5 reasons why The Undertaker is overrated

The Undertaker is often billed as the greatest performer in WWE history. His over two-decade-long career has dominated weekly television and annual WrestleManias. The WWE has a history of making average look good, and there’s no better example than the case of The Undertaker.

The Phenom seemingly hung up his boots at Wrestlemania 33, as he was defeated in the main event by Roman Reigns. As emotional as that segment was, many fans across the world breathed a huge sigh of relief as he sluggishly retreated down the aisle. Why? Because they know what I know, the Undertaker is a seriously overrated WWE performer.

Here are five reasons why the Undertaker is overrated.

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#5 Needed elite level talent to make him look good

The Undertaker has won 23 matches at Wrestlemania

When a wrestler can only have meaningful matches against elite talents, it doesn’t say much for their own ability. Look at John Cena, any match he has on PPV, is a main event worthy, regardless of his opponent. Over the past two decades, the Undertaker has wrestled every top talent in the industry. Why? Because he’s needed their momentum to sustain his standing in the company.

"The Phenom" has wrestled Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Batista, Stone Cold, The Rock & Mick Foley in high-profile matches. These are all amazing talents that put their bodies on the line just to make the Undertaker look good. When you look at all the best matches he’s had, the only things he contributed were kick-outs. These talents raised their game for him, as they knew his ceiling was already limited.

#4 Mediocre mic skills

The Undertaker is 52 years old

Saying ‘REST IN PEACE’ every time you step into a ring does not equate to having good mic skills. The majority of the Phenom’s segments involve him taking 10 minutes getting to the ring and then delivering a laboured promo. Even in those promos, the Phenom takes 20-second pauses in between each line, just to prolong time as he’s so limited on the mic.

The WWE knew his mic skills were mediocre so that’s why they initially paired him up with the late great Paul Bearer. And when that novelty wore off, they limited his speaking time on the mic to just minutes every month. There is a plethora of superstars on the current roster that could run circles around Taker on the mic, but they’ll never be given such opportunities as the Phenom is heavily protected by the higher-ups.

#3 Average matches

The Undertaker has had 794 matches in the WWE/WWF

We can literally count the number of great matches the Undertaker has had on one hand. Half of his matches at Wrestlemania have been forgettable squash matches against mid to upper-level talent. It was the grandeur of Wrestlemania itself that would sell those matches, not the Undertaker. It’s hard to get invested in matches when you 100% know who’s going to win.

The Undertaker’s matches often need great builds, big characters and main event status to make them relevant. If you go back and watch a lot of Taker’s matches and critically analyse them from an unbiased perspective, the averageness will stand out beyond belief.

#2 His mystique carried him

The Undertaker started wrestling in 1984

The WWE have done a great job in making below-par talent look world-class. From the very first time he debuted at Survivor Series in 1990, Taker was billed as this mysterious unknown entity. This led people to draw towards him, as they became intrigued to understand who this "Deadman walking" was.

That intrigue has stayed with him over his whole career and made him the icon he is. You know why that makes him overrated? Because mystique can perk interest in anyone, they don’t have to be good. Over the years, that mystique has turned into rarity, as he only appears once a year for Wrestlemania.

In today’s age, less is more, thus making your rare appearances more worthwhile. Now, that rarity has turned into nostalgia, another social engineering tool used to overhype the Undertaker to the WWE Universe.

#1 Limited wrestling ability

The Undertaker has won 544 matches in the WWE/WWF

The Phenom may have signature moves like the last ride, going old school, hell’s gate and the tombstone piledriver, but outside of those moves, his wrestling prowess is limited. That’s why whenever he’s in a match, Michael Cole emphasizes his ‘striking’ ability because, without that, he’s just a laboured mover in the ring.

You can’t compare the Undertaker’s ability to the athleticism of a John Cena or a Roman Reigns or The Rock. Without the strong booking he’s received, The Undertaker would just be another Karl Anderson, a big man with no aura or selling point.

And with age, Taker’s deficiencies in the ring have become more & more apparent. His last match at Wrestlemania 33, was the definition of why you should retire before you get found out.