WWE WrestleMania 32: Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon is Unnecessarily Overbooked
The booking of Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon for WrestleMania has gone way over the top, and it’s not a good thing.
When Shane McMahon returned on Raw after WWE Fastlane, fans loved it. They had not seen Shane O’Mac in seven years and welcomed him back with open arms. No one saw this coming either, so it made the moment even grander.
Then Vince McMahon put his son into a match with Undertaker at WrestleMania. Control of Monday Night Raw was put on the line as well.
More wwe: WrestleMania 32 Card Projections 9.0
To top it off, these two are going to battle inside Hell in a Cell. Shouldn’t this match be able to sell itself?
It should, but WWE won’t let it.
Since the return of Shane, every segment to build this match has fallen flat. From the family photo being destroyed to the security guard brawl, and the closing of the Mar. 14 Raw—it has been disappointing. WWE seems to be adding multiple layers to try to build this match, mostly around Vince denouncing the Prodigal Son. None of it has worked.
Then there is Undertaker’s side of this. He was thrown into the match as Vince’s “guy” to take down Shane and showed he wants no part of this. While a simple explanation would cure any doubt on why the Dead Man is even doing this, we still haven’t received an answer. This is with less than two weeks until the Show of Shows.
The thing that puts this over the top was the announcement made on Monday’s episode of Raw. Vince said that if Taker doesn’t win at WrestleMania, it will be his last.
More from WrestleMania
- The 5 top WrestleMania match options for CM Punk
- WWE WrestleMania 40 Night 2 Early Predictions: Cody Rhodes Will END Roman Reigns
- Three big matches to kick off Jade Cargill’s WWE run
- WWE WrestleMania 40 Night 1 VERY EARLY Match Card Predictions: CM Punk Will Dethrone Seth Rollins
- WWE: 5 men’s matches that changed the company’s direction
Confusion set in immediately with the fans. No one knew if this meant his last WrestleMania or if it would be a retirement match. Commentary didn’t know how to react either.
The point, though, is making this a bout with Undertaker’s career on the line is unnecessary. The Hell in a Cell stipulation, the fact that Shane McMahon is wrestling, control of Raw, and just that this is taking place at WrestleMania all sells this match. The latter reason is usually all that’s needed to get fans interested in a contest.
Overbooking can also work here and there with WrestleMania matches. The show is a spectacle after all. There is a point where overbooking can be overwhelming and this match is the perfect case of it. Leaving out Vince denouncing his son and the career being on the line would have been fine. Maybe fans would have been invested more in this match like they were at first. Now they’re not.
@FanSidedDDT @JackJorgensen14 It's a perfect example of WWE trying too hard when the match sold itself. There was no reason for any of this
— Ryan Ritter (Gamin' 4 Aven) (@ndtex) March 22, 2016
There is also a big problem with the career stipulation. If this is indeed Undertaker’s job being on the line and he loses, why can’t Shane just rehire him? Where is the logic in this?
@FanSidedDDT shane will win, then reinstate taker since he will control it
— FinsDieHard27 (@A_Siracusa27) March 22, 2016
The former WWE Hardcore Champion being the one to retire Undertaker isn’t too believable either. That will be left to a bigger star or someone who WWE is looking to get permanently get over. Maybe a young talent like Kevin Owens or Finn Balor when he arrives on the main roster. A heel Roman Reigns wouldn’t be a bad choice to do this as well.
Related Story: 3 Ways to Improve Shane vs. Undertaker
There are many things wrong with this WrestleMania match between Undertaker and Shane McMahon. If WWE had left it alone, maybe this wouldn’t be an issue.