10 WWE Superstars Who Went AWOL After WrestleMania

6. The Undertaker

Undertaker, CM Punk, WrestleMania XXIX
WWE.com

Now regularly swanning off after his annual day's work, The Undertaker and WrestleMania have become inexorably associated with one another, particularly following a run in the mid-2000s where his matches took a sharp upturn in quality.

Reducing his schedule later in the decade, he'd take extended breaks from action virtually every year from WrestleMania 25 onwards, including some disappearances lasting until a month before the next 'Showcase of the Immortals'.

At this point, his annual vacation following the biggest night of the year appears designed to aid recovery on his ageing frame and diminishing aura.

Whilst the WrestleMania defeat to Brock Lesnar will be deconstructed for generations to come, the match quality suffered enormously thanks to an early concussion suffered by 'The Deadman' and weakening frame from over thirty years in the industry.

That was more apparent in his tepid contest with Bray Wyatt one year on and interminable Hell in a Cell match with Shane McMahon the following year, as the annual absences seemed to age 'Taker more than the year he was gone for.

Retirement cannot be far away for Undertaker now, but with a epic John Cena match chalked off the WrestleMania line-up yet again, it appears as though there may be more bumbling efforts to endure before his final farewell.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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