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What's the story?
The Big Show may not be as tenured in the wrestling business as The Undertaker, but he's been there long enough that when questions about "The Phenom" pop up, he's as qualified as anyone to answer them. That's exactly what he did on Uproxx.com's With Spandex podcast, hinting that the Texas native wasn't done with WWE.
In case you didn't know...
The Undertaker hasn't been seen in any capacity in WWE since his loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania last year. While it seemed that Undertaker had wrestled his last match (based on his ceremoniously leaving his coat and hat in the ring), rumors began to surface regarding him coming back for more WrestleMania matches, a Royal Rumble appearance, etc. Now, with Undertaker announced to make an appearance on Raw 25, rumors have been ramped up into overdrive.
The heart of the matter
When asked if he thought Undertaker was done performing in the ring, Big Show was pretty emphatic with his answer. "They don't call him 'The Phenom' for nothing, bro," Show told the podcast hosts, "I'm telling you, an Undertaker at 30 percent is better than most everybody else at 90 percent... He's just that damn good."
Regarding Braun Strowman, who Show has had some pretty intense matches in the recent past, he said "As long as he stays healthy, he's just got too much to offer. He's got the right attitude.. he understands there are times to be a monster, and there are also times to make other guys look good."
That same WrestleMania where Undertaker fought Reigns, Big Show was supposed to take on the man he confronted during the previous WrestleMania's Andre the Giant battle royale - NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal. That never happened, as Show would explain on the... er... show.
"Well, that's business," Big Show said, "[We're] working with entities that are outside of WWE. Shaq had a fantastic attitude with everything and really wanted to do it, at the same time he has a lot of commitments that he's committed to."
What's next?
If we're going to get anything resembling a clue to Undertaker's potential return to the ring, the earliest we'll probably get it is at the Monday Night Raw 25th Anniversary episode on January 22nd.
Author's take
The Undertaker debuted the same year I discovered wrestling - 1990. So, while I'm always happy to see the Deadman back, I have to face reality. When I consider what kind of physical shape I'm in compared to back then, I can't image how beat up the Undertaker is. Oy vey.
