17 Ways WWE Has Changed Since It Was The WWF
9. The New Beginning (And End) Of The Streak
Undertaker counted a finger for each victory at the last "WWF"-branded WrestleMania, having just about beaten Ric Flair in a remarkable victory for suspension of disbelief, but his historic undefeated streak took on an incredible second life in the years that followed.
Middling matches at the start of the decade were forgotten after bonafide classics with Batista, Edge, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and CM Punk completely reimagined the legacy of one of the industry's greatest ever characters. The narrative of who could beat him was instead reframed and repurposed as the longest legends run in company history...until Brock Lesnar's disappointing WWE return was resuscitated in three seconds.
Shocking and silