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If you are a fan of wrestling, business is about to pick up. On January 28th the official 'Road to WrestleMania' begins at the Royal Rumble. Six days before that, we have a special edition of Raw, celebrating 25 years of the show.
It is sure to be a nostalgia filled night with confirmed appearances from legends such as Stone Cold, DX, Ric Flair and of course The Undertaker. There has been much speculation around The Undertaker's status regarding WrestleMania and his storied career. If The Undertaker is indeed aiming his sights for WrestleMania, his Raw 25 appearance will have a huge bearing on his future.
In this article, we take a look at the five best possible scenarios involving The Undertaker at Raw 25.
#5 A rivalry renewed
The main event of WrestleMania 33, saw Roman Reigns defeat The Undertaker in a 'No Holds Barred' match. This was the Deadman's second defeat at WrestleMania after his streak came to end in New Orleans at WrestleMania XXX.
With uncertainty around The Undertaker's future early in 2017, Roman Reigns eliminating The Undertaker in the Royal Rumble would serve as the catalyst for a feud that would culminate in the main event of WrestleMania last year.
The match was over 20 minutes long and slowly burned, until eventually Reigns would hit the final spear. The WWE Universe was witness to what was seemingly the farewell from, quite possibly, WWE's greatest ever performer, with The Undertaker leaving behind his famous attire in the ring to close the show.
On the April 3rd edition of Monday Night Raw, the night after WrestleMania, Roman Reigns was met with one of the most hostile crowd reactions seen in quite some time. With almost 10 minutes of the WWE Universe showing their mark of disapproval, Reigns left them with a single quote, "This is my yard now.".
It seems Roman Reigns's path to this years WrestleMania is on a different road, but a run in between two old rivals would certainty make for some interesting television.
#4 The Deadman calls time
The world of professional wrestling has its enemies and it most certainty has its critics. Words like 'fake' and 'fcripted' have often been used in attacks on the industry and the performers involved. However, no critic, skeptic or 'non believer' can argue that The Undertaker is not a once-in-a-lifetime performer.
Since The Undertaker debuted in 1984 to his last match of note in 2017, he has given fans of wrestling, unbelievable match after match, with a war chest of memorable moments. The character has evolved over the years but the quality of his performances have never wavered. Over 30 years in the industry arguably puts him on the Mount Rushmore of WWE.
The Undertaker has nothing left to prove in the world of wrestling, not to his fans, not to his family and most certainly not his employer. After undergoing significant surgery in recent years and over 30 years in the business, perhaps quality of life may outweigh the desire for one more WrestleMania moment.
In no way possible is the career end of one the greatest of all time, a positive thing. But, if The Undertaker is indeed at the end of his historical run, the 25th year celebration of Raw would be a fitting way to say goodbye.
#3 Braun Strowman meets the Deadman
There is no denying that Braun Strowman has quickly become one of the biggest stars in the WWE. 2017 saw Strowman have a run in with names such as Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Triple H and of course Roman Reigns. Braun's feud with Reigns, was the fuel to the fire in terms of Braun's popularity and star power. The two heavyweights had an Attitude Era like rivalry which was the centrepiece of WWE story lines for months.
The WWE teased a Strowman-Undertaker feud in 2017 before The Undertaker's final feud with Roman Reigns.
After the destruction of Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, in which The Beast barely escaped as the Universal Champion, Strowman and Lesnar would headline the No Mercy PPV event in Los Angeles. Unfortunately for a large amount of fans, the plans were not for Strowman to defeat Lesnar, which subsequently stalled his momentum.
With Braun being one of the most entertaining characters on Monday Night Raw, and his stock continually on the way up, its no secret that he will be a major player on the Road to Wrestlemania. Rumors and opinions have circled for months, that if The Undertaker were to have one more match at Wrestlemania, then Braun Strowman should be the man.
A program with The Undertaker would help continue with the momentum Strowman has gained over the last 12 months, and is a fresh feud the WWE Universe has not seen before.
When The Undertaker does grace our screens at Raw 25, if Braun Strowman somehow finds his way into the same frame, hold on to your hats.
#2 A dream match with The Champ
John Cena vs. The Undertaker. A match that has been touted year after year, and with each passing year, the match became more likely. It is no secret that John Cena is a generational superstar who has exceeded status beyond his means, a sixteen time world champion and WWE's poster boy for more than 10 years.
Similar to The Undertaker, a John Cena match at WrestleMania, even if it did not include the World Championship, was often viewed as more important. A match between the 'Face that runs the Place' and the man who made WrestleMania his own, has been a major talking point on the Road to WrestleMania for quite some years but, for whatever reason has not come to fruition. WrestleMania 33 came the closest to staging the iconic match, until plans were adjusted by Vince McMahon.
John Cena and The Undertaker have met in the past, but before many accomplishments and development of their characters that made them two of the biggest stars of all time. A match that almost writes itself, and still yet to take place at the grandest stage of them all.
With both John Cena and The Undertaker confirmed to appear at Raw 25, a confontation is what many believe will occur. Strong rumors are afloat that The Undertaker does indeed have one more match left in him, and that there is a certain 16x champion that is in his sights.
#1 The Undertaker enters the Royal Rumble
Raw 25 will not only be the celebration of 25 years of Monday Night Raw, but it will also be the final show before the Royal Rumble. Whilst the usual nostalgia will be present throughout the night, there will also be a large focus on the build to the 2nd biggest show of the year, only 6 days away.
Whilst there are many scenarios that The Undertaker may be a part of for Raw 25, nothing will build more excitement and anticipation than The Undertaker declaring his entry into the 2018 Royal Rumble.
The drama that is created with The Deadman's declaration only helps promote the unpredictability of the Royal Rumble. Is The Undertaker going to be at WrestleMania? Who is he going to face? Inside the Royal Rumble match alone, meetings with Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and John Cena are all possible, of which all men (in story line) have the same purpose, to face the Universal/World Champion at WrestleMania.
Oh and just to be clear, the current Universal Champion is the same man who broke the streak.
