged 10 years between WM29 and WM30 both in appearance and his mobility.

It came to the point by WM this year, Taker had nothing left in the Tank.

Undertaker will always be one of the all time greats but he looked liked my grandfather performing at WM this year.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Well I want it to be. A WrestleMania without him at this stage would feel like something is missing. I'm not foolish enough to try and convince you he looked good this year, but maybe he will be greatly improved with whatever surgery he's rumored to be having done on his hips. But, he still has value and people still want him, as was obvious by the crowds in Brooklyn on Sunday & Monday. Why not match against Cena, that would sell and potentially tell a great story

Wouldn't that also be Taker's decision. I would think having a match each year then having to go to surgery as a result and repeat might be something he does not want to do.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I really hope he does not wrestle again. Some may argue he should have retired after the Streak ended. Lesnar was an awful choice to end the Streak and I still maintain that opinion to this day. They were able to right that wrong with the Reigns match this year. As forced as Reigns' push has been, the fans hate the guy anyway so having him end Taker's career will benefit him for a very long time. Not only that, but Taker also had the perfect exit with leaving his gear in the ring. We will never get the Taker VS Sting match and will probably never get Taker VS Cena either, however I'm ok with that. He had a great departure which would fit perfectly as the true ending of his career. If not for that reason, then for the sake of his own health I hope he does not wrestle at Wrestlemania 34. The difference was noticeable against Lesnar and even moreso against Reigns. Time for a Hall Of Fame induction and to get the respect he deserves as one of the best of all time.

 

[ShinChan]

I don't want The Undertaker to return. Yeah, I don't. Of course, The Undertaker is so relative to Wrestlemania that the event will be awkward without him wrestling. But that was gonna happen. This year or next or next. It already happened. He isn't good physically. The end was good although the match sucked. And it should be the end for him.

 

[Starkist]

If Undertaker comes back to wrestle one more match, then wouldn't this kill off the vibe of Reigns ''retiring'' the Undertaker? It would hurt Reigns' already hurting stock.

As much as I am an Undertaker fan, he does not need to not come back to face anyone. I would rather him stay retired than see him three times while on the journey to WrestleMania. I would enjoy Taker vs Cena, I just do not think it needs to happen.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I don't care if he wrestles again to be frank. A match with Cena would be nice. But that's all.

However he can still provide moments like The Rock does. For example him and Balor cleaning house or a stand off between him and Sting. He can still appear, do something easy and leave. He and WM are synonymous.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

It's all on Undertaker if he decides to wrestle again or not. It's his life and people can complain all they want that they don't want to see him wrestle again. If he does then so what? People have come back from retirements all the time and it was never officially confirmed that he retired. WWE is leaving doors open and there's nothing wrong with that at all.

I wouldn't mind seeing a John Cena match with him before he hangs it up for good. I've never understood why the didn't do that years ago as I had it on my predictions for WrestleMania cards since probably 27. I remember reading a report it was supposed to take place this year but Vince nixed it as it wasn't looking towards the future to do that match. If that's the case then why did Triple H and Shawn Michaels face him for 4 WrestleManias in a row? WrestleMania is for dream matches and the biggest stage to do the biggest matches possible.

All in all if Undertaker does return for more matches I won't mind. If the guy feels up for it and feels good doing it then I respect him for wanting to continue entertaining me and I'm grateful for all the moments and matches I've grown up with because of him. Sting will never happen obviously but I would also like Sting to make an appearance during Mania season to cut a promo and some guys like I don't know the Miztourage come out to try and jump him then the gong strikes and Sting and Taker clean house.