Why WWE Scrapped The Undertaker Vs. John Cena At WrestleMania 33
With WrestleMania 33 now down a dream match, where do WWE go from here?
The Undertaker's status is always the subject of intense speculation on the road to WrestleMania. The Streak might be over, but Taker will forever be synonymous with the Showcase of the Immortals. “Who’s going to face The Undertaker?” is always one of the biggest questions heading into WrestleMania, regardless of whatever else is going on at the time, and for as long as The Deadman is active, Mania will be “his” show.
Aside from theorising on who he might face, every passing year brings increased talk of Taker’s impending retirement. The Deadman will be 52 years old by the time WrestleMania 33 hits Orlando on April 2nd, and his retirement has never been closer. The man himself has never spoken openly on the subject, but he can’t defy Father Time forever, and WrestleMania 32 was the surest sign of his slowdown yet.
One death-defying dive aside, The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon was a slow, plodding Hell In A Cell match built around low-intensity submission holds and Shane’s meek comebacks. Taker took a Van Terminator, a DDT to the steps, and a couple of other hard shots, but he has never looked so pedestrian, and the match was a 30-minute snoozefest.
Taker’s next WWE appearance came on November’s 900th episode of SmackDown, when he warned the blue brand’s roster the consequences of failing at Survivor Series. This came to nothing in the end: Taker hasn’t been seen on SmackDown since, and appears to be a freelancer after announcing his entry into the 2017 Royal Rumble on this week’s Raw.
With John Cena set to fight for AJ Styles’ WWE Championship at the Rumble, it looked like WWE were putting the pieces in place for a huge Undertaker vs. Cena match at WrestleMania. The contest had been speculated for weeks prior to Taker’s announcement, but just as soon as it looked like WWE were putting the plan into motion, Vince McMahon changed his mind.
The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported earlier this week that John Cena vs. The Undertaker is now off the table, and the duo won’t be wrestling in Orlando. Taker is now expected to take on a member of the Raw roster instead, and won’t be competing for a championship as originally intended, which leaves WWE struggling for options for what could be The Deadman’s final match.
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