WWE WrestleMania 36 doesn’t need Ronda Rousey or The Undertaker

WWE likes to have big names at the Show of Shows to create this fabled phrase we invented called “mainstream, crossover appeal”, but the reality is that WrestleMania 36 doesn’t need Ronda Rousey or The Undertaker. They just don’t fit into the story of the show.

Ronda Rousey played a critical role at WrestleMania 35 as the villain in a story containing multiple plots. Not only was she the antagonist to Becky Lynch‘s organic rise to superstardom, but she was also an antagonist to pro wrestling. A former UFC Champion, Rousey would deride wrestling as “fake” and go out of her way to criticize both WWE fans and wrestlers for not having what it takes to step up to her.

But this year, Rousey is focusing on herself and her family. That hasn’t stopped wrestling fans from speculating about her returning to challenge Becky to the singles match they never had at Survivor Series 2018.

Recently, the Wrestling Observer News’ Dave Meltzer reported that Rousey will not be wrestling at ‘Mania this year. And he added that The Undertaker is not currently booked for the show. This lines up with a report from Sportskeeda’s Tom Colohue which stated that Taker would be working the upcoming February show in Saudi Arabia and not WrestleMania.

It’s all for the best that neither show up at WrestleMania.

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Firstly, in Rousey’s case, we need more anticipation for a Rousey vs. Lynch match. There is so much history between the two after their legendary feud that spanned late 2018 and early 2019.

A sudden rivalry between the two of them would lead to missed opportunities for layered storytelling and the type of character work that enabled Becky to show the entire wrestling world how good she is.

Meanwhile, Baszler vs. Lynch is a perfectly fine, WrestleMania-worthy feud for the Raw Women’s Championship. And while Baszler was criticized for dragging down the Survivor Series main event, the blame cannot be shouldered on the wrestlers.

Like Lynch and Bayley, Baszler has put on fantastic title matches as the only two-time NXT Women’s Champion, especially her final title match against Rhea Ripley in December.

As for The Undertaker, Colohue’s reports included details of the painstaking process by which Taker prepares for matches at his current age. He needs to be 100 percent prepared in order to put on a match he can be proud of, so in order to have a match at WrestleMania, he’d need several months to prepare.

The Undertaker has such a storied record at the Show of Shows that WWE should only call him back for an especially important feud that is built over a long term and can effectively put over – win or lose, “put over” can still be appropriate – a rising star.

That opportunity hasn’t been developed over the past several months, so why would WWE haphazardly book The Undertaker in a WrestleMania match? (They wouldn’t.)

If you want to talk about “star power”, WrestleMania 36 will have plenty of it. Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler, Bayley vs. Sasha Banks, Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair, Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt, Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens, and Edge vs. Randy Orton are all rumored WrestleMania matches. Those are seven incredible matches that tell completely different stories and feature some of the biggest names in wrestling.

WWE is in a great place right now, and, quietly, they have developed stars to lead the way over the next decade. Rousey and The Undertaker are still important to the company’s interests and could have a role to play in next year’s storylines, but WrestleMania 36 will be a memorable, financialy successful night without them.