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WrestleMania 35 had its good and bad moments, from Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship triumph over Daniel Bryan to Becky Lynch’s controversial pinfall victory over Ronda Rousey.
Although the event was largely considered a success by fans, one of the biggest questions after the show centred around The Undertaker, who has competed at every WrestleMania since 2001 and has only missed WWE’s biggest show of the year on two occasions since his ‘Mania debut in 1991.
“The Deadman” did not appear on WWE programming in the build-up to his match against John Cena at last year’s “Show of Shows”, with Cena promoting the encounter on a weekly basis on Monday Night Raw while ‘Taker mysteriously stayed away and waited until the day of the event to finally return.
This year, however, there was no mention of the WrestleMania icon in the weeks leading up to show and, for the first time since 2000, he did not make an appearance at WWE’s annual extravaganza.
In this article, let’s take a look at four of the biggest questions that need answering after the 54-year-old did not appear during the seven-and-a-half-hour broadcast.
#4 Was The Undertaker backstage?
Simple answer: Yes.
There have been numerous reports in the past about The Undertaker being backstage at WWE events, notably at the Royal Rumble and Evolution events in 2018 when his wife Michelle McCool was involved in matches.
If you scrolled through your social media timelines enough before WrestleMania 35 began, there is a good chance that you will have seen a picture of “The Deadman” posing with fans or with McCool inside MetLife Stadium ahead of the show.
Superstars including Baron Corbin have mentioned in media interviews how ‘Taker has been helpful with words of advice throughout his time in WWE, so perhaps he was simply there to watch the show backstage and help guide some of the younger talents through a prestigious event that he has participated at more than any other person.
The only likely Superstar he could have interacted with on-screen on the show was Elias, but that spot went to John Cena – and his returning “Doctor of Thuganomics” gimmick – instead.
#3 Will The Undertaker have a match in Saudi Arabia?
WWE held two WWE Network specials in Saudi Arabia in 2018, the Greatest Royal and Crown Jewel.
While both events were spectacularly produced and had a WrestleMania feel to them, the Crown Jewel show in November was widely criticised for political reasons.
The Undertaker appeared on both shows, defeating Rusev at the Greatest Royal Rumble before losing a tag match with Kane against Triple H & Shawn Michaels at Crown Jewel, and it has been widely reported that WWE will hold another event in the country on June 7.
The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported last month that ‘Taker will be competing on the show. He said: "He’s going to be wrestling in Saudi Arabia this year – he’s coming back. You know I guess that money was just too big to turn down and I get it."
#2 Why did WWE not use The Undertaker?
The Undertaker has been very active, for his standards, on social media lately. He has added a business contact email to his Twitter bio, while he said in a recent Instagram post that he has lost 25lbs.
He wrote: “The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!! I’ve made some serious lifestyle changes in an attempt to offset the years of physical abuse my body has endured. One of the major changes was losing 25lbs. Goal reached!”
So, given that the WrestleMania legend appears to be in the best shape he has been in for several years, the only logical explanation for WWE not using him must be because the 16-match show was already stacked enough without a ‘Taker entrance, storyline and match.
Reports after Crown Jewel suggested that he could face Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 35, but those rumours quickly went away after HBK insisted that his 2018 return was simply a one-off. Other than his former rival, there was not an obvious feud that ‘Taker could get involved with at short notice before this year's "Show of Shows".
#1 Who will The Undertaker face next?
The build-up to The Undertaker’s appearances at the Greatest Royal Rumble and Crown Jewel in 2018 could not have been any more contrasting.
The Rusev casket match earlier in the year was announced out of nowhere, then his opponent was changed to Chris Jericho, then it was changed back to Rusev. Later in the year, Shawn Michaels’ return had a long storyline build-up ahead of Super Show-Down, where the seeds were planted for the match between The Brothers of Destruction and D-Generation X at Crown Jewel.
Looking ahead to ‘Taker’s next match, which will presumably take place at the next Saudi show on June 7, there is a whole host of dream opponents on both Raw and SmackDown Live who he could step into the ring with.
Daniel Bryan would be many people’s first choice but that match will not happen if Bryan refuses to compete in Saudi Arabia. Realistically, Baron Corbin’s heel run is likely to go from strength to strength following his victory over Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 35, so he will be among the contenders to face “The Deadman” next. If not him, how about Drew McIntyre or Shinsuke Nakamura?
