The Undertaker Restored His Mystique With Masterful WrestleMania Appearance
For weeks John Cena called out the Undertaker, begging for a match at WWE WrestleMania 34 after losing title opportunities at the Royal Rumble, the Elimination Chamber, and Fastlane. As the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for.
The Undertaker stood up John Cena. Week after week, Cena came onto Monday Night Raw, calling out the Dead Man for a match at WWE WrestleMania 34, going as far as to rile up the crowd each week. His hope? That the crowd’s roar would awaken the Undertaker.
It seemed like all of his efforts were for naught. As WrestleMania 34 opened, Cena sat in the crowd as he said he would if the Undertaker didn’t show up. He sat in the crowd as a fan, drinking in the festivities and the atmosphere, and marking out a little bit at the Cruiserweight Title match on the pre-show.
But then, Cena jumped up from his seat and ran to the back. Later that night, he’d come out into the ring, excited, under the assumption that the Undertaker was here at WrestleMania to accept his challenge. The referee, however, informed him that this wasn’t the case.
Credit: WWE WrestleMania on Twitter
Then the lights went out. Could it be? Could it be the Undertaker? Nope. It was merely Elias, an old nemesis of Cena, who kicked the 16-time champion out of the ring. After Elias threw some insults, Cena came out and kicked him around a little before exiting.
But then the lights went out again. And a hat appeared in the middle of the ring. Soon after, the Undertaker himself came out.
Cena looked scared when the Undertaker emerged. It was as if he regretted conjuring up the legend. The Dead Man walking. During the match, he was scared and out of his element, especially when Taker rose up after John attempted a little five-knuckle shuffle action.
Old school, chokeslam, tombstone 1-2-3. And in mere minutes and in shocking fashion, the Undertaker defeated Cena, atoning for his loss in New Orleans years ago at WrestleMania 31.
In doing so, he restored the mystique that has made the Undertaker so special. Nobody else but him could have made this moment happen. Nobody else has the gimmick and the aura around him to give us this special, impromptu match at WrestleMania and give us goosebumps the size of mosquito bites. Nobody but the Phenom in this gimmick could defeat Cena so quickly and decisively after never showing up to face him and make it seem awesome.
The story between Taker and Cena isn’t over. It has just begun. In one night, Taker reminded everyone that he isn’t washed up or an old man well past his prime. This man is still one of the greatest performers in the world, and even if he’s lost a step in the ring, he’s made up for it with guile, presence, and the ability to tell a story.
Next: WrestleMania 34 Live Review, Highlights, Grades, and Analysis
As of right now, the best version of the Undertaker is back, and even though I was one of the people clamoring for an American Badass return, this was the right way to do it. This may have been the only way to do it, considering how quickly the Undertaker defeated Cena.