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The Undertaker is undoubtedly one of the greatest performers to have ever stepped inside the squared-circle. His tireless efforts towards delivering one great match after another coupled with the longevity of his career have created a legacy that will remain untouched in not just WWE, but the entire pro-wrestling business.
Personally, I would never want WWE to replace The Deadman because his legacy deserves to remain untouched. But he can surely inspire the creation of next-generation legends because honestly, he deserves to rest now. If anything, he deserves an honorable farewell with a respectful end to his glorified career.
In this list, we will take a look at ten WWE Superstars who have the potential to match The Undertaker’s legacy in WWE in the coming years. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#10. Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre spent a lot of time on the sideline, patiently waiting for his turn to take over the business. Ever since his return to the WWE, the ‘Scottish Psychopath’ has established himself as one of the most dominant forces on the roster. This year, he finally received the push that he deserves and is now set to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36.
Since the beginning of this feud, the entire WWE Universe has been excited to see McIntyre get the better off the ‘Beast Incarnate’. Many even started to visualize the reaction of the crowd when he would eventually silence the reigning champion. Unfortunately, that won’t come true at the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’ owing to the Covid-19 chaos.
Although a character as compelling as McIntyre will have to wait to lift his championship in an arena echoing with cheers, it is now widely accepted that his push to the top is here to stay. He is one of those Superstars who can be involved in bookings that are similar to that of The Undertaker. McIntyre’s second run with the company will definitely make for a good background to build a character who returned to the business that he quit and went on to create a comfortable position for himself right at the top.
#9. Damien Priest
Damien Priest’s rivalry with Killian Dain and Pete Dunne as well as his recent involvement in the North American Title feud has established himself as a promising talent. He is one of the few Superstars who can work with little build-up and still manage to make his presence known even when he is sharing the squared circle with his more dominant counterparts.
Priest is obviously expected to spend more time on NXT in order to further establish himself as a top contender. He has the potential to be more appealing with the help of a few adjustments to his current character. A slightly more intense Priest can easily become the fan-favorite challenger for the most coveted prizes in WWE.
Once Priest becomes a permanent name in the ever-changing title picture, he can make use of his individual feuds to prove that he can get everyone’s attention. He has a unique presence which can further help the WWE creatives in making him one of the most protected stars of the company in the coming years.
#8. Kevin Owens
Although Kevin Owens spends a lot of time being the bad guy, he is undoubtedly one of the most liked Superstars in today’s WWE. Even as a babyface, KO never loses sight of his goals and is not the kind of hero who falls prey to the devilish antics of his opponents. His ongoing feud with Seth Rollins is the perfect example of that. In fact, he is one of the few people who makes you believe that being an opportunist is not something that one should be ashamed of.
Owens is extremely over with the crowd and is bound to gain your attention if he steps inside the ring. He also has an air of acceptable arrogance around him that allows the former Universal Champion to make an absolute mockery out of the Authority and still stand tall. Moreover, he can make any storyline interesting by simply adding himself to it – even if he has to play a minor role.
In the coming years, Owens can be molded into someone who poses the biggest threat to the ‘top guy’ – with or without a title around his waist. Of course, he won’t be the one who cuts cryptic promos like Undertaker. Instead, he would end up creating a character slightly similar to the ‘American Badass’ and use it to explore new altars of success.
#7. Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman is arguably one of the most over Superstars in WWE. But to say that he has been poorly booked is an understatement. For years, Strowman has been built as the ‘Monster Among Men’ who can effortlessly push his way through his opponents. Unfortunately for him, that rarely sees him become the favored contender for titles.
The fact that Strowman won his first Single’s title on the main roster only in 2020 shows how the creatives have been unsuccessful in determining the best use of a talented Superstar. He often finds himself falling victim to multiple sources of offense which has caused a lot of damage to his character’s credibility on the roster.
Therefore, a promising way to save Strowman from being lost in the oblivion is to repackage him as an unbeatable force and do justice to his potential. He can be reintroduced with a darker character and a fun way to do this would be to have him feud with ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt to set up a much-needed redemption. Their history and a loss for Strowman will eventually push him to become more brutal who will then be truly unbeatable.
#6. Velveteen Dream
The legacy of The Undertaker is not just built around great matches at WrestleMania or intense personal storylines. Instead, it’s his charisma that has led to everyone in the business acknowledge him as one of the greatest Superstars to have ever stepped inside the ring. In today’s WWE, if there is anyone who can replicate such charisma, it is Velveteen Dream.
After spending a few months away from the in-ring action owing to injury, Dream returned to NXT and went straight for Adam Cole’s NXT Championship. He has his eyes on the gold and despite his reserved presence, Dream is being perceived as a promising challenger for the leader of the Undisputed Era.
