It must be a pretty nice life for The Undertaker at this point. He only really has to wrestle once a year, makes a lot of money and causes a “Holy S**t” chant simply by walking to the ring. After a WWE career that dates back to November of 1990, the 51-year-old wrestling legend deserves as many WrestleMania matches as he wants. But time is running short.
The WWE is putting him in an awkward position for the show in Orlando. Roman Reigns isn’t exactly the most popular face in the company right now. If Taker beats Roman it does nothing but hurt Roman’s still young career to lose to a 51-year-old wrestler.
The Undertaker losing to Roman would likewise only cement the excessive hate for Roman going forward and likely end The Undertaker’s career as “the biggest guy in the yard”. It does neither any favours going forward to have this match.
Also read: WWE News: Undertaker chokeslams Roman Reigns to end Raw and set up WrestleMania match
I think the Dead Man deserves a better opponent. One who is more clearly defined as a heel or would benefit more from the honour of fighting Undertaker at the biggest stage. Here are five better opponents for The Undertaker to face at WrestleMania 33:
#5 Finn Balor
This has to happen at some point right? Who would not want to see the “Dead Man” versus “The Demon King”? The entrances alone would be worthy of a WrestleMania stage.
The thing is The Undertaker does some of his best work with “smaller” wrestlers at WrestleMania. It is arguable that his last great match at WrestleMania was with CM Punk at WrestleMania 29. Shawn Michaels, who is the same height as Punk, put on two of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history with Taker. The worst matches Undertaker has had is with the “monsters” who can’t properly bump and sell his offence. Finn Balor, only an inch shorter then Michaels and Punk, has shown his quality in the ring time after time.
It would give instant credibility back to Finn and allow Taker to have one last shot at an athletic match at The Show of Shows. It would be two popular faces fighting it out on a stage they both deserve.
#4 Goldberg
It seemed like a big moment when Goldberg was face-to-face with The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble. Sadly, it was over in a few minutes. But judging by the crowd reaction it was a moment worthy of a bigger stage. Would you rather see a third match with Brock and Goldberg or a fresh match-up between two legends of pro wrestling?
Undertaker, as shown in his matches with Brock Lesnar, is quite capable of doing a physical match. With Goldberg’s limited move set, a brawl might be the better choice for both men at this point in their career. Neither would look bad with a victory or defeat but it would be that special WrestleMania moment for sure.
#3 Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is being booked in all the right ways in his first few weeks on the Raw roster. He is the destroyer whose physical style makes him stand out on the crowded Raw brand. So why doesn’t he have a match on The Show of Shows yet?
Samoa Joe’s physical style would gel with The Undertaker. If you wanted to truly push Samoa Joe as a monster then this match would seem to be a way to cement that character going forward. It is a dream match that many wrestling fans would love to see.
#2 Braun Strowman
Did you hear that fan reaction to a face-off between Braun Strowman and The Undertaker? Did you hear how that compared to the staredown with Reigns? It is pretty obvious which one the fans would rather see.
It seems like Braun Strowman has little to do for WrestleMania. That is borderline criminal. He has been the best-booked monster heel in years and has backed it up with strong matches with the likes of Sami Zayn, The Big Show and Roman Reigns. He is the quick and agile monster that can put on a good match with Taker. Since he is a well-established heel it would play off Taker well. He deserves better than an Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal victory.
#1 John Cena
How has this not happened yet? Is Vince afraid of making lots of money? When John Cena even mentioned the possibility at a recent SmackDown the crowd erupted into a loud “Yes!” chant. It is one of the last dream matches between two of the biggest stars in the company that really hasn’t happened in a significant way on a major WWE pay-per-view.
John Cena has proven in the last few years that his in-ring work still remains top notch. He has had classic matches with the likes of AJ Styles and Kevin Owens in recent years. His matches seem like big deals and the crowd is always into it. When you have two characters as popular as Cena and Undertaker why waste that chance at a special WrestleMania moment? Let's hope the WWE realises it before this golden opportunity becomes little more than a fantasy.
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