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With Wrestlemania 35 just few days away with one Raw telecast left, the WWE universe has accepted that they will not be witnessing an official match of The Undertaker at the Grandest stage of them all this year.
The Undertaker has become synonymous with Wrestlemania due to his 21 straight victories at the PPV and his highly anticipated iconic matches, but it has been almost three decades since he started performing, which can be considered long for the average wrestling career.
With that being said, here are 5 reasons why The Dead Man should finally retire from his traditional Wrestlemania matches.
#5 The Undertaker is NOT a dead man in real life
At times, the WWE fans can be too captivated with the storylines and characters that they forget that their beloved superstars are humans, feeling the pain and emotions like the rest of us, but that is what wrestling entertainment is all about!
We have become so desperate to see the Undertaker wrestle at Wrestlemania year after year that we have forgotten that The Dead Man has already aged 54 years. With this age it has become difficult for him to wrestle even as a part timer or performing at all. This is the reason we witnessed a squash match between him and John Cena last year, serving its purpose in satisfying the fans for a much-awaited appearance.
We have constantly seen him getting tired and out of breath only after a couple of minutes into a match. It is impossible for him to be a part of lengthy and physical matches, and performing the way he did a decade ago.
#4 He has been here long enough
With a wrestling career of 35 years and a WWE career of 29 years, it is not wrong to say that The Undertaker has given it all to the business for the past 3 decades. From iconic casket matches, to his Wrestlemania streak, to his biker gimmick, and to getting buried alive, Taker has done it all for the entertainment of the WWE universe.
There is not much more we expect him to do now than to happily retire. A grand retirement for one of the greatest and most loyal WWE workers is whats needed.
#3 His injuries can be deadly
Admit it, even as wrestling fans we would never want to see The Undertaker succumbing to his injuries. With a career span of almost three decades, The Undertaker has experienced multiple sorts of injuries.
When asked by Pastor Young the injuries that he's had, The Undertaker said: "Both eye sockets have been crushed...they were separate, years apart. I've had probably...I'm guessing, I'm closing in on 20 different orthopedic type surgeries from just wrestling-related injuries. Both hips have had a form of replacement, torn biceps, torn pecs, torn triceps."
Apart from these, he reportedly gone through injuries in his groin, a broken ankle and also a serious back injury which had led his absence from Wrestlemania X too. He also had a rotator cuff surgery after Wrestlemania 29 due to which he has to be too careful with his matches.
We certainly don't want to see him performing his old school moves like- over-the-rope suicide dive, old school, flying clothesline or jumping leg drop and getting seriously injured mid-match. We don't want to see him getting forced to retired, and rather happily doing it by himself.
#2 The Undertaker can be an integral part for WWE behind the scenes
Three decades in wrestling business makes The Undertaker one of the most experienced people in the WWE. His humongous experience can easily land him in on an important backstage role where his insights can be put to great use for the company.
Although it would be odd for the fans to see The Phenom in a suit, but his ideas on booking matches, storylines or even being a part of the WWE Performance Center can lead him to being a constant relevance to the company and also having some camera time.
#1 It is the right time for him to pass his legacy
Accept it or not, we have to see WWE without The Undertaker in the near future, but we expect to see someone worthy enough to take on his mantle. History has witnessed young superstars filling in for old/retired superstars or being heavily inspired by their character, which is not unusual.
We have seen Dolph Ziggler desperately trying to copy WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, Sin Cara filling in for Rey Mysterio with the latter's absence, Braun Strowman being the monster after the likes of Kane and Big Show and few others. However, the question here is, who will be able to fill in for a grand persona that The Undertaker has? There are a lot of talents in the roster presently, which makes it a perfect time for the legacy to be passed on.
Few names such as Bray Wyatt, Baron Corbin and Finn Bálor come into mind when thinking of who to fill in for the role, but they will have to prove themselves to the WWE Universe first!
Wrestlemania 35 on April 7th might be the last WM we see Taker at, there are still hopes of The Phenom to give a short appearance or a squash match to be booked on spot as a nostalgic surprise for all the fans, which will undoubtedly make us all jump out of our seats!
