10 Ways 2018 Was WWE's Craziest Year EVER
6. John Cena & The Undertaker Go 2:45
For all that fans had a big old cry about The Undertaker dramatically removing his hat, coat and gloves in the ring like an undead gentleman caller at WrestleMania 33, the implicit never became the explicit because 'The Demon Of Death Valley' and WWE collectively knew that leaving his clobber permanently on the deck could be a case of leaving too much money on the table.
Why, then, did they refuse to sell the 'Show Of Shows' the following year on a match many had waited over a decade for?
John Cena Vs The Undertaker - particularly before Brock Lesnar terminated 'The Streak' - was a contest WWE had done miraculously well to maintain. The pair had briefly fought before 'The Champ' turned babyface and forced his way onto the Mount Rushmore of Wrestling, but the combination remained a freshly bloomed desert rose well into the 2010s amongst the grains of sand distilled by the content churn of the ever-repetitive main roster. In actuality, only the thorns remained.
Mindful of potential mess in the clunky build, WWE bottled a battle on the night. They first placated the crowd with an Elias promo, perhaps mindful of the bizarre sh*t sandwich they were about to serve. Next, Undertaker's quasi-retirement was retconned. As was Cena's "Never Give Up" craic - he was flattened in under three minutes by a crowd seemingly too bewildered to even boo.