With Wrestlemania 38 nearly upon us, fans remember the event’s most significant moments, and one that comes to mind is The Undertaker losing his legendary streak.
‘The Deadman’ is undeniably one of the most fearsome competitors in sports-entertainment history. For decades he captivated fans with his terrifying aura and thrilling performances. But what set him apart from every other star the WWE machine has ever produced was his remarkable run at the company’s biggest PPV attraction.
From March 1991 to April 2013, ‘The Phenom’ terrorised a plethora of the world’s best wrestlers. It didn’t matter which superstar dared rise to the challenge —The Undertaker took them out. He beat his brother Kane, pinned Ric Flair after a great war of attrition and even retired Shawn Michaels in perhaps the most extraordinary match The WWE Universe has ever seen.
But good things can’t go on forever, and eventually, Father Time caught up with the sporting icon.
Brock Lesnar beats The Undertaker at Wrestlemania
After a heated rivalry, ‘The Beast Incarnate’ and ‘The Phenom’ settled their differences in the ring. But in a shocking turn of events, it wasn’t the favourite who had his hand raised. Knowing that The Undertaker didn’t have much left in the tank, Vince McMahon decided to give Lesnar the win. After landing three F5s, the powerhouse achieved the impossible, and the crowd couldn’t believe their eyes.
Remarkably, however, the chairman of the WWE only made this drastic call on the day of Wrestlemania 30. Esteemed journalist, Dave Meltzer, revealed why McMahon made the decision.
He said: “Vince McMahon was going on the assumption that this was Undertaker’s last hurrah, and he could either win or lose. McMahon chose the idea that it was better to lose on your way out. One person close to the situation said McMahon talked Undertaker into doing it.”
But how did the purest striker in the business take the news?
Read: The Undertaker pays heartfelt tribute to “really gifted” Scott Hall
The Undertaker had some strong opinions on losing his Wrestlemania streak
For 22 years, ‘The Dead Man’ provided fans with memories that will last a lifetime. So it’s no surprise that he was reluctant to let his streak go. However, he ultimately knew he had to give back to the business. But he didn’t know whether Lesnar was the right man to do the job.
In an interview with CBS Sports, he explained: “Obviously, in Vince’s mindset, if it’s not Brock, then who? My biggest concern was I just wanted to make sure that [McMahon] was sure, and that’s what he wanted to do.”
He continued: “I didn’t feel like Brock needed it. Brock was already a huge star, and it wasn’t going to help him one way or another. My only concern was there might have been someone down the line that could have benefited from it more, and that probably would’ve been Roman later on.
“That’s with hindsight being 20/20. But if I was going to get beat by someone, Brock was a guy who had the credentials, I think, to do it, and people would be like, ‘Um, okay, s**t, that’s Brock Lesnar.’ That was my biggest deal. I just wanted to make sure that’s really what [McMahon] had wanted to do.”
It seems that The Undertaker has come to terms with losing his incredible streak. Ultimately, somebody had to beat him eventually, and what better way to finally lose at Wrestlemania than in a match with another bonafide legend?
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