Is WWE ready to move on from The Undertaker era?

Not much time left for The Undertaker?

Irrespective of how old you are, and whether you’ve ever watched a single episode of WWE TV, there is a good chance that you’d know who The Undertaker is.

His name has become a legend in itself, and his aura and personality transcended professional wrestling a long time ago. Mark Calaway’s bond with the character of ‘The Undertaker’ is something special.

There couldn’t have been a better choice for the character of The Undertaker, and in all fairness, anyone else playing the character wouldn’t have done justice to it.

The legend of the man has grown bigger over the past couple of years, and he is arguably the only character/performer who has been bigger than the Hogans and Austins.

The Undertaker has become a part of folklore, and his presence has captivated the fans for well over two decades.

There hasn’t been anyone in the past or present apart from him who has become synonymous with the biggest event of the year, WrestleMania.

Although there were marquee performers who headlined the event, there is only one person who is arguably bigger than WrestleMania itself!

The Undertaker has been the guy at WrestleMania and has single-handedly sold the tickets for the mega event. If you’re going to a WrestleMania, there is a good chance that you’re going there only to see The Undertaker perform.

The phenom hasn’t disappointed the fans either, putting on the match of the night for nearly a decade, with most of them being the ‘Match of the Year’ contenders.

The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII

WWE has used the presence of The Undertaker to sell the PPV for a long time. Watching the living legend perform once in a year, and that too at WrestleMania has given the PPV a larger than life feeling.

With The Undertaker not having many more years left in his career, every WrestleMania he performs from now will be a bonus to Vince McMahon and the wrestling fans.

With WrestleMania 30 being touted as possibly the end of the greatest career in professional wrestling history, there is one question on the minds of the wrestling fans all over the world – Is WWE ready to move on from the Deadman? Has WWE done enough to replace the legendary Phenom at WrestleMania?

The answer, sadly, is ‘no’.

Let’s look at it this way. There have been the Michael Jordons and Babe Ruths in sports, and after their retirement, the respective sports moved on.

Professional wrestling too will exist long after the Vince McMahons and The Undertakers hang up their boots for good. But with The Undertaker being the greatest, and arguably the last legend left in the WWE, the company’s inability in creating a talent pool will come back to haunt them.

With WWE investing in Daniel Bryan, they might have found their next “mega star”, but (and I say this with absolute respect as I’m one of the biggest fans of Daniel Bryan) he can’t replace the legend of The Undertaker. The sad reality is, no one can.

Although legends like Shawn Michaels have retired, they didn’t leave a huge void in the WWE. Truth of the matter is, they weren’t the centre of attraction in the WWE for well over a decade, but with The Undertaker, things are different.

Being the marquee name at WrestleMania, it’s safe to say that WrestleMania will never be the same once the Deadman retires from the WWE. Although WWE had many years to create a superstar of The Undertaker’s magnitude, they haven’t done so, although the legend of The Undertaker can never be replaced.

With WrestleMania still a few months away, the fans would soon start speculating about the future of The Undertaker. Although there are rumours flying around that The Undertaker has been injured once again, he will make it to the mega event one more time.

But the big question is, will it be the last time The Undertaker performs at WrestleMania or in the WWE? I know one thing for sure; if you can make it to WrestleMania, do so.

This might just be the last time we get to witness the lights go out with the all too familiar sounds of the gong, sending chills down your spine.

Although the legend of The Phenom will live on forever, we might not see The Undertaker perform ever again after WrestleMania 30.