An interesting point to note about Dream is his ability to come off strong despite suffering a loss against his counterparts. He has been successful in mesmerizing the entire WWE Universe and does so in an effortless fashion. Therefore, Dream can definitely work more on his character and transform into someone who will create a legacy similar to that of The Undertaker if booked strongly.
#5. Tommaso Ciampa
There is a myriad of reasons why everyone associated with the pro-wrestling business respects The Undertaker. For me, it’s his loyalty towards the company and dedication towards his craft that made him my favorite wrestler of all time. The only Superstar who comes close to showing similar traits is Tommaso Ciampa.
The former NXT Champion doesn’t believe in the word ‘quit’ even when nothing is in his favor. And he has gone on record to say that he prefers staying on the black and gold brand and is not keen on moving to the main roster. Little things like these add so much more to the characters of wrestlers. His sheer dedication towards NXT reminds me of The Undertaker’s unmatched passion for WWE.
Just like The Deadman, the company and especially Triple H can trust Ciampa to give everything he has in order to deliver one great match after another. He can work well with all types of wrestlers, and selflessly does his job when he needs to get someone else over with the crowd. Ciampa deserves to be appreciated and a brilliant way to do that is to allow him to create an unmatched legacy for himself in the coming years.
#4. The Demon King
I never shy away from expressing my admiration for Finn Balor as I strongly believe that he is one of the most talented Superstars in the entire WWE roster today. While Balor has found his perfect self ever since his return to NXT, his alter ego is something that has been missed for quite some time now. As the ‘Demon King’, Balor has delivered great performances and the creatives can work on bringing it back sometime in the future.
The Demon King should be unbeatable and if we see him again, he will now have the added brutality of heel Balor. This character can very well be protected without compromising the Irish Superstar’s involvement in simultaneous storylines. Rare appearances will add a lot of mystery to his ‘Demon King’ persons and it will be easier to build a brand around the same.
If and when WWE decides to bring back the ‘Demon King’, he should be booked as someone who only appears once a year and it doesn’t necessarily have to be at WrestleMania. However, the creatives will have to ensure that the presence of the ‘Demon King’ shouldn’t jeopardize Balor’s position on the roster by making him overly dependent on his alter ego to win all his battles.
#3. The Fiend
There are very few Superstars who can work a character as Bray Wyatt does. His most recent creation, The Fiend, is still one of the most interesting characters that WWE has seen in the last few years. He is definitely one of the most promising Superstars when it comes to deciding a new character that can fill in The Undertaker’s shoes.
In a shocking turn of events, The Fiend lost his Universal Championship to Goldberg at Super ShowDown which fetched its fair share of controversy from the fans. Some even started to believe that it was disastrous for The Fiend’s credibility and feared that the character will die a slow death. Now, he is set to face John Cena at WrestleMania 36 in a bid to avenge his loss on the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’ from six years ago.
Since this will be Bray Wyatt’s first appearance at WrestleMania as ‘The Fiend’, it could very well mark the beginning of a winning streak at WWE’s biggest PPV of the year – something that can truly replicate the legacy of The Deadman. Moreover, it will still allow WWE to let Bray lose at the ‘Show of Shows’ without compromising The Fiend’s track record at the PPV.
#2. Shayna Baszler
Shayna Baszler is the only woman on this list of Superstars who can replace The Undertaker and deservedly so. She is undoubtedly one of the most dominant women on the roster and has successfully convinced the WWE Universe of her caliber. In her first WrestleMania match, Baszler is set to challenge Becky Lynch for the RAW Women’s Championship and has a good chance of walking away with the title.
The recent backstage rumors suggested that Vince McMahon was not quite happy with Baszler’s potential. But before the creatives rule her out of the title picture, they need to take her potential into consideration. Although her ‘vampire’ gimmick looks slightly unsettling, she can make it work if booked well.
Similar to The Fiend, Baszler could be on the verge of starting a winning streak at the ‘Showcase of Immortals’ to cement a legacy for herself. Given the fact that WWE is working day and night to give equal opportunities to women, one can’t be blamed for hoping that the next Undertaker-like character could be portrayed by a woman.
#1. Aleister Black
Aleister Black had to be on the top of this list as unlike others, he needs no change in his character in order to be considered as the ideal replacement of The Undertaker in WWE. From the mystery surrounding his character to his in-ring maneuvers, everything is fascinating about the ‘Master of Dark Arts’.
Although Black has rarely been involved in good storylines since his move to the main roster, his time in NXT is enough proof of his potential to rise as an unbeatable Superstar. The intensity of his character has a similar essence as that of The Deadman, especially because he does a great job in humanizing a mystique persona.
Sure, it will take him some time to reach the pinnacle of the sport but the creatives can rush the process for a Superstar as deserving as Black. In fact, he is someone who should retire The Undertaker at next year’s WrestleMania. That will allow the living legend to trust a worthy opponent to bring his legacy to a respectful end and create one of his own.
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