10 Times WWE Fans Were Outraged At WrestleMania

3. Roman Reigns Retires The Undertaker

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WWE.com

In a match powerful for the pathos in its failure - if there was ever a time to botch so badly, it was in the swansong - Roman Reigns defeated the Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. In a ceremonial gesture, the Undertaker removed his robe and Stetson hat. He had literally left it all in the ring, symbolising his retirement with poignant visual poetry.

It turns out he was just a bit warm, because he resumed his in-ring career at WrestleMania 34, after which he embarked on the legacy-killing Saudi Arabia phase of his career.

In literally any other pro wrestling company, this would have cemented Roman's heel turn. A vocally unpopular character who never moved the needle, he had retired a Legend that had transcended to a mythical status all of his own. Roman did not turn - how can you turn that which is already heel? - and instead manipulated the glum, raw sentiment of WrestleMania into molten outage on RAW the next night.

Reigns surveyed the crowd with a detached, smug expression, his smirk growing by the minute, as they responded with rising waves of pure venom. It was his yard now.

It was also still the Undertaker's, since he never actually retired.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!