Is Undertaker Really Retiring?
- Thread starter Glacier
- Start date
Cena Is A Punk Rocker
Accidental spam artist
Not after the match I watched on Sunday. Please stay retired Taker.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
Given that WWE all but came out and acknowledged on Raw a few times tonight that he's retired, you can pretty much bank on Taker being retired. Besides that, Taker is someone who almost never broke kayfabe and he did so after his match by kissing his wife, Michelle McCool, at ringside so that's another big indicator.
Taker doesn't need to depart with a win, he ultimately did something that a lot of major stars have done in the past and that's put over a young guy in his final match. Roman Reigns didn't exactly need the rub given that he's already a 3 time WWE Champion, but it also makes sense given that Reigns is going to be possibly the singular biggest player in WWE for much of the next decade.
Also, Taker's body's just plain worn out if all the reports over the past several years are true and they probably are based on the visible downgrade of Taker's in-ring abilities over the past 3 or 4 years. For instance, it's been reported that Taker has put off having needed surgery for a long while, including hip replacement surgery, as having these procedures would mean an end to his in-ring career. Taker's 52 years old and he's also probably at a point in his life where he has to consider his for the next 20 to 30 years and how a 30+ year career as a pro wrestler will affect him. As a result, if the guy needs to have stuff done to fix him up so he can live to a ripe old age without his body being racked by pain, then I'm of the opinion that it's time he got to it.
Taker doesn't need to depart with a win, he ultimately did something that a lot of major stars have done in the past and that's put over a young guy in his final match. Roman Reigns didn't exactly need the rub given that he's already a 3 time WWE Champion, but it also makes sense given that Reigns is going to be possibly the singular biggest player in WWE for much of the next decade.
Also, Taker's body's just plain worn out if all the reports over the past several years are true and they probably are based on the visible downgrade of Taker's in-ring abilities over the past 3 or 4 years. For instance, it's been reported that Taker has put off having needed surgery for a long while, including hip replacement surgery, as having these procedures would mean an end to his in-ring career. Taker's 52 years old and he's also probably at a point in his life where he has to consider his for the next 20 to 30 years and how a 30+ year career as a pro wrestler will affect him. As a result, if the guy needs to have stuff done to fix him up so he can live to a ripe old age without his body being racked by pain, then I'm of the opinion that it's time he got to it.
Good point but Flair also retired, hugged it out, cried, etc. and ended
up wrestling many more matches over the years.
stingray11214
Cena is no Bruno & Cole is no Solie
Taker was not stupid enough to have 5 ex-wives. Not stupid enough to "live" the gimmick long after the matches have waned. Taker was not stupid enough to make very bad financial decisions that force him to make appearance after appearance for thousands of dollars, that if he is lucky he will see maybe $100 after the Government and ex-wives take their cut. Taker has a shitload of real estate in three states, and play Bowling King (the PC game) in his spare time.
He needs to wrestle like he needs amputation. Taker is done, kaput, finito. Let Taker become Mark Calaway husband, father and retiree in peace and tranquility....Especially after he gets his new hip that he badly needs.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
Not for WWE he didn't and Taker would never wrestle anywhere else except WWE. WWE and Vince McMahon were extremely good to Taker over the course of his career and he in exchange was a highly professional, loyal worker who wrecked himself to give the company as much as he could. Part of the reason Taker's body has been so riddled with injuries over the past decade is because he's always worked through injuries rather than taking time off to let them heal, which includes having put off numerous surgeries that'd keep him out of action for quite a while. Ric Flair is a man who made very poor financial and lifestyle choices during his career and had a hard time letting go of the spotlight. Flair found a patsy who was willing to pay him a significant amount of money despite the fact that his best days were a good many years behind him, with said patsy being a woman named Dixie Carter. Also, the matches he wrestled for TNA were abysmal to watch due to lousy quality and Flair wound up getting injured every time he wrestled in TNA. As I recall, the last match he had was as part of a TNA tour in the UK wrestling Doug Williams and he wound up screwing up his shoulder so badly that it pretty much ended his in-ring career.
Flair was just an example that popped into my mind, there have been
many others who hung it up and then came back.
In fact, Shawn Michaels was rumored to be up for a match in this past
Wrestlemania. And, there was Goldbergs run as well.
Its not like he would be doing a long, drawn out thing, he would just be
doing one final match. Even after hip surgery, he could manage that.
Bo Jackson played 120 games in one year after hip replacement, and did
this for a few seasons. And hip replacement is far more advanced now.
It seems strange he would go out on a loss and the WWE would not try at
some point for one big $ match, with the promise of a big win and a final
victory lap.
many others who hung it up and then came back.
In fact, Shawn Michaels was rumored to be up for a match in this past
Wrestlemania. And, there was Goldbergs run as well.
Its not like he would be doing a long, drawn out thing, he would just be
doing one final match. Even after hip surgery, he could manage that.
Bo Jackson played 120 games in one year after hip replacement, and did
this for a few seasons. And hip replacement is far more advanced now.
It seems strange he would go out on a loss and the WWE would not try at
some point for one big $ match, with the promise of a big win and a final
victory lap.
d_henderson1810
Mid-Card Championship Winner
Something I just figured out.
Last night was Undertaker's 25th Wrestlemania match, finishing with 23-2.
Maybe Taker thought that it was a nice number to finish on.
Last night was Undertaker's 25th Wrestlemania match, finishing with 23-2.
Maybe Taker thought that it was a nice number to finish on.
d_henderson1810
Mid-Card Championship Winner
I think an indicator is if he headlines the WWE Hall-Of-Fame class of 2018.
In fact, if his retirement is final, and he gets the surgery, why not announce it far in advance, and put in next year's class a year out, so when they sell HoF tickets for next year, it might boost sales if they know that he is going in.
In fact, if his retirement is final, and he gets the surgery, why not announce it far in advance, and put in next year's class a year out, so when they sell HoF tickets for next year, it might boost sales if they know that he is going in.
After WM last night I was sure he was done. But after Raw I'm not so sure. Maybe I was the only one who noticed but each time Cole brought up The Undertaker he continued to leave the door open for a return by continuing to say after last night there is a lot of speculation that it was Undertaker's final match. But he didn't confirm it. We all know that commentary is fed their lines. Also, WWE official site's big headline is "Was WrestleMania 33 The Undertaker's Last (Thrill) Ride?" So obviously they're treating it as a question mark. Other verbiage on the official site back that up.
So, Never Say Never. I don't he's officially retired yet.
So, Never Say Never. I don't he's officially retired yet.
Un-Bo-Lievable Jeff
Getting Noticed By Management
Think there are a few signs that he retired at WM.
Has Taker not always said he wanted to go out on his back? That's the old school way to do it?
Leaving the Undertaker outfit in the ring was one. I know he left his gloves in the ring after Lesnar beat him for the streak, but that was very significant at WM33.
He broke character for the first time I have ever seen when he went to kiss his wife at ringside. Never seen him do anything like that before.
His wife and kids haven't been at ringside for his WM matches before as far as I am aware.
He went on last rather than either of the championship matches.
The picture of Roman that has been going around twitter shows an upset man. Not sure why he would be in that state if this was just another Undertaker match.
Don't think you can ever say Never, but I would be surprised to see Taker again. He does only wrestle once a year, so you never know. But I think that was his last.
Has Taker not always said he wanted to go out on his back? That's the old school way to do it?
Leaving the Undertaker outfit in the ring was one. I know he left his gloves in the ring after Lesnar beat him for the streak, but that was very significant at WM33.
He broke character for the first time I have ever seen when he went to kiss his wife at ringside. Never seen him do anything like that before.
His wife and kids haven't been at ringside for his WM matches before as far as I am aware.
He went on last rather than either of the championship matches.
The picture of Roman that has been going around twitter shows an upset man. Not sure why he would be in that state if this was just another Undertaker match.
Don't think you can ever say Never, but I would be surprised to see Taker again. He does only wrestle once a year, so you never know. But I think that was his last.
