The annual defence of The Streak was a big thing. ‘Taker’s
imposing stature, coupled with his length of service in the company and
supernatural trappings made him (and indeed still makes him) a unique
performer. He has an aura unlike any other wrestler there’s ever been. The
Streak became part of the magic of the character, something ‘The dead Man’ was
known for as much as his eerie mood lighting powers or supposed zombie origins.
It helped that WWE took care of The Streak from around
2001, helping to make it appear something special in wrestling and a meaningful
achievement. Undertaker’s opponents were selected more carefully, and for the
most part a good job was done keeping ‘The Phenom’ linked to big names at the
show. The challenges mounted by Ric Flair, Edge, Batista, Randy Orton, Shawn
Michaels (twice), and Triple H (thrice) were all exciting affairs that added to
the aura that accompanied the feat of The Streak, and did more than balance out
less than stellar challenges from Mark Henry and Big Show and A-Train (the
latter two at the same time in a handicap match).
The dream is over. |
I never thought The Streak would end. This wasn’t through
a desperate urge to see ‘The Last Outlaw’ ride off into the sunset (or should
that be moonlit night?) with his greatest accomplishment intact. It was based
on a feeling that WWE would want to bestow the honour of a lengthy undefeated
record on a man who has arguably been their most loyal in-ring performer for
well over two decades.
I certainly didn’t think Brock Lesnar had a chance at
ending The Streak. The build-up to the match had been subpar, with Undertaker
outwitting and dominating ‘The Pain’ in all but one of their encounters (the March
31 RAW). In hindsight it’s possible that this was a deliberate ploy to help
convince people that this year’s Streak match would be business as usual,
although I hope not because that would indicate WWE set out to short change
their fans. Not that they’ve never done that before, of course.
It was more than just a ponderous build that had me
convinced ‘Taker would slay ‘The Beast’. There were still men for him to defend
The Streak against. Daniel Bryan could have presented a credible challenge to
The Streak, and if WWE set their minds to it Bray Wyatt and Roman reigns could
both have been ready by next year. The challenger I’ve mentioned many times
before was John Cena. The match would have had such a great atmosphere: the
most heavily pushed, unstoppable star of the company for well over a decade
challenging the most impressive record in the business. It was the one match
that WWE could have convinced people beforehand might not go ‘Taker’s way. It
was the one thing Cena, the man who’s done it all, had not accomplished. That
alone would have convinced people he was the most credible threat to The Streak
ever.
These matches can still happen, of course. Just not for
The Streak. It’s still too early to say whether or not it’s a good or a bad
thing that it’s gone. Certainly WWE have deprived themselves of a key feature
at WrestleMania but they of course knew that before the match took place.
Presumably they have a draw in mind to replace it. It’s possible the feeling
was that Undertaker’s career was in danger of becoming overshadowed by The
Streak. While it’s clearly the thing for which he’ll be most remembered he has
done other things in the company. WWE wanting to protect the legacy of one of
their biggest ever stars seems utterly plausible.
'The Conqueror'. |
And this is a boon for Lesnar, of course. It becomes a
bragging right for the former UFC champion and in theory makes him a more
interesting man to watch for WWE fans. Certainly ending The Streak is a feat
nobody else will get to have, and it lends something to Lesnar’s “big box
office draw” appeal. It’s a questionable decision, what with Lesnar not being a
man fully committed to WWE’s long term future: his current contract ends
shortly after next year’s ‘Mania and even if he re-signs it will only be
another short, limited dates deal. The accomplishment would have been better
going to a younger guy who’s going to be on TV to benefit from it for another
ten years. But I can’t argue that Lesnar is a credible winner: his credentials
make that impossible to deny.
I suppose some space should be dedicated to hypothesising
as to why The Streak ended. I’ve
already mentioned that WWE may simply have wanted to divorce Undertaker from
The Streak. Another popular theory is that Undertaker was simply too knackered
to continue and felt it was time. I’m not convinced by this.
Undertaker wrestles one match a year and there’s nothing
in his repertoire that’s going to injure him too badly. The topé could simply
be dropped. The Tombstone requires some strength but is more about precision,
and it’s more risky to the person taking the move than Undertaker himself. The
person taking the choke slam does most of the work. And the Hell’s Gate is a
rather fancy rest hold that has the benefit of having been built up as a match
ender. More to the point ‘Taker seemingly felt so good last year that he stuck
around and wrestled a few matches on RAW and SmackDown against The Shield. Yes,
he left because he suffered an injury and he has years of them accumulated but
I think the man has it in him to wrestle his current schedule (the lightest
realistically possible) for another year or two.
What’s so interesting at this point is that ‘Taker’s
future is so unclear. Does his loss of The Streak mean he will retire? That’s
the assumption many, including myself, have gone under for years. Will he
return to TV for a rematch with Brock Lesnar at some point? His absence from
the post-‘Mania RAW, despite being backstage, makes me think he’ll be gone for
a while. He’ll definitely be back. But until the return happens we won’t know
if it’s to get back in the ring or enter the Hall of Fame.
And somehow that feels right. The Undertaker, the closest
thing wrestling has to a mythic figure, should not be someone we should know
inside out. Mystery has always been a crucial part of the character. No matter what his future holds that's something that should never change.
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