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Let's be honest with ourselves - The Undertaker isn't going to retire until he damn well feels like it.
We all thought it was over when he lost to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. And, then again when he lost to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33 and left his laundry in the middle of the ring afterward. Yet, he still keeps coming back for event after event and, I don't know, I'm not about to tell him not to keep wrestling, are you?
So, whatever this "Boneyard Match" he's going to have with AJ Styles in a couple of weeks is all about, odds are good that he's going to have a few more bouts following this.
Which now brings us to the headline: who would those matches be against? Who is left for the Deadman to go up against, even if it's just one more time?
Glad you asked.
#5. Goldberg (again)
The Undertaker's match against the current Universal Champion Goldberg at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia last year was... well, it wasn't good. In fact, it was widely derided as terrible, and both men were understandably embarrassed by the end result. Which is a shame, as it had also been a dream match that millions of fans had been dying to see.
Since then, both The Undertaker and Goldberg have shown that, despite their advancing age and the garbage match they put on last year, they're still both capable of putting on an entertaining product. And, I have a strong feeling they'd both like a do-over.
One of the reasons Undertaker is able to keep coming back after all these years is that he knows his limitations. He's not the same performer he was when he had those back-to-back WrestleMania classics with Shawn Michaels, and he knows that. So does the WWE Hall of Famer.
Whatever went wrong with their match at Super ShowDown, you can bet that the two of them are willing to put in the work to make sure it doesn't happen again in another match. Whether it's a WrestleMania main event or another Saudi Arabia promotion, neither man is willing to go through another situation like that unprepared.
#4. Kane
Considering that they aren't actually brothers outside of the wrestling business, the career paths that the men behind both The Undertaker and Kane have been very similar.
Both men started their careers in the territories, especially the mid-south region. While Undertaker bounced around from gimmick to gimmick before ending up in the then-WWF, Kane would actually go through that same situation in that very company. Eventually, though, both men would carve out amazing careers for themselves as the characters we've grown to love them as.
The man who has portrayed Kane, Glenn Jacobs, has transitioned to a comfortable career in local politics, being elected as mayor of Knox County, TN last year. That hasn't stopped him from getting involved in WWE stories every now and then - including a very, very brief run as 24/7 Champion. Despite that, any time Kane shows up on WWE television should be considered something special.
The two kayfabe brothers have had just as many matches during The Show of Shows. The first was at WrestleMania XIV, a culmination of a story they had been telling since the start of the Attitude Era. Six years later, at WrestleMania XX, saw the two throw down one more time in a pretty underrated match.
Both men have been ready for that "one last match" for years now. And it would be fitting for that match to be between these two "brothers".
#3. Aleister Black
Let's not kid ourselves - without an Undertaker, there would be no Aleister Black.
Whether or not this means that the man that was previously known as "Tommy End" would still be in the business today if not for Mark Calaway is neither something any of us will ever know nor is it relevant.
The Undertaker paved the way for darker, spookier characters that were palatable to the general public way more than the guy who's name I share with ever hoped to accomplish.
And, yes, I've been dying to make that reference since I started writing here three years ago.
It had been thought that the mantle of The Undertaker would be taken up by Bray Wyatt during their (admittedly underwhelming) match at WrestleMania 31.
And, to be fair, the Bray Wyatt of that time had a lot in common with the Ministry of Darkness version of The Undertaker. But, when the time came for them to come to blows, they were two totally different animals.
WWE is clearly not rushing Aleister Black - but they're not ignoring him, either. The two of them, if on the same page, could not only put on a great match but even possibly a "locker room leader" passing of the torch between the two.
Which puts a lot of damn pressure on Tommy End.
I think he's up to the challenge.
#2. The Rock
Despite his ludicrous success in Hollywood, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has made it perfectly clear that he's a WWE Superstar through thick and thin. The Rock is, basically, willing to do whatever the company that made him famous needs him to do, as long as it doesn't interfere with his latest movie project.
So... how about a match between WWE's biggest mainstream success story and WWE's most dedicated legend?
Consider this: Both Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin moved on to film careers. While they both had varying degrees of success, neither of them reached nearly the same level in Hollywood that they did in wrestling. In fact, I can't think of any wrestling legend who has... except for Dwyane Johnson.
Now, let's picture this. You have The Rock, a man who doesn't shy away from his wrestling past but feels he's moved on past it. Then, there's The Undertaker, who had been a pro wrestling lifer from the beginning, despite the allure of being in a Hulk Hogan movie...
Well, the two of them throwing down one more time would be a marquee sensation.
#1. Sting
Thank you for pretending to be surprised at reading this entry. I appreciate it.
The Man Called Sting (Who Wasn't In The Police) was nearly as well known for not signing with WWE following the collapse of WCW as he was being a World Champion in WCW. While the biggest names in WCW - Ric Flair, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, etc. - eventually showed up in Vince McMahon's promotion, Sting never did.
Whatever the reason was that he eventually signed up for, it couldn't have been to lose to Triple H at WrestleMania 31 after getting punched in the head with a pretend sledgehammer.
He had to have signed while entertaining the possibility that the WWF/E vs WCW dream match he had been craving was within his grasp. Also, WWE probably gave him a lot of money. As well they should have. Sting deserves all the monies.
Since then, Sting has officially retired. So... so much for that match. Womp womp womp.
Let's get serious here for a minute.
Both Sting and Undertaker want a match between them to happen. Would they have rather it happened a decade and a half ago? Clearly. But, unless both men have their legs eaten off by monsters (it could happen), I don't think either is ready to discount that one final match between the two of them.
The fans want it. The two of them want it. Even soccer moms who only play Angry Birds want it. I should know. I asked.
Hopefully, the world settles down and everybody can relax and not get on each other's nerves. Until that time, hugs go out to all of you.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
