Wrestlemania 31 - The Undertaker VS Bray Wyatt

[laodaron]

Ugh, this match disgusts me. Bray Wyatt shouldn't be on the main card, let alone fighting The Undertaker this year. This is a strong testament to the power of John Cena giving you the rub. He fights an unqualified tub of goo for a few PPVs, and that incoherent tub of goo is now fighting the most well known active wrestler, maybe ever. The most over gimmick, and one of the most powerful and most respected wrestlers ever.

Undertaker has to lose this, because Bray's fans don't deal well with him losing, and because without the streak, The Undertaker winning doesn't give the same rub that it used to.

Let's just hope that Bray doesn't hurt the Undertaker from being horrible and sloppy in the ring.

 

[Shocky]

This should be a pretty decent match. People like shitting on Taker's performance last year, and point to it as a sign at he can't go. People tend to forget the dude was concussed the majority of the match, and still managed to work it until the end.

Bray has been lights out with this program. I tend to go with the Bray is over rated by the IWC stance at this point. I have yet to watch a Bray Wyatt match and be overly impressed by it. Bray is a guy that depends too much on the "story telling" aspect of the match, as opposed to the athletic part of the match. Not my favorite style of wrestling. However, he has been lights out on the microphone. He's been a one man show to make this match intriguing, and to his credit, he's managed to pull it off.

I'm hoping that Undertaker wins this match. I don't like the idea of, well he lost, time to open the floodgates of L's, because it doesn't matter anymore. I hate that mentality. Also, if the next step for Taker is Taker vs. Sting, I'm not a big fan of Taker backing into the match with two straight Mania losses.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Not really looking forward to this much. Don't get me wrong, I'm always going to be an Undertaker fan. It's just that with The Streak being gone, it's no longer a big deal to defeat Taker at Wrestlemania. So the lack of The Streak hurts the match for me as does the fact that if last year's match is any indication then the quality may be pretty low. Bray's promos have been great and it will be cool to see Taker again, but I'd be lying if I said I was excited for the match itself. I've got incredibly low expectations going into the actual in-ring action. Bray wins, as Taker has LITERALLY NOTHING to gain from winning. NOTHING. The Streak is over so a win here for someone who wrestles once a year is POINTLESS. Even with The Streak being gone, Bray is the one who needs the win. Let it be a passing of the torch moment, Taker passes the torch to Bray and allows him to be the new "face of fear" as his promos have hinted at. I'd say it goes on in the middle of the show as the 4th of the 7 advertised matches on the main card.

DAGGER'S PREDICTION
Bray Wyatt will defeat The Undertaker.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

Bray Wyatt wins this match with Taker putting Bray Wyatt over with Taker becoming 21-2, no redemption for Taker this time around I see him losing ultimately to Bray Wyatt with Taker putting Bray over passing the torch over to Bray for Bray to become "The New Face of Fear" for Bray in a sense to be the next Undertaker he has to be put over by Taker and I think that is what Taker does because ever since The Streak was ended by Brock last year I figured that Taker was done and after Mania 31 he might as well be

 

[Dave]

I wasn't sold on this match to begin with because I really think that there is only one way that this match goes. For me, this match is going to showcase both guys but I really don't think that the WWE is going to put Wyatt over. And more importantly, there is no way that the WWE is going to let their “Phenom” lose twice in a row at WrestleMania. Of course, there is the argument that the WWE has built up a well of sentiment and power in The Streak and now they are getting value from it by putting people over Taker and getting the rub from what that definitely brings.

But when I think about it, there is no way that Brock Lesnar and Bray Wyatt can be thought of as on the same level. And when you consider that The Undertaker beat Triple H and Shawn Michaels TWICE over the course of four years, how can you really contend that B ray Wyatt is capable of going over Taker? It just doesn't make any sense to me. Lesnar is a freak of nature and has been booked that way ever since he walked into the WWE. Wyatt has lost far too many times when it counted to make him seem like a credible threat to The Undertaker at Mania. And should he go over, then I will be utterly devastated and, ultimately, pissed off.

Yeah, I get that this is a golden opportunity for Bray to go over on someone and get a massive rub that will send his career right into the history books. But it doesn't make sense to me. And what's more, I don't think he deserves it. I really like Bray and I feel as though he is going to have a great career. But this match should be about showing that The Undertaker is still a threat to everyone on his day; and that day is WrestleMania on an annual basis. And if we are to get a Sting versus Undertaker match next year at Mania, I don't want to see Taker head in on a losing streak the past two years.

Dave's Prediction: The Undertaker beats Bray Wyatt

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Undertaker for the win.

After Lesnar broke The Streak last year with a decisive win, Taker needs this to reestablish himself , if WWE has plans for Sting VS Taker at 32. Honestly, I believe that’s one of the main reasons why this match is taking place: WWE is starting to build the foundation for Sting VS Taker next year.

With no physical appearances from Taker, Bray has done a wonderful job of carrying the build for this match with a series of outstanding promos, but he doesn’t need the win. Brock broke The Streak last year, and he won the WWE WHC Championship in his first match back. Chasing a world title, and fighting for a spot at the top of the food chain as a number one contender ? It doesn’t fit his character. Bray Wyatt is a batshit crazy cult leader. He wants to brainwash the masses, and spread chaos. That’s it.

 

[kadroan]

I really hope they didn't book this match just for Bray to be enhancement talent. After all Bray went through late 2014 and early 2015 to re-establish himself as a threat, it would suck for Bray to go through it all over again.

 

[WackerJr]

I really don't know which way WWE are going to go with this. I understand the passing of the torch, but fans are just clamouring for Undertaker to go some way to redeeming himself and the last thing anyone really wants to see is the image of 'Taker losing again, as a reminder that he is getting old and the voices will be calling out for his retirement (again!).