Taker was not 'good looking' enough to have 5 ex wives is what you meant to say. And if Flair was Taker he could afford to have made very bad financial decisions. Taker is NOT done and I seriously wonder about commenters like you. Does WWE pay staff to infiltrate these boards to redirect us from the fact that there was nothing NOTHING on RAW that decisively proved that the Undertaker is finished? As for the bad hip, I'm sure it's not great but it hasn't been great for years. What's one more year? And really...that hip has been hyped pretty hard by online writers..whose job it is to misdirect the smarks..
Going out last was a last minute change to the program. I'm sure Taker didn't make a 'last' minute decision a day before Wrestlemania that it would be his final Wrestlemania. Geez
I'm getting tired of hearing these arguments about Undertaker's age. He's 52 ... So the hell what ?
Ric Flair was 59 when he had the "Career Threatening" match with Shawn Michaels in WM24. Whenever WrestleMania season comes around these articles start popping up about Taker's possible last WM and about his surgeries.
People let it get into their heads too much and all of a sudden feel they have all the facts right.
Most likely Undertaker hasn't really retired. He retired as the deadman after putting his attire/gear in the middle of the ring at WrestleMania33.
He is likely coming back as the American-Badass which in my opinion was always the better gimmick and a huge breath of fresh air. Just no more WrestleMania matches for him IMO.
Ric Flair was 59 when he had the "Career Threatening" match with Shawn Michaels in WM24. Whenever WrestleMania season comes around these articles start popping up about Taker's possible last WM and about his surgeries.
People let it get into their heads too much and all of a sudden feel they have all the facts right.
Most likely Undertaker hasn't really retired. He retired as the deadman after putting his attire/gear in the middle of the ring at WrestleMania33.
He is likely coming back as the American-Badass which in my opinion was always the better gimmick and a huge breath of fresh air. Just no more WrestleMania matches for him IMO.
Never seen a WWE Superstar kiss his wife before on a PPV ?? ... Especially in WrestleMania the grandest stage of them all. What do you expect ??
I'm sure that we all have seen some WWE Superstar kiss his wife or something. But The Undertaker wasn't a normal superstar. He was a dead man. Kayfabe was more of a reality about him than the actual reality. Infact, he was the only superstar who was more into kayfabe for this long. Breaking kayfabe for such a wrestler does signify an end.
Stone Cold Tea
Getting Noticed By Management
His point was that it was The Undertaker breaking kayfabe not some random guy.
The Undertaker is the ultimate professional. He has already had his last fun. Anybody remember 2015?
Anyway, all you people that say The Undertaker isn't retired, pull your head out your arse and stop trying to be so smart. It's fucking obvious after events transpired that this is it for him.
The Perfect Max
I Am Jericho
I feel like the Undertaker is like Shawn Michaels in this regard. Retired MEANS retired. End of story. And for a character like the Undertaker, I honestly hope it stays that way.
That is not to say I don't wish Taker was still here. I mean I cried like a bitch on Sunday night, but it was absolutely perfect. Everything about the final segment was so special and beautiful. I wouldn't want them to ruin the awe of the moment for the sake of a so-so match because the reality is that Taker is battered and bruised to the extreme. And that's because of the 27 years he has put in to the WWE. Let him be I say.
The Undertaker character was meant to disappear one day and never return again. That's the way I see it. He came, he conquered, and he left town. That's really how I believe Taker will see it as well. It's an old school kind of approach, but he is old school.
The only thing that makes me question all of this is the way WWE have point-blank refused to say he IS retired. It's all question marks for now. But honestly, if he does come back, as relieved as I will be to see him again, it ruins the end of WrestleMania 33 for me. That's perhaps selfish, but when Taker retired (because obviously one day he had too!) I wanted it to be definitive and perfect, just like his character.
I just don't want Taker to have the Brett Favre effect I guess. The dude retired about 27 times and by the end I really didn't care. I don't want the same for Taker.
That is not to say I don't wish Taker was still here. I mean I cried like a bitch on Sunday night, but it was absolutely perfect. Everything about the final segment was so special and beautiful. I wouldn't want them to ruin the awe of the moment for the sake of a so-so match because the reality is that Taker is battered and bruised to the extreme. And that's because of the 27 years he has put in to the WWE. Let him be I say.
The Undertaker character was meant to disappear one day and never return again. That's the way I see it. He came, he conquered, and he left town. That's really how I believe Taker will see it as well. It's an old school kind of approach, but he is old school.
