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It has been confirmed that The Undertaker will be involved at WWE’s next event in Saudi Arabia, Crown Jewel, on October 31.
The WrestleMania icon has appeared at all three of WWE’s major shows in the country (the Greatest Royal Rumble, Crown Jewel 2018 and Super ShowDown), and his status for the 2019 edition of Crown Jewel in Riyadh was confirmed on Friday when he cut a short promo to advertise the event.
“Welcome to Riyadh season. Our signature event, Crown Jewel, will be a spectacle of historic proportions, bringing together WWE Superstars from the past and present.”
In 2018, The Undertaker defeated Rusev in a casket match at the Greatest Royal Rumble, while he went on to team with Kane in a losing effort against Triple H and the returning Shawn Michaels at Crown Jewel.
Earlier this year, he defeated Goldberg at Super ShowDown in a match that was widely criticised after Goldberg legitimately knocked himself out following a spear into the ring post.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Crown Jewel show, let’s take a look at five Superstars who The Undertaker could realistically face in a one-on-one match.
#5 Elias
For just the third time in his 29-year WWE career, The Undertaker did not compete in a match at this year’s WrestleMania. Instead, “The Deadman” appeared on the following night’s episode of RAW, where he hit Elias with a chokeslam and a tombstone.
At the time, it appeared as though the segment may have taken place to plant the seeds for a one-on-one match between the two men at Super ShowDown. However, The Undertaker ended up facing Goldberg in the main event, while Elias participated in a 51-man Battle Royal.
Five months later, Elias remains one of the top bad guys on the roster and, much like Rusev (w/Aiden English) at the Greatest Royal Rumble, he would be a suitable heel opponent if WWE wants ‘Taker to showcase his iconic moves and pick up a dominant victory.
#4 Kane
Kane last appeared in an official WWE match at Crown Jewel 2018 when he teamed with The Undertaker against Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
Ten months later, “The Big Red Machine” made his long-awaited return to WWE programming on the September 16 episode of RAW when he briefly won the 24/7 Championship from R-Truth before being on the receiving end of an attack from “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in the show-closing segment.
The man behind the Kane character, Glenn Jacobs, has a busy job outside of the wrestling industry as the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, but it is worth noting that he mentioned on a recent edition of The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast that he is unlikely to refuse many offers from WWE, simply because he still loves performing.
WWE managed to persuade Kane to compete in Saudi Arabia last year, so is it possible that we could see him make an appearance in Riyadh on October 31?
After all, these Saudi events are always built around high-profile matches involving legends, and a ‘Last Time Ever’ encounter between the storyline brothers would certainly get fans interested.
WWE recently aired a documentary on the WWE Network (‘That’s Gotta Be Kane!’) about the debut of the Kane character in 1997, and it was clear that The Undertaker has a lot of respect for his fellow Brother of Destruction as a performer.
#3 Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin has established himself as one of the top heels in modern-day WWE since becoming a member of the main roster at WrestleMania 32 in April 2016.
Whether he is a “Lone Wolf”, Mr. Money In The Bank, a Constable or a King, Corbin knows exactly how to get under people’s skin, and that is why he continues to be involved in stories with major babyfaces on the roster.
If WWE decides to book The Undertaker against a full-time Superstar, as opposed to another legend, there are not many better opponents for him to face at Crown Jewel than the 2019 King of the Ring winner.
“The Deadman” has been known to have a say in his choice of opponents in recent years, so it is worth noting that he and Corbin appear to have a good relationship outside of a WWE ring.
Not only does Corbin live in a house that The Undertaker used to own, but the former United States Champion revealed on Talk Is Jericho in 2017 that ‘Taker often gives him advice about being an imposing big man in wrestling.
“‘Make everybody earn everything, make everybody treat you like you’re a monster in a sense. Don’t give them anything.’ I think that is the biggest advice that he has given me… really protect yourself. There is a guy like Rey Mysterio out there and he knocks you down first try, how big are you really?”
#2 Sting
After two decades of speculation about The Undertaker and Sting potentially facing each other, we have seen and heard more hints in 2019 than ever before that this dream match could finally become a reality.
In July 2019, WWE posted cryptic images featuring both men on the company’s social media accounts, leading many fans to speculate that Sting could come out of retirement at the age of 60 to do battle with a 54-year-old ‘Taker.
As it turned out, it emerged that the teaser posts were done to promote a video on WWE’s YouTube channel, which featured several WWE Superstars and on-air personalities questioning what would have happened if the two legends went one-on-one in their prime in the 1990s.
Sting even appeared towards the end of the video, claiming that he would have won if they ever had a match.
“No way The Stinger’s gonna get Tombstoned by the ‘Taker, that ain’t happening. Not on my watch. What would’ve happened is a few Stinger Splashes, a Deathdrop and probably the Deathlock.”
When you also take into account that the crow noise from Sting’s entrance was used directly after Undertaker’s “Gong” in the Extreme Rules introduction in July, there are enough clues to suggest that this legendary match really could happen at Crown Jewel.
#1 Drew McIntyre
Sportskeeda’s Tom Colohue recently reported that WWE originally planned for Drew McIntyre to win the 2019 King of the Ring tournament before going on to feud with Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship.
Due to an injury, the Scot has been out of action in recent weeks, which means he is without an obvious storyline or rivalry in the month leading up to Crown Jewel.
Looking back at McIntyre’s last major storyline, he teamed with Shane McMahon in a losing effort against The Undertaker and Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules in July 2019, and it was widely speculated that a one-on-one match between ‘Taker and McIntyre could happen at SummerSlam.
In the end, neither man competed in a match at the PPV and the storyline fizzled out shortly after Extreme Rules, but that does not necessarily mean that it cannot be revived.
After all, according to Sports Illustrated, “The Deadman” hand-picked McIntyre as somebody he wanted to face at Extreme Rules, so it is clear that the veteran is a fan of the former Intercontinental Champion’s work as an in-ring performer.
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