Why the WWE needs The Undertaker now, more than ever

The Undertaker - the one name that has towered above all other names in the WWE. Almost three decades have passed since ‘The Phenom’ made his debut in the year 1990. 'The DeadMan' has traversed generations, rode through decades, morphed with the constantly changing requirements, both of his body and the business.

But then, the last three years have shown the world a very different Undertaker. An Undertaker with physical limitations imposed upon him by his battle worn body, an Undertaker who now struggles in the ring, an Undertaker struck by the effects of father time, and most glaringly, an Undertaker who now seems mortal.

The DeadMan’s powers have been fading, his performances have been lackluster. But then, he still remains an integral part of WWE’s creative plans. And on June 7, ‘The Prince Of Darkness’ will once again step into the squared circle with another immortal icon, Goldberg, in a match billed as a fantasy come true.

Both Goldberg and The Undertaker are in the twilight of their unprecedented careers and they cannot put up the same performance they were used to. But still, WWE needs these icons now, more than ever. That is the most ironic part of the whole situation.

When The Undertaker was in his prime, in the 1990s and the first decade of the new millennium, he was an important member alright, but there were others too, including the likes of Stone Cold, The Rock, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, and Batista who could garner attention, and carry the business on their shoulders.

But as the years rolled by, one after another they slowly walked away into the sunset. Stone Cold suffered an injury to his neck that put an end to his in-ring career in 2003, The Rock went to Hollywood and was reduced to just cameo appearances, Ric Flair retired in 2007, Shawn Michaels followed him in 2010, and Kane has now become a Mayor. The Undertaker is the last of ‘his kind’.

This is why as much as the fans want The Undertaker to ride into the sunset and walk away with his head held high, the WWE is still clinging onto him.

Even mere rumors of The Undertaker appearing at an event still garners attention and pushes up ticket sales. The sound of the gong still elicits the loudest cheers in the arena.

And that is why in spite of time imposing its will on The Undertaker, in spite of him being over 54 years old, The WWE will still depend on his star power to carry them on for a while.

So, let's not expect The Undertaker to retire any time soon, for the WWE needs him now, more than ever.