The only thing that makes me question all of this is the way WWE have point-blank refused to say he IS retired. It's all question marks for now. But honestly, if he does come back, as relieved as I will be to see him again, it ruins the end of WrestleMania 33 for me. That's perhaps selfish, but when Taker retired (because obviously one day he had too!) I wanted it to be definitive and perfect, just like his character.
I just don't want Taker to have the Brett Favre effect I guess. The dude retired about 27 times and by the end I really didn't care. I don't want the same for Taker.
Sorry.............but why? All the greats go out on their back. He would have volunteered to put Reigns over in his last match. Why retire if still winning, poor booking. He has retired, its been reported in mainstream media. Hes doen, anybody wbho watched the show and follows wrestling knows that was it for Taker. Breaking character to kiss his wife...enough said. His in-ring career is finally over, and what a brilliant career it was. Im sure hes not dead to the WWE, but thankfully his in-ring career is finished.
The Life Of Pablo Ren
I know my name/avi/sig don't match.
Everything that happened post match at WrestleMania signaled it was the end.
All the social media posts from everyone, especially the one from Michelle McCool leads me to believe this is really the end.
However, them constantly referring to it last night as "possibly Undertaker's last match" had me cringing and wanting me to punch a wall like it's part of a story. I really hope that's not the case though. The man can't go anymore and the longer he puts off his hip replacement it's only gonna get worse. I shudder to think of what he might be like in a year.
All the social media posts from everyone, especially the one from Michelle McCool leads me to believe this is really the end.
However, them constantly referring to it last night as "possibly Undertaker's last match" had me cringing and wanting me to punch a wall like it's part of a story. I really hope that's not the case though. The man can't go anymore and the longer he puts off his hip replacement it's only gonna get worse. I shudder to think of what he might be like in a year.
HeenanGorilla
Championship Contender
This shows your cluelessness. I gave your first post a pass, but then this just proved what I suspected. You have no clue what you're talking about.
Taker took kayfabe to a whole other level. He doesn't sit with everyone at the HOF and has stayed off camera for several occasions when the roster came out as a group. He may not retire, but to compare his breaking kayfabe to just anyone else is foolish.
Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.
Kamehamehaaaaa!!
You can just never know. Wrestlers are presented as fighters. If the challenge is made, Taker will answer it. That's all in a kayfabe reality.
In real life, it all depends on his surgery, his health and his shape and his will to continue. However there's no reason for Taker to come back and face just anybody just for the shake of wrestling. If he's going to return, he should first heal up, get in shape and then return if he wants. And it should be against either Cena or Sting. Any other is not needed and should not happen.
I think that even Mark himself does not know his future. Yeah, he broke kayfabe and left his attire in the ring, but I think that deep down, he's waiting to see the result of his surgery. He just had to say goodbye to the fans now, just in case he wasn't going to be able to say it afterwards.
In real life, it all depends on his surgery, his health and his shape and his will to continue. However there's no reason for Taker to come back and face just anybody just for the shake of wrestling. If he's going to return, he should first heal up, get in shape and then return if he wants. And it should be against either Cena or Sting. Any other is not needed and should not happen.
I think that even Mark himself does not know his future. Yeah, he broke kayfabe and left his attire in the ring, but I think that deep down, he's waiting to see the result of his surgery. He just had to say goodbye to the fans now, just in case he wasn't going to be able to say it afterwards.
End of story? Let's start at the beginning. Let's build a foundation to argue on. Retired means retired? Who said Undertaker was retired? Mark Calloway didn't say it. Michael Cole didn't. Vince McMahon didn't. Michelle McCool didn't. Shawn Michaels didn't. Nobody of any authority said anything about Undertaker retiring. Social media said it and it trended and went viral. All Undertaker did after his match was take off his hat, coat and gloves and set all three in the middle of the ring. And then he walked down the ramp and descended through the floor.
A character like Undertaker, you hope he stays retired? He never officially retired. Get over this fact. He simply laid his wrestling gear in the middle of the ring and you jumped to conclusions. Undertaker is the biggest and best character in wrestling history. He needs the 'best' sendoff. And I'm sorry if you believe his sendoff was fantastic the other night. I wasn't a fan of it because no one saw it coming. I actually fell asleep before the match was over. That's not the way the best character in wrestling history should go out. With fans falling asleep because they don't realize the match means something..