I've no problem with a beat-down after the match, but have 'Taker come away as the victor.

 

[Khaotix523]

I see them rebooting the deadman character. Bray is in line to take the throne as the next "deadman"

Bray said it himself, that Undertaker is a mere mortal now, and that he plans on taking Undertaker's soul. It makes sense, if he takes his soul, Bray becomes the new face of fear, the new undertaker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usnJiySPYXg

"The spirit of the undertaker lives on in all of mankind"

Honestly, Undertaker losing to Bray would be the best option, because the character can be easily transferred to Bray. It would be his requiem, it would allow the soul of the undertaker to possess a new form, that would continue the path of destruction that the original undertaker has carved for the past 22 years.

 

[Dave]

The build up to this match was a bit tedious at times but I found myself buying into the hype when it got close to the actual event. Again, the entrances were pretty cool; Wyatt using a creepy scarecrow motif for his walk. It was like something out of the Walking Dead. This was the first time that we've seen Taker from WrestleMania last year and he looked good, I have to say. He's getting on a bit now but he looked pretty good; certainly a lot better than last year. A lot was made of his appearance but he's obviously put some graft in to get ready for the match. Kudos. That said, it wasn't dark enough yet to make the most of the fireflies and The Undertaker's entrances. That sucked.

But enough about that, lets talk about the match. The same match that I promised myself I wouldn't get invested in. The Undertaker had already lost his streak, so what was the point in getting invested again? Well, let me tell you something; I was just as enthralled this year as I was last year. When Taker was down, I cheered when he rolled out at the last second. When he was controlling the match, I felt the excitement of the occasion begin to creep in. He's The Phenom for a reason, ladies and gents. He might not have been the most agile or blessed with bags of stamina at his age. But he knows how to work a crowd and I got completely invested in his fate once again.

The match was relatively short for an Undertaker match at WrestleMania but that's to be expected now. Bray Wyatt looked awesome despite not picking up the win and, basically, looked like a good replacement for The Undertaker when he decides enough is enough. The moment when Bray was doing the crab walk and Undertaker sat up gave me goosebumps and sense of occasion that only happens when you know You're witnessing a WrestleMania moment. The tempo was slow and methodical as you might expect. But there was a few moments that picked up the pace and Undertaker looked comfortable with it. It wasn't a wrestling clinic, nor was it an instant classic but it was a decent match and a welcome return to form for a wrestling legend.

The result was fair, too. A lot of people will talk about how Wyatt should have won and I can see why they'd think that. Wyatt is now on a losing streak at Mania events; losing to John Cena and now The Undertaker. But he's also been in the ring with John Cena and The Undertaker at WrestleMania. His push will continue and he'll have plenty of time to shape his own legacy at WrestleMania in future years. Taker needed this win more than Bray did and it opens a huge amount of opportunities for the WWE. Next year we might get Sting and Taker and we will all be invested in it. If he'd had lost twice in a row, I can't say that I would feel the same.

Rating: 7.5/10

 

[Dragonslayer]

Yeah, I enjoyed the match. Sure it wasn't among the greatest of his at Mania, the ones against HBK and Triple H definitely take that. But let's not forget what those matches were, and who the people involved were: The freaking cream of the crop of their generations, and all bona fide legends in their own right.

Bray Wyatt, while a good new face on the scene, is nowhere near that level.

But for what it was - which was to expose Wyatt on Mania and give him a high-profile match - it worked well. Sure, Taker has looked better in the past, but considering his age and the wear and tear on his body, he was holding up nicely and the fact that the match was cut short a bit, also due to Bray Wyatt's ankle injury, definitely helped to protect Taker as well.

They didn't overdo the false finishes, and Bray even got "knighted" when he was allowed to kick out of the Tombstone - there's really only a very chosen few who get to do that, so that definitely put him up into the "big leagues" so to speak.

Judging from this match, I am hoping for two things: 1) Taker continues to grow his hair out for a decent length at WM32, 2) Taker will actually BE at WM32 (the video package they aired also suggested as much, as he was included there) and 3) Taker will still be good to go for "one last time" in Texas next year, and hopefully also be the headline inductee into the Hall of Fame, maybe alongisde Sting even - if that's the match they are going for.

Whether it's Sting or not, I'd like to see Undertaker win his "last ride" match, but as the old school guy that he is, I can see him actually going out on his back and putting another younger star over in the process.

All in all the match was better than I expected, since I guess we were all worried about the shape Taker would be in, and while he was not quite as awe-inspiring as in years past, he was still the goddamn Undertaker. And it was nice he got the rebound win after losing to Brock last year.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I really enjoyed this match, and considering his age and the injuries suffered at WM30, I thought Undertaker looked great. I was really concerned in the build up to this year's 'Mania that 'Taker would look awful again but it was clear that he'd really been training hard to get into as good shape as possible for this year's show. And it worked.

While it was never going to be on the level of his 'Mania matches against HBK or Triple H I thought it was a really entertaining match and the result was the right one. If WWE have any plans of having Sting face Undertaker on the WM32 card then The Dead Man needed the win here. Bray may have lost 2 in a row at WrestleMania now but come on, he's faced John Cena and Undertaker! There's no shame in losing to those guys and Wyatt is still a very young man with a hell of a lot of talent and potential- he'll get his 'Mania wins in the coming years.

All in all, a good return for Undertaker, a match that was above my expectations and seeing him healthy and well was a relief.

Long Live Undertaker.

 

[XXJJ]

After thinking about it for a couple of days I thought Wyatt really should of won. Some of the luster is gone from Taker because the streak is over. Wyatt needs big win. Taker would still be a special attraction that you see once a year even if he lost.

Plus, they could turned Taker losing two years in row at WM into an angle for his match next year.