Less than a year ago it seemed like the big match that wrestling fans were clamoring for was John Cena vs. The Undertaker. Fast forward to now, and there are three major reasons why WWE missed the boat on a WrestleMania dream match between Cena and The Undertaker.
This past WrestleMania we saw what appeared to be The Undertaker’s last match in WWE. The post match mannerisms seemed to be a fitting end to a great career. The Undertaker not only left his entrance attire in the center of the ring, but he also broke character by kissing his wife (Michelle McCool) before going back up the ramp and lowering out of sight.
As recent as a month ago, there has been speculation on whether The Undertaker is actually retired. Jim Ross even acknowledged that The Undertaker is still an active wrestler until said otherwise.
The interesting aspect of this conversation is that The Undertaker’s lack of a presence on social media and with the media in general allows the speculation to only build about an in-ring return. As ridiculous as it might sound for The Undertaker at age 52 to return, would you put it past Vince if there was money to be made on an angle involving The Undertaker?
Now, onto the other dance partner, John Cena. If Undertaker had the capability of making an in-ring return, the most suitable counterpart would likely be Cena. Cena is a busier performer than maybe any other superstar in WWE history considering his obligations in Hollywood, along with other projects.
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With Cena’s career winding down, he will not be a part of every pay=per-view going forward. One thing I would bank on, Cena will still be at the major events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam.
If Undertaker does return, it will be against the man that many believed should have been his opponent last WrestleMania, Cena. While this could be a possibility, I’m here to give three reasons why WWE should not explore this angle.
Credit: WWE.com
A Fitting End
Following a WrestleMania 33 defeat by Roman Reigns, The Undertaker retired in Undertaker fashion. There were no tearful goodbyes or in-ring celebration of his career the next night on Raw, it was just simply an immediate disappearance into the night’s fog.
Think about it. That is how The Undertaker has been defined throughout his career. One moment The Undertaker is with us, and the next he is gone. Only this time, as we tried to fight back the tears we knew this was a fitting end of a great career.
Not only did The Undertaker have his wife in the front row, but also hand picked Jim Ross to call his last match. Wouldn’t it be a little weird if after all that, The Undertaker came back for another match? That would be the equivalent of having a big going away party, and then coming back home for a day because you missed your flight.
The point is as fans we would be happy to see The Undertaker again, but ask yourself this. Would there be a more fitting way to end his career than the way it ended at WrestleMania 33?
RAW. Photo by WWE.com
John Cena’s Role Has Changed
It seems like just yesterday that John Cena was the poster child of the WWE. Cena would work a 250+ date schedule while fulfilling whatever media obligations WWE would ask of him. All during this time Cena was taking shots at The Rock for abandoning the WWE for a career in Hollywood.
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Oh how the times have changed. It is now 2017, and Cena is the one with one foot out the door pursuing a career in Hollywood. To Cena’s credit, he no longer has the same stance on The Rock, and has realized that he needs to start planning for a life after wrestling.
With all that said, it does not make sense for Cena to want to face The Undertaker. Cena’s motivation for the past few years has been to prove that he has not lost a step and can still compete with the best talent that WWE has to offer.
So why would Cena want to wrestle a 52 year old, who is a former shell of himself? The Undertaker has had a first ballot hall of fame career, but it is difficult to believe that he is still the bar that Cena would want to measure himself up to.
John Cena is no longer the company’s true number one, that I reluctantly have to give to Roman Reigns. Still, Cena has a role with the current crop of superstars. The first superstar to rise to the occasion on the microphone and in the ring with Cena will be made for life. This is why Cena’s services are needed elsewhere.
Credit: WWE.com
Even The Deadman Ages
I want all readers to do something right now, look at the photo above. Is that the legend that you remember idolizing when growing up? Everything involving The Undertaker is now a nostalgia act.
At 52, The Undertaker has had some recent injury issues that have been concerning to say the least. While some fans might have optimism regarding The Undertaker’s future, I will err on the side of caution.
Surgeries do not always equate to a full recovery, and at his current age it would be unrealistic to think The Undertaker could bounce back similar to a younger superstar. It’s easy to compare The Undertaker’s injuries to a used car receiving new parts. Just because the parts are new, it does not mean that the car will run like new.
Let’s not also forget that Cena is not the same Cena that he once was. Sure Cena can put on five star matches with AJ Styles and other top superstars, but wrestling The Undertaker would require a 40 year old Cena to carry the match.
Just to give proper perspective, imagine if The Rock was ten years older when he was asked to carry the match with Hogan at WrestleMania. We might’ve looked at that match a bit differently if The Rock was not a superstar at the prime of his career.
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Yes, a match of Cena and Undertaker would be promoted to the moon and back, but we know the payoff has zero chance at living up to the hype. If The Undertaker came back and had a match with Cena, would it make the cut on “The Best of The Undertaker” DVD? If you don’t believe so, then you already know where your stance would be on an Undertaker vs. Cena match.