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The Undertaker has been the flagship name of the WWE for nearly three decades. While many characters have come and gone, The Undertaker still enjoys a special place in the hearts of the WWE Universe.
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Ever since The Deadman made his bow at Survivor Series, his character and aura have known no bounds and have grown from strength to strength. The deafening gong, the lights going out and The Undertaker emerging from the smoke has been a sight to behold for any die-hard WWE fan. The idea of The Deadman rising from the dead and terrifying his rivals has been watched with awe and intrigue in equal measure.
Over the years, The Undertaker has developed a penchant for coming up with heart-stopping returns, when the Universe least expects it.
The Undertaker is entering the twilight of his career and the Universe isn’t going to have the opportunity to savour many more death-defying returns. Hence, as a tribute to one of the greatest sports entertainers, we would go down memory lane and look at some of his greatest returns.
Let the gong ring and the list of his greatest returns emerge.
#5 The Undertaker returns after Kane burns him at Royal Rumble, 1998
The Undertaker has enjoyed many titanic battles with his on-screen brother, Kane. His feud with him in 1998 was no different.
At the Royal Rumble, The Undertaker went toe to toe with the Heart-Break Kid, Shawn Michaels in a casket match. After planting Shawn Michaels in the casket, a number of superstars arrived to save HBK. To save The Undertaker, Kane made his way to the ring and cleared the superstars.
However, he later turned on The Undertaker and delivered a chokeslam into the casket. With the help of Paul Bearer, he set the casket, with The Undertaker inside, on fire. Many felt that they had seen the last of The Phenom. Fortunately for them, they were to be proved wrong two months down the line.
Kane and Paul Bearer were in the ring, calling for challengers when the lights went out and a casket mysteriously appeared near the entrance. Shortly thereafter, the casket was struck by lightning, to the astonishment of the thousands in attendance.
The bolt of lightning had ripped open the casket and The Undertaker had emerged from the very same casket in which he was burnt. Like many a time before, The Undertaker had defied death and walked towards the ring, with the Universe looking on in awe.
Hence, this goes down as The Deadman’s fifth greatest return.
#4 The Undertaker returns to lay down a challenge to Kurt Angle
The Undertaker had been away from the WWE for a while and not many expected him to show up at the Royal Rumble. Thus, his unexpected return and the grandeur of his arrival gets it into this list.
Kurt Angle was celebrating his victory over Mark Henry when the famous gong went off and the arena was plunged into darkness. The Undertaker then arrived on a horse-drawn chariot. As echoed by Michael Cole, it looked as if The Undertaker was being carried by the Grim Reaper.
After indulging in a stare-down with Angle, The Phenom displayed his supernatural powers to send a lightning bolt across the arena and into the ring posts. What followed next was beyond Angle’s worst nightmare.
After the bolt of lightning hit the ring post, the ring collapsed with Angle still in it. Having sent out a spine-chilling warning, The Undertaker signaled that he was gunning for Angle and his World Heavyweight Championship.
The 2006 Royal Rumble was a very successful pay-per-view and The Phenom added his mystical touch to it.
Hence, it slots straight into No.4 on our list.
#3 The Undertaker answers Brock Lesnar’s challenge
Having been in the wilderness for a while, The Undertaker turned up on Raw to answer The Beast’s challenge. The two would go on to enjoy a magnificent feud with it culminating at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Paul Heyman and Brock started off by saying that if Brock wasn’t offered a shot at the title, he wouldn’t be fighting at all at Wrestlemania. However, a few seconds after Heyman sounded out his warning, darkness engulfed the arena and The Undertaker emerged.
The Phenom arrived spectacularly to answer the clarion call of The Beast. After Lesnar taunted the Deadman to sign the contract, The Undertaker grabbed the pen and pierced Lesnar’s hand before sending him through the table, courtesy his signature chokeslam.
The Undertaker would embroil himself in one his best feuds with Lesnar. Though it ended in heartbreak at Wrestlemania, the Universe was enthralled with the sheer intensity on display.
Even in the later part of his career, The Phenom showed that he still had it in him. Thus, it makes it into the Top 3 of our list.
#2 The Undertaker returns to feud with The Legend Killer, Randy Orton
In 2005, The Undertaker locked horns with the Legend Killer, Randy Orton. The Undertaker was at the peak of his powers then and the duo put on a stellar show for the Universe.
At No Mercy, Randy Orton had indulged in a Kane-esque move when he set a casket, with The Deadman in it, on fire. Orton had finished off the careers of many legends. Hence, when the casket was set on fire, many thought that The Undertaker was finally dead.
However, a few months later, at Survivor Series, The Undertaker made a grand return to re-ignite his feud with Orton.
Orton was celebrating being the sole survivor in the traditional Survivor Series elimination match. The entire Smackdown roster had made its way to the ring to congratulate him. As they lifted him on their shoulders, the gong went off and the druids brought out a casket.
Moments later, a lightning bolt struck the casket, engulfing the casket in flames. From underneath the fire, The Undertaker emerged to settle scores with Orton. He entered the ring and cleaned house, annihilating everyone in his path. After clearing the ring, he gave Orton the death stare and made sure his joy was only short-lived.
The Deadman was finally back, taking souls and digging holes. The impact his return at Survivor Series created, helps it bag the runner-up spot on our list.
#1 The Undertaker returns from the dead at Wrestlemania XX
In a career characterised by jaw-dropping returns, none were as sensational as the return The Undertaker made at Wrestlemania XX.
Kane interfered in the Buried Alive match between The Undertaker and Vince McMahon at Survivor Series, 2003. Kane buried The Undertaker alive and it was believed to be the end of The Undertaker’s association with the WWE.
However, a few months before Wrestlemania rolled into town, the WWE started teasing the prospect of a return for The Phenom. Numerous mystical happenings left Kane stumped and he was left to wonder if The Deadman was actually dead.
After weeks and weeks of supernatural incidents, Wrestlemania XX witnessed one of the greatest returns of all time.
The Undertaker had forgone his biker gimmick and arrived as the soul-taker from Death Valley.
The druids welcomed back The Undertaker from death and his entrance provided one of the greatest WWE spectacles ever. His entry was made even more scintillating by the presence of his on-screen mentor, the mysterious Paul Bearer.
Kane was left stunned by all of this and represented a person who wanted to be anywhere but near The Deadman. Undertaker would go on to defeat Kane and maintain his streak at Wrestlemania.
The idea to bring back The Undertaker’s original character was a work of genius on the WWE’s part. The happy, go-lucky biker was replaced by the grim, scary and mystical Undertaker.
Of all his death-defying returns, the one at Wrestlemania XX is the undisputed greatest of all time.
Do you agree with our list? Sound off your opinions in the comments section below!
