WrestleMania 35: What if The Undertaker returns as the American Badass?

Rumors have emerged that The Undertaker pitched returning at WrestleMania 35, not under his typical Dead Man persona, but rather in a throwback to the Attitude Era with his American Badass biker gimmick. It’s unknown if the idea will go through and, if so, if it will be a one-off or if The Undertaker may use this persona moving forward with his increasingly part-time appearances

It has long been theorized that Vince McMahon wasn’t a fan of this more human version of one WWE’s most iconic characters. However, if it’s really what The Phenom wants, and particularly given how little he’s working with WWE now, would the company really refuse him? If the idea were to get cleared, what would it mean, and at what moment would The Undertaker make his surprise appearance?

This article considers what might happen at WrestleMania 35 if The Undertaker returns as the American Badass for one last ride.

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#4 Baron Corbin wins

Baron Corbin beating Kurt Angle would earn nuclear heat. Could the American Badass defuse the situation?

When WWE booked Baron Corbin as Kurt Angle’s opponent for his farewell match at WrestleMania 35, lots of fans were disappointed Angle wasn’t going out against a fellow legend, or at least a more popular contemporary star (or one who’d be more likely to deliver a good match). One of the silver linings was that it at least seemed reasonably likely Angle would win, and do so in decisive fashion.

Another possibility, however, is that Corbin was positioned in this match to get the big rub of beating the Olympic Hero on his way out the door at WrestleMania.

If Corbin were to win, WWE would need to do something huge to win back the crowd. A surprise appearance from The Undertaker on a motorcycle? That just might do the trick, and actually make reasonable sense given that The Undertaker, in his biker gimmick, did have his share of interactions with Angle back in the day.

#3 Elias gets run off

Elias has a big segment. He's going to get interrupted--it's just a question of who does it.

Though getting a concert promo at WrestleMania is a feat for Elias, and demonstration that WWE still sees something in him, the inclusion of this segment feels an awful lot like an invitation for someone to interrupt the young heel. Elias has a history with John Cena, whom some have rumored for the spot, or he could feasibly carry on with the issue he started opposite Jeff Jarrett at the Royal Rumble.

The Undertaker doesn’t have much by way of history with Elias. There most pronounced connection may well be each working opposite John Cena in their own way at last year’s WrestleMania. Nonetheless, in the spirit of big surprises, and helping young stars interact with legends to get some proxy heat, having The American Badass motor down the ramp to run off Elias would be a fair enough way to pop the crowd midway through WrestleMania 35.

#2 Nakamura and Rusev run down the US

Nakamura and Rusev could provoke the American Badass.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev feel an awful lot like two of the more underutilized stars for WrestleMania 35. After all, just a year ago they were both hot singles act—Nakamura riding the wave of his Royal Rumble win to a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania, while the Rusev Day gimmick was arguably at its organic peak.

Fast forward a year, and the two are a heel tag team, seemingly born out of WWE having no better ideas for either of them. As a consolation prize, the pair could win their Fatal Fourway for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. From there, the duo could see through their most defining bond—the fact that they’re both coming from outside the US.

The Undertaker’s American Badass character was a patriot who squared off with The Un-Americans, and more than once rode to the ring with an American flag flowing from the back of his bike. If provoked by Nakamura and Rusev, we could see them get their comeuppance at the hands of The Dead Man.

#1 WrestleMania 17 revisited

Maybe The Undertaker and Triple H aren't quite done with each other.

When the American Badass version of The Undertaker’s character debuted in 2000, he did so to confront Triple H. Moreover, one of The Phenom’s most memorable matches while working that gimmick was opposite The Game at WrestleMania 17.

It wouldn’t necessarily be the most natural fit for The Undertaker to return to confront Triple H while The Game is pretty clearly working as a face opposite Batista. Though the Big Evil version of The Phenom did work heel, he would be guaranteed a face pop for a surprise return in his biker visage. Just the same, The Dead Man does have an issue with The Cerebral Assassin going back to the fall and their matches at Super Show-Down and Crown Jewel. Neither man looked his best in those outings, and most fans would probably just as soon call that feud over. Nonetheless, we could conceivably see The Undertaker, as a biker, coming back to confront his old rival one more time.