10 Impulse Reactions Following WWE WrestleMania 33

3. Deadman Walking

WrestleMania 33 Undertaker
WWE.com

As a live crowd gushed and global television audiences shared their Twitter tears, it was easy to get swept up in the sentiment of The Undertaker's laboured farewell to his incredible career.

However, as the main show entered hour five to give the requisite time for a 52-year-old to take off his hat, coat and gloves like a knackered Dad getting in from work, it just gave pause to think that in the end, that's exactly what the fabled 'Phenom' was reduced to.

After a breathtaking run of matches at the 'Show of Shows', 'The Deadman' hit a Brock Lesnar-shaped wall at WrestleMania 30, producing legitimately one of the biggest shocks in the history of the industry.

His returns since then haven't just been diminished, but deflating, dissatisfying and disappointing. He's been off the clock for years now, but a run of garbage matches and an ever-decreasing hairline did nothing to generate the usual bile saved for part-timers or wrestling's other senior citizens.

Worst of all, he didn't use a single shred of the immeasurable stroke he's built in the company to affect change.

Yes, Roman Reigns went over, but for what cause? Despite countless teases and odd callbacks to Stone Cold Steve Austin's WrestleMania 17 heel turn, nothing new emerged for his character, other than the visible realisation he's not yet able to carry a fossil to a passable match.

But, you know, #ThankYouTaker for approximately half of your tenure. Don't let the coffin lid hit you on the way out, and try not to return next year.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett