Top to bottom, WrestleMania 33 was a spectacular show. The matches mostly exceeded expectations, the production was incredible as usual, and there were even some surprises that made it one of the best ‘Manias in years (Hardy Boyz, anyone?).
But this year’s incarnation of the Show of Shows may be remembered for one thing above all else: the retirement of the Deadman, the Phenom, the Undertaker.
We all knew the day would come, but that doesn’t mean it was any easier for us to handle. To many wrestling fans, the Undertaker is the greatest performer to ever live. So seeing him step out of a WWE ring for the last time was a sombre moment, to say the least.
‘Taker had an amazing career filled with Championships, 5-star matches, gimmick repackages, gimmick matches, and anything else you can think of. Now his legendary career has come to an end, and some are wondering if it ended the right way.
The Undertaker lost to Roman Reigns, which brings up two issues. First, was Reigns the right person to have retire the Undertaker?
And second, does a legend like this deserve to go out on his back? Well, ‘Taker himself is a believer in the old school philosophy of going out on your back, i.e. losing your final match. But why is this such a common practice among older Superstars like ‘Taker, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, among others?
They’re not selfish
Before we get into the real reason legends prefer to go out with a loss, this is one of the contributing factors. They’re not selfish. Legends of this calibre have nothing left to gain in their careers and they realise that.
They’ve had their television time, their world title runs, their merchandise, all of that. And they understand that in WWE, big stars come and go, and so it’s time for other guys to have their turn.
When Flair and Michaels went out, they knew guys like CM Punk, John Cena, and Randy Orton were running WWE. With ‘Taker going out, he realises it’s the era of Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, and Seth Rollins.
The guard is changing all the time, and legends understand that better than anyone. And not only do they understand it, they want to help the process.
Giving back
The biggest reason WWE Superstars retire by losing their final match is so they can give back to the company that made them who they are. Since they’re on their way out of the wrestling business, they can afford to give someone a rub without suffering any consequences to their own career.
And that’s something many Superstars jump at the opportunity to do.
Make no mistake, most of the recipients of these rubs don’t necessarily need them, but they certainly do help. If the Undertaker had been retired by, say, Baron Corbin, that would have catapulted a career that has been devoid of any truly marquee moments thus far.
On the other hand, Reigns is already one of WWE’s top stars. Did he really need the rub of retiring ‘Taker? Probably not. But it’s undoubtedly a bonus either way.
If WWE ever decides to really pull the trigger on turning Reigns heel, which they seem to be closer to than they ever have been before, this is a perfect accolade to have on his resume. He retired one of the most beloved Superstars in the history of the WWE, someone the fans unequivocally cheer every time he appears on their screen.
Now, fans have some actual substance behind their booing of Reigns. Before this, most of the fan disapproval was because Reigns was being pushed incessantly instead of other fan favourites, despite him actually being a very good wrestler and performer. But now he can run around talking about how he retired the Undertaker, and everyone will rightfully hate him for it.
This is the kind of rub legends can give; that one extra push that vaults a guy into being an even bigger star than he already was.
The future
Looking ahead, there are plenty of legends in the making who will likely go out on their backs as well, and rightfully so. John Cena and Randy Orton are the first two that come to mind as they’ve been the two faces of the company for over a decade. Whoever ends up retiring them, whether it’s in 5 or 10 years, will benefit enormously.
Who could be some candidates to put those behemoths of the industry down for good? Perhaps Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, or Finn Balor. By the time Cena and Orton’s retirement rolls around, those guys will be the top stars who could reap the benefits of the extra rub of retiring those legends.
Retiring with a loss is a practice that has been around for a long time. And although it’s an “old school” philosophy, it’s unlikely to go away anytime soon.
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