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The WWE Network Documentary "Undertaker: The Last Ride" has taken the entire WWE Universe by storm with its sheer brilliance and the first-time-ever behind the scenes look at the character that we've all grown so fond of - The Undertaker. Mark Callaway, the man who has brought the gimmick of The Undertaker to life has been one of the last protectors of "kayfabe" in pro wrestling, protecting the image of the Deadman all these years before finally allowing his fans to see his mortal side.
Hailed by many as one of the best documentaries ever produced by WWE productions, The Last Ride is a five-episode series where WWE cameras have documented the journey of The Undertaker in the last few years with one question at the center of it all - When will the Phenom call it a day and decide to finally step away from the business he loves so much?
Starting from the very first chapter, The Greatest Fear, The Undertaker can be seen struggling to find the perfect last match for him. As aptly stated by his wife and former WWE Divas and Women's Champion, Michelle McCool - the Phenom is in a vicious cycle of either having a good match and wanting another one, or having a match he's unhappy with and then having to redeem himself. One of his greatest rivals and WWE Superstars, Triple H had the following to say about The Undertaker being double-minded about his retirement -
"I think those closure moments help if they’re great, but it’s catch 22 because, if they’re great, it makes you want another one.”
The fourth chapter of the series titled "The Battle Within" aired after WWE Backlash last night. It featured "the train wreck" of a match between The Undertaker and Goldberg at WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia last year. The Phenom revealed how disappointed he was with that performance and how he had self-doubts of whether he was out of gas after that or not. But it didn't take the Deadman long to resurface and "redeem" himself by having an amazing tag match at Extreme Rules 2019.
In the closing moments of the penultimate episode of The Last Ride, we see a massive moment where The Undertaker tells Vince McMahon - "I'm done" before witnessing the footage of him walking alongside AJ Styles, hyping up the final chapter of the series. But is there more to this entire series than just giving fans a peek behind the man who plays The Undertaker?
Will The Undertaker announce his retirement at the end of the final episode of The Last Ride?
I can not be the only one who is getting the vibes that WWE might be building towards a huge surprise at the end of The Last Ride! The last episode of the series will depict how The Undertaker vs AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36 in a Boneyard match came into the picture. We have seen numerous cameos from the Phenomenal One in the earlier episodes of The Last Ride, with The Undertaker even revealing in Chapter 2 that he wants to work with him.
The way the entire series has focused on The Undertaker wanting to go out with a stellar performance makes it feel like the match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36 could very well have been his last. The entire pro wrestling world was all praises for the Boneyard match between the two, with many calling it the best match of The Undertaker in the last several years.
During his appearance on the Broken Skulls podcast hosted by WWE Hall of Famer, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker revealed that he'll be writing his own ending. Maybe him finally allowing the WWE cameras to follow his journey behind the screens is his way of doing just that. As a fan, I'll go ahead and say that I surely don't want to see him retire as one of my dreams is to see him perform live, but as there's no denying that age is not on his side, and he might not get a better last match than the Boneyard match against AJ Styles.
There will never be another WWE Superstar who can match the accomplishments, longevity, and success that The Undertaker has achieved in his career. If this indeed turns out to be true and the Deadman announces his retirement after the final chapter of The Last Ride, it will indeed be the "End of an Era".
After years of living the gimmick of The Undertaker, Mark Callaway gave us all an incredible gift in the form of The Last Ride, which the WWE Universe will cherish for a long time. I'm eagerly waiting to see the final chapter and its aftermath!
