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Santa Claus isn’t real. There is no such thing as karma. Neverland never existed, and the world isn’t fair. Those were just some of the things we grew up believing, that our parents lied to us because they wanted to protect our childhood, to give us happiness when everything else seemed bleak.
In professional wrestling, a similar myth was about the legendary streak of one legendary phenomenon. I grew up idolizing one man, who epitomized everything good about the pro wrestling business. When everyone else was enchanted by the promos of The Rock and Steve Austin, I was left in awe of one performer who stood as the corner stone of the industry. The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak was something that we grew up appreciating, and knowing that he deserved every single accolade he received during his three decade run in the business.
Last year was probably the only time I had hoped that the streak would end. Although The Undertaker will always be my childhood hero, and someone whom I consider an idol, I always believed that the streak should end at the hands of someone who will do justice to it, and add a new dimension to the wrestling business.
Being a huge CM Punk fan, I did not mind the thought of Punk ending the streak. As the night ended however, Undertaker remained undefeated at WrestleMania, which once again put a smile on my face like every year, for the past 15 years since I started watching the WWE.
This year’s WrestleMania ended a few hours ago, and the night was bitter – sweet for a wrestling fan. The streak was one of the last “real” things in the WWE – Like an old fable that we know might not be true, yet finds its place in the hearts of millions. The Undertaker himself has become a folklore; I remember watching my first ever WWE show when I heard about this zombie – esque creature who rises from the dead. The Undertaker has become synonymous with the WWE, and his streak with WrestleMania.
All of that came crumbling down, when the unthinkable happened. The Undertaker’s streak has been beatified by Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. As millions of fans around the world stayed silent for good 5 minutes, Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar realized what had just happened. As the reality sunk in, the fans and Brock Lesnar alike realized the magnitude of the event that had just unfolded. A big part of me loathes what happened, while there is another part of me that thinks that there was no one better to see the end of the streak than the Devil’s advocate, Paul Heyman.
Heyman and The Undertaker started their journey together three decades ago. While “Mark” was trying to make a name for himself in the rasslin’ business as a rookie, Paul Heyman was making waves as the next big brain in the industry. While The Undertaker found his fame in the WWE, Heyman found his calling with ECW. Both men etched their names in the annals of wrestling history, and became legends in their own rights as we entered the 2000s.
Vince McMahon bought ECW, and Heyman landed in the WWE. As fate has so often entwined the paths of two acquaintances before, Heyman and Undertaker came face to face once again, but this time as foes. Heyman had just unearthed a rare talent in Brock Lesnar, who took the professional wrestling industry by the scruff of its neck, and The Undertaker became “the man” in the WWE. Although we had the Flairs, Hogans and Austins, The Undertaker at least for me, was always the flag bearer of the company and the industry. Lesnar’s greatest challenge of his short career was The Undertaker, and a younger, hungrier Lesnar was given the honor of getting the better of the phenom.
Fast forward to 2013, a decade after the ‘Taker – Lesnar saga, and Heyman once again had to deal with the legendary Undertaker. This time however, it was for the coveted WrestleMania streak. The story however was the same – Heyman found yet another gem, someone who took the wrestling world by storm, turning it upside down while flipping everyone off.
A certain Punk became the biggest superstar in the past decade when he told everyone the bitter truth, and he wanted to do the one thing that no one has done before – Break the streak. Heyman led his young protégé into battle against the mighty phenom, and after an impressive performance, Punk fell short of breaking the streak. This defeat changed the careers of the three individuals involved – The Undertaker was pushed to his very limits, while Punk’s career spiraled down. Paul Heyman had to turn his back on his protégé and find someone else to take his revenge, someone else who could break the streak, and give Heyman the retribution he now sought. That someone else turned out to be Brock Lesnar.
The story that took three decades to play out ended last night, as Lesnar did the impossible. The Undertaker’s mighty kingdom has been conquered, and his streak vanquished. Although Lesnar pinned the Deadman for the three count, it was Paul Heyman in reality who defeated The Undertaker. They say that the greatest battles aren’t won in a day, and it took Heyman nearly thirty years to win his greatest battle. In reality, there couldn’t be a better person who could’ve earned this honor, and Paul Heyman deserves every bit of it.
