Undertaker Skipping WWE Raw Right Before WrestleMania for the Best
By Bryan Heaton
There was no sign of the Undertaker this week on WWE Raw. With WrestleMania days away, at first glance it seems silly. But perhaps it’s the right move after all.
Ever since WWE Fastlane ended with AJ Styles victorious in the six pack challenge, John Cena has been in a funk. Despite being a 16-time world champion, Cena is an afterthought heading into WrestleMania this year. So to get himself on the card, he made the bold decision to challenge the Undertaker.
For the past four weeks, Cena has spent much time in the ring calling out the Undertaker. It’s ranged from the bland – “I want a match against the Undertaker at WrestleMania!” – to the wild – “You left your hat in the ring, but you left your balls at home!” But the one constant for the past four episodes of WWE Raw has been Cena yelling at no one. See, Undertaker not only hasn’t answered the challenge – he hasn’t even shown up to disregard it.
After WrestleMania 33, it appeared Undertaker had retired following a loss to Roman Reigns. He left much of his gear in the ring – usually a sign that the performer is stepping away from the spotlight, and won’t need it anymore. At Raw 25 in January, Taker showed up to cut a promo that was very strange, but ultimately seemed to confirm the fact that he was retired for good.
To me, the constant absence of the Dead Man leading up to WrestleMania is 100% the correct decision. I’m not so delusional to feel shocked if and when he shows up on Sunday. But the way this feud is set up, he doesn’t need to be there on a regular basis – or at all. The story isn’t about Undertaker – it’s about John Cena, and his realization that his best days may be past him.
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See, Cena needs to prove he’s still got something in the tank. As he mentioned on Raw this week, he’s on a pretty big losing streak in matches that matter. First Roman Reigns at No Mercy, then Survivor Series, the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and Fastlane – five in a row is rough. So to get back on the horse, he wants to take on the epitome of WrestleMania at WrestleMania – even if he’s retired.
Undertaker, though, has nothing to prove. He’s had one of the greatest careers in WWE history – why risk it by showing up to get into a war of words with another great superstar, but one in much better shape and with a youth advantage? If I was Taker, I’d damn sure be staying home.
So with the final Raw before WrestleMania over and done with, there’s been no sign of Undertaker, and Cena is a mopey mess. John claims to be heading to Mania as a fan, but one would have to expect there’s at least some kind of segment that gets him in the ring. Whether Taker shows up or not is still not certain, but one would have to assume he’ll be there – even if it’s just to formally reject Cena’s challenge.
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But the decision to keep Undertaker off television for the entire build to WrestleMania, though unconventional, is absolutely the correct decision. What do you think?