At WrestleMania 33, wrestling fans around the world watched in awe as the legendary Undertaker bowed out for quite possibly the last time in his storied career. When the lights went dark on the Grandest Stage of Them All, all of us were left wondering if we had just witnessed the exclamation point on the Phenom’s iconic run with WWE.
Fast forward four months, and there is still no sign of the Undertaker. But given that he’s wrestled a very limited schedule in the past six years, his absence at this time of year is actually to be expected.
However, while he might be absent from our TV screens, his presence isn’t. This was abundantly clear on this week’s episode of RAW when Paul Heyman once again brought up the Undertaker’s name when speaking about Roman Reigns. And anytime his name is referenced, we can’t help but wonder if it’s building towards a possible return. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the possibility that we may not have seen the last of the Undertaker.
WWE’s Ambiguity About His Retirement
Since the Undertaker’s emotional exit at WrestleMania 33, he has been absent from our TV screens. That’s understandable — the man usually works a limited schedule and this year, he finally had that much-needed hip surgery that he’d been putting off for quite some time. And although his last appearance made it seem like this truly was the last we would ever see of him, we have yet to receive any official word on his WWE status.
From the RAW after ‘Mania right up until now, WWE has been deliberately ambiguous when speaking about the Deadman, and his career status. Commentators, websites and everything in between have used words like “possibly”, “if” and “may” when suggesting that Reigns retired the Undertaker. Moreover, before the match, Reigns himself told us that he would be the man to retire the Undertaker. It all felt very predictable, and not in a good way. But now, it feels like the door has been deliberately left open, even if only a little.
If the Undertaker truly has retired, WWE has nothing to lose by officially confirming it and having him headline the Hall Of Fame next year. But their refusal to officially tell us suggests that they still have a plan or two left for the Undertaker.
He Is Consistently Referenced On TV
WWE may be reluctant to talk about the Undertaker’s possible retirement, but that doesn’t mean that Paul Heyman is. On this week’s installment of RAW, when speaking about Brock Lesnar’s opponents at SummerSlam, Heyman referred to Roman Reigns as the “Undertaker-retiring Roman Reigns”. While this understandably resulted in a heated reaction from the crowd, it wasn’t the first time Heyman has used the Undertaker’s name to push Reigns as a major threat. And it seems logical, given that the Phenom just may be the greatest of all-time and Reigns defeated him.
However, cast your minds back to 2014, after Heyman’s client, Lesnar, broke the Undertaker’s undefeated Streak at WrestleMania. Week after week, Heyman disrespected the Undertaker by referring to Brock’s win, resulting in endless tirades about the end of the Streak, and seemingly the end of the Undertaker. But all that poking eventually resulted in a violent Undertaker returning to exact revenge on the Beast Incarnate. Who could ever forget when he returned at Battleground in 2015 to cost Lesnar the WWE World Heavyweight Championship? Is the same thing destined to happen to Roman Reigns?
I’ve said it many times before, and I’ll say again: as a longtime fan of The Undertaker, he has truly earned his retirement. And if we have seen the end of his in-ring career, then we can look back at his legendary accomplishments with pride. However, there’s so denying that WWE has been incredibly ambiguous about his status. And as we all know very well, WWE doesn’t do anything by accident. So, whether he shocks us all and returns for one more match or returns to officially announce his retirement, you can rest assured of one thing: No. We have not seen the last of the Undertaker.
Do you think we have seen the last of the Undertaker? Let us know in the comments below!
