10 Biggest Missed Opportunities From The Undertaker's WWE Career
What could have been (and very nearly was)...
The Undertaker has enjoyed what might just be the greatest career in professional wrestling history.
Making his WWE debut all the way back in 1990, 'The Demon of Death Valley's unprecedented reign of destruction is something to be revered because he only went and remained at the top of the company's food chain for three bloody decades. He's been a multi-time WWE Champion, taken part in some of the greatest matches in the company's history, won the Royal Rumble and even amassed an incredible 21-match winning Streak at WrestleMania.
Perhaps the most popular - and definitely the most well-respected - WWE superstar of all time, 'Taker has quite literally done it all.
That being said, there were a number of occasions when it felt like the company's creative team could have done a little bit more (or, at the very least, something a little bit different) with him. And now, with The Deadman's in-ring days seemingly at their end, let's take this opportunity to look back on the rare missed opportunities in a career as close to perfect as any wrestler is probably ever going to come.
10. Six Day Reign
Say what you will about The Deadman's early in-ring days, but the creative team did an exceptional job building him up as a dominant threat. From his ominous debut to his quick defeat of Jimmy Snuka at WrestleMania VII, 'Taker was portrayed as a legitimate monster and it was virtually impossible to take your eyes off him when he performed.
His defeat of Hulk Hogan at Survivor Series 1991 was the perfect way to round out his meteoric ascension to the top of the WWE, but the subsequent title reign left a lot to be desired as he suffered his first (canon) loss to The Hulkster only six days later - losing the belt in the process.
Sure, the loss was executed in a way that 'Taker's aura was protected, but considering it would be another six years before he held the gold again, this just feels like a missed opportunity. Why spend a year having him impress at every turn only to send him back down the food chain as soon he reached the top?
In hindsight, it would have made much more sense if they had him hold the belt until the beginning of the next year, decimating any competition and then have 'The Hulkster' or the Ultimate Warrior topple him in the exact same manner that Hogan did here.