In the history of wrestling, only one wrestler ever said he was retiring and remained retired. Shawn Michaels. That's it. Undertaker never even once said he was retiring. Nobody did. And even if he did say it or anybody of any authority, only Shawn in the history of wrestling stayed retired after retiring. Remember Macho Man retiring at Wrestlemania 7? That was 'hyped'. Savage reunited with Liz and people were crying like bitches 20 times worse than you were the other night. They got married at Summerslam..reminiscent of Cena and Bella #1. Bailey was dropping elbow drops, Taker supposedly 'retired'..lots of Macho Man-like copying went down at WM33. And of course, in 1991 nobody came back from retirement before. And voila Savage returned after Jake the Snake attacked him and his wife. Wouldn't be too hard to have someone like Sting or even Roman antagonize Undertaker for one last match leading up to next Wrestlemania.
Ric Flair is Brett Favre. Flair retired and returned over and over again. Didn't ruin his legacy one bit. In fact he's considered by most the greatest all time in the business. And remember - Undertaker NEVER retired. So Undertaker CANNOT pull a Brett Favre.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
As others have pointed out, Taker's not the typical wrestler. He almost never breaks character when he's in a WWE sponsored setting. When the Cleveland Cavs were presented with their custom WWE Championship for winning the NBA Championship last year, Taker was there on hand dressed in his gear. Nobody else does stuff like that. On the "Raw is Owen" episode paying tribute to Owen Hart the night after his tragic death, the Undertaker was one of the very, very few on the roster who didn't wrestle, share memories of Owen or even make an appearance. Why? Because he'd have had to break character as the Undertaker character, a macabre supernatural figure grimly associated with death, wouldn't exactly have been appropriate. When Ric Flair gave his retirement speech on the post WrestleMania Raw after losing his retirement match to HBK, Taker paid tribute to Flair, said goodbye to him, hugged him in the middle of the ring but all this took place after Raw went off the air that night. Why? Because Taker's character isn't the touchy feely, sentimental type.
Taker kissing his wife is something he's NEVER done in any WrestleMania match because, again, Taker's character isn't someone who has the typical lifestyle of mortal men which includes a wife and family. Taker breaking kayfabe on a WWE broadcast while the broadcast is still taking place is a major anomaly and when you factor that in with his wife's tweets, the leaving of his hat & coat in the center of the ring and the fact that WWE acknowledged that it looks as though Taker may have had his last match several times on Raw last night add up to about a 99.99% chance that the Undertaker, Mark Calaway, has wrestled his last professional match.
As for the arguments regarding Taker's age, age is always a factor. Ric Flair kept wrestling because he's pissed away fortune after fortune on one failed marriage after another, some of which were to women roughly half his age, and simple piss poor money management. Flair lived the "Nature Boy" gimmick and the result was financial ruin.
The Perfect Max
I Am Jericho
I am speaking as if this is the definitive retirement for him. I thought it was such a perfect way to say goodbye because of the execution. Obviously, you didn't. Doesn't make my opinion of how it went down wrong.
And no, nobody said he was retired. I even said that the WWE hasn't said he has and so it might not be? I just said that someone like The Undertaker strikes me as someone who wouldn't come out of retirement once he did retire. And because I thought WrestleMania was the perfect way to end it, that was how I would like to remember him. I enjoyed the match for what it was and the story they told in the end. Again, if you didn't enjoy that, fine.
Yes, I hope he stays retired. If you're gonna have a send off (if this was indeed it), then that should be the big thing you leave behind. Shawn did it. Ric Flair didn't do it, and it ruins the effect of WrestleMania 24 for me. Again, my opinion. If you enjoy seeing people come back, that's okay. I wouldn't necessarily dislike Taker or anybody coming back after retirement, but if they had a big, original send-off, only to come back for another match, it kinda ruins the effort they went to for the send-off for me.
As for how much I cried, how pathetic. So salty. Sincere apologies for my opinion.
