10 Important Steps In The Undertaker's WWE Evolution

1. The Streak

For years, the Undertaker€™s name has been associated with his revered WrestleMania undefeated streak. Up until WrestleMania XXX earlier this year, the Undertaker had appeared at 21 of these annual events and had won them all. Ever since WrestleMania 20 or 21, this Streak has been the central focus of his appearance at the greatest of WWE€™s annual events. It had evolved over time, taking on a life of its own, increasing in significance with each passing year. The legendary Streak was so impressive that many people within the WWE considered breaking the Streak to be either greater than or equal to winning a World Championship. It gave WrestleMania another unique hook: fans tuned in to the event to see if the Undertaker would win despite getting older, his injuries getting worse, and his opponents possibly becoming more likely to break his coveted Streak. It was even said that whosoever ends the Streak would be guaranteed a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. But things didn€™t start out that way. Long before the Streak was ever a thing, the Undertaker had WrestleMania opponents like anyone else, and there were some points where it was rumored that he was scheduled to lose. Chief among these is that he was supposed to lose to Diesel at WrestleMania 12, but Diesel€™s plans to go to WCW changed that. But in those early years, there was no Streak. Vince McMahon simply wanted the Undertaker to win in his feuds, which usually culminated at WrestleMania anyway. In those days, it was simply smart booking to have the Undertaker win. In more recent WrestleManias, the Undertaker€™s match would be one of, if not the main event, unless he was also challenging for a title. He has also in more recent years not been seen at any point during the year (with a few exceptions) except during the lead-up to WrestleMania itself. For him, the Streak would come to truly define the legend of the Undertaker. While his career has many highlights, and he is a very accomplished wrestler, it is his Streak that has become that which people remember most about him. Ultimately, the Streak was ended at the hands of Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX, and fans have not seen or heard from the Undertaker since. Perhaps this is a sign that the Undertaker is evolving yet again; or rather, that the WWE is adapting to becoming an entity without the Undertaker. Regardless, the Undertaker has managed to evolve a lot over his quarter-decade long WWE career, and has given fans countless memories. And for that, Undertaker, we thank you. Thanks for reading. Be sure to let me know what you thought in the comments section, and be sure to check out WhatCulture€™s other articles.