WWE: 5 Bold Predictions for 2018

Courtesy of WWE.com

2. The Undertaker Will Be Announced as a 2019 Hall of Fame Inductee

Few wrestlers can end their career with no regrets but The Undertaker is one of them. Since he is still listed in the “Active” section of WWE.com, the Dead Man is considered to be the longest-tenured wrestler in WWE history, having been employed in WWE since 1990. In fact, he and his “brother” Kane are the only two active wrestlers who have been with the company for such a sustained length of time. Loyalty is clearly a priority in Death Valley.

When The Undertaker was defeated at WrestleMania 33 for only the second time in his career many fans believed this was affirmation of his retirement. His first loss against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans was certainly stunning, but many fans (and even Vince McMahon) chalked it up to the company’s desire to make Lesnar the biggest thing in WWE. Ending a seemingly untouchable win streak instantly gave the Beast a unique resume boost that laid the foundation for his current dominance over the company.

The difference between Undertaker’s defeat at WrestleMania 30 and his second at WrestleMania 33 at the hands of Roman Reigns lies in the story told after the match. After losing to Reigns, the Phenom placed his hat and coat in the center of the mat, kissed his wife who was sitting ringside, then slowly walked back up the ramp before raising his fist and descending into the floor, surrounded by smoke. After three solemn tolls of the bell, the house lights came up, signifying the show – and something more – had come to an end.

It’s hard for any of us to say with 100% certainty whether or not 2017 truly was the end of an era. The only person who controls the destiny of The Undertaker is, well, him, and if he wanted to strap on his MMA gloves for another WrestleMania there is no one in the WWE who could stop him. That being said, training to compete – especially when you only perform part-time – is hard work and it’s even harder when you’re 52 years old.

The sight of his gear being left in the ring long after the WrestleMania crowd had spilled into the streets of Orlando was an iconic and sobering image that shouldn’t be cheapened by a lackluster return to in-ring competition (Raw anniversary show not included). As we move closer to WrestleMania 34, the inductees for the 2018 HOF class will be announced and while I don’t believe the Dead Man’s name will be one of them, I do predict he will be announced as a member of the 2019 class.