Daily DDT
Fansided

The Undertaker’s Mystique Has Worn Off in WWE

By Dean Siemon

facebooktwitterreddit

It wasn’t too long ago that the Undertaker would cause a certain form of excitement when he entered a WWE ring. But with a combination of poor booking and age, his presence doesn’t have the same impact it once had with fans.

More from WWE

It used to be that you could feel goosebumps popping up along your skin when you heard the familiar toll of the bells just as the arena goes dark and the organs play the familiar tune that welcomes the Undertaker to the ring – especially with druids holding torches along the walkway and when Paul Bearer stood at the end with the infamous urn.

In the 1990s, we saw a much more terrifying Undertaker that had some extra depth with the Ministry storyline. There was that “American Badass” biker gimmick, but the return to the classic character for a WrestleMania XX feud with Kane brought excitement and that chill. But not anymore.

ALSO ON DAILY DDT: NXT TakeOver: Respect Review

Years later, the bells toll and the music plays with an elder “Deadman” who shows his age while taking off the hat and the eyes rolling to the back of his head. There is still a fanbase, but it just doesn’t feel as special anymore. Not because Paul Bearer has passed away or there’s a lack of druids.

It’s because there doesn’t seem to be anything left for the “Phenom” to accomplish. His winning streak at WrestleMania ended in 2014 via pinfall to Brock Lesnar and he’s not likely to make any runs for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship anytime soon. If anything, a match with Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 31 could have truly stolen the show if the winning streak was on the line.

Live Feed

3 WWE superstars who definitely won't be back in 2024
3 WWE superstars who definitely won't be back in 2024 /

Bam Smack Pow

  • 7 WWE superstars CM Punk needs to feud with after Survivor Series returnBam Smack Pow
  • Why Fans Hope CM Punk Will be Added to WWE 2K23 SoonDBLTAP
  • It Actually Happened: CM Punk returns to WWE at Survivor Series 2023FanSided
  • How to watch WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023Bam Smack Pow
  • WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 live results and highlightsFanSided

    • It was still an okay match, but not something that lived up to the standard set by the matches the Undertaker had with Shawn Michaels and Triple H between 2009 and 2012. So why would Undertaker need to return again with no streak and no titles to win?

    The storyline that was presented was that Undertaker wanted revenge against Lesnar after more than a year of taunting and boasting. The concept of Undertaker being sore about the loss seems a little petty for the veteran, which was more of a result to bad booking from the creative team. It also didn’t help that the finish to the match where there was a question as to whether he tapped out or not didn’t help the not so great booking either.

    With these things in mind, hearing the tolls sort of doesn’t seems as great because we now see someone who has lost a step, is showing his age in the ring and won’t really have anything to gain from this month’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view match.

    A few years ago, many wrestling fans dreamed of the idea of having a fantasy match between the “Phenom” and the “Icon” Sting. However, the last couple of years have really ruined the momentum of the rivalry match to the point of it only recreating what many of us have done using our action figures or video games.

    If it’s one thing that WWE has been consistent with is not handling their legends the proper way to hurt the impact that a final match could have had – which is why some fans are not as excited about when the Undertaker will wrestle next.

    Next: Has Jamaal Charles Lost a Step?

    More from Daily DDT

    Home/WWE