'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The WWE Network documentary series "Undertaker: The Last Ride" has been receiving huge praise from the WWE Universe, critiques, and fellow WWE Superstars as well. For the first time, fans have got an in-depth look at the man behind the iconic character of The Undertaker - Mark Calaway.
While many Superstars play their gimmicks, this man has taken it to another level where he has lived the gimmick throughout the last 30 years with WWE. In the world where kayfabe is almost dead, what The Undertaker did to protect his gimmick is something no one else could do. He legit made the fans feel as if everything they were watching on their TV screens was true.
It goes without saying that The Undertaker is one WWE Superstar who has stood the test of time. Being the longest-tenured active WWE Superstar in history, the Phenom has helped the company and Vince McMahon in so many ways that I can't even mention them all in this article. But is it time? Is a massive announcement from the Deadman during or after the final chapter of the series next week, in store for us?
Let's take a look at five signs indicating that The Undertaker may announce his retirement in the final episode of The Last Ride. Be sure to comment below and let me know your thoughts on the same, dear reader.
#5 The entire series revolves around The Undertaker contemplating his final match
The main theme of "Undertaker: The Last Ride" as suggested by the title of the series as well is The Undertaker contemplating the end of his legendary career. Throughout the series, we see him mentioning on several occasions that this or that match could have been his last.
It started off with the infamous clash between the Deadman and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33, at the end of which The Undertaker symbolically left his coat, hat, and gloves in the ring, leaving thousands of fans teary-eyed. But he came back!
Then, we see him contemplate retirement after squashing John Cena at WrestleMania 34, after the Saudi Arabia tag-team match with Kane against D-Generation X, and again after the "train wreck" of a match with Goldberg in 2019. The biggest hint came in the penultimate chapter of the series in which The Undertaker told Vince McMahon after his Extreme Rules 2019 match - "I'm Done".
Could he finally come to terms with himself about hanging his boots once and for all in the final chapter?
#4 The Undertaker finally allowing WWE cameras to film him
The Undertaker is one WWE Superstar who took it upon himself to ensure that "kayfabe" remains alive in the business of pro wrestling. Throughout his career, he mostly avoided making out-of-character appearances in public, fan cameras, social media, and whatnot, until recently. Now, he has slowly started getting involved in all of that.
The Undertaker reveals in the fourth chapter of the series, the Battle Within, that he thinks it's finally time for him to do all those things which he couldn't do earlier. The Phenom said:
"It's time for me to cash in on the things and be able to do some things that I never would allow myself to do for the sake of the character and the sake of business.”
Bray Wyatt, the WWE Superstar considered by many to carry forward the beacon of supernatural characters in WWE had the following to say about The Undertaker:
"There’s this typical thing that people say about this place - that your character‘s personality on television is you turned up to ten, but Undertaker is always on ten."
What made him finally decide to break kayfabe, start acting like a "human" if not the decision of retiring? One thing is for sure; after watching the entire The Last Ride series, if The Undertaker appears for another rivalry, fans might not see him as the Deadman who we've been seeing for all these years. A lot of secrets have been revealed and a lot of things have been said.
#3 The Undertaker mentioning that he'll write his own ending
During an appearance on the Broken Skull Sessions podcast hosted by WWE Hall of Famer, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker mentioned that he plans to write his own ending of his storied career. Could breaking kayfabe, and allowing the WWE Universe to peek into his personal life be the way he wants to bid farewell?
There's no denying that there will never be another Undertaker in WWE, and as much as we as fans don't want to see our favorite WWE Superstar retire, The Undertaker's safety and well-being is the top priority. As witnessed in the fourth chapter, he came really close to what could have been a devastating injury to his neck during the match with Goldberg at WWE Super ShowDown 2019. There's no denying the risk involved every time he steps into the ring!
We as fans have learned so much about The Undertaker and the man behind the character, Mark Calaway throughout The Last Ride - his relationship with wife Michelle McCool, with other WWE Superstars backstage, and with the boss himself, Vince McMahon. What better ending could The Undertaker have in mind than revealing his true self to everyone?
#2 The Undertaker's desire to go out on a high note
What makes someone like The Undertaker put his body on the line again and again even at this age? There's no denying that he is one of the greatest WWE Superstars in the history of the company who could've retired even ten years ago and secured a place in the WWE Hall of Fame.
It is the desire to go out on a high note that has made The Undertaker enter the vicious cycle of redemption every now and then. The WrestleMania 33 segment was perfect for him to go out, but as seen in Chapter one of the series in question, it was difficult for the Phenom to digest the fact that his match with Roman Reigns was not up to par. The same thing happened after his disastrous tag-team match at Crown Jewel 2018 and then again after his bout against Goldberg at WWE Super ShowDown 2019.
The last chapter of the series will focus on the Phenom's match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36. The Boneyard match between the two was highly praised by the entire WWE Universe and pro wrestling critiques - many even hailing it as The Undertaker's best performance in years. No one knows whether the Deadman can ever replicate his impressive performance from this year's Show of Shows. If he is looking for a match to go out on a high note, it has to be the one with AJ Styles this year!
Speaking to indiatoday.in, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley had the following to say:
"To me, I have been watching the documentary, The Last Ride. It certainly seemed like that match with AJ Styles was a perfect way to go out."
#1 The perfect way for The Undertaker to bid farewell to the WWE Universe
All-in-all, The Last Ride is among the best documentary series that WWE Network has ever produced and that's quite a compliment considering all the amazing ones it has put out previously. I personally feel that WWE may not be able to create a moment as massive as WrestleMania 33 for The Undertaker to retire. But the greatest gimmick of all time needs to go out in his own way, and that is not necessarily a retirement speech in front of a live crowd.
The Last Ride has humanized The Undertaker, revealing the man who plays the character and his journey. It's incredible to realize the control that Mark Calaway has had on his character throughout his career - avoiding any such action that could hurt the gimmick. He didn't sit in the arena during the Hall of Fame ceremonies, avoided giving away anything about his personal life for so long.
Announcing his retirement at the end of the series might come as a shock to those who expected to see more from him after the incredible Boneyard match at WrestleMania 36. But didn't the Phenom express his desire of going out the way Shawn Michaels did? Leaving the fans wanting for more!
So, will The Undertaker announce his retirement in the final episode of The Last Ride? Or will we see the Deadman continue to fall in the vicious cycle of redemption?
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
