The Undertaker wanted to do better for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania

Roman Reigns initially retired The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33, but The Phenom knew he couldn’t let that match be the disappointing end to his illustrious career.

About three years ago, we thought we had seen the last of The Undertaker inside a WWE ring.

The Big Dog, Roman Reigns, had retired The Phenom at WrestleMania 33, ending the career of the show’s greatest-ever competitor just three years after his historic streak ended.

However, the match itself was a disappointment. The Undertaker looked like a shell of himself, making mistakes and wrestling sluggishly in what was supposed to be a massive passing-of-the-torch victory for Reigns in the show’s main event.

Reigns ended up doing well for himself despite the miscues, delivering one of the most memorable promos of the decade on the night afterward. “This is my yard now.”

On Sunday night on the WWE Network after the Money in the Bank Pay Per View, a new documentary titled, “Undertaker: The Last Ride” will air, and fans are eagerly anticipating its arrival on their screens.

According to WrestlingNews.Co’s Andrew Ravens, ‘Taker recently did an interview with ESPN promoting the upcoming documentary and spoke honestly about being disappointed in his performance at WrestleMania 33:

"“As I got older … I know when I’m out there and I’m moving slow. I know when my limp is more prominent that it may be. Or when I’m behind in a spot. I just know now. “[Watching that match], I’m battling with it. I was so disappointed for Roman.Even after Brock Lesnar beat the streak, for guys coming up to have a match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania — especially where Roman was at — it was important for his career. Especially because he was going over. For me, in that role, I wanted to do the very best that I could do for Roman. I think the world of him. You want to be able to do the best you can for him, and you know you have no business being in the ring.”"

It was hard to watch the legendary Undertaker look so vulnerable and worn-down in that match, but it’s also difficult to hear how much it affected him. For someone who was known for his athleticism and ability to deliver in the biggest matches, it must have been incredibly difficult to watch that match back, especially believing he let down a respected colleague in Reigns.

The Undertaker does his best to put over up-and-coming wrestlers, even when he beats them, like with AJ Styles this year. His Boneyard Match with Styles was a reminder that ‘Taker still has something left to give to the industry, so it was good that he didn’t call it quits after WrestleMania 33 despite it being his last match.

And in the end, Reigns ended up making the most out of the win, eventually beating John Cena at No Mercy and then Brock Lesnar in 2018 to win the Universal Title for the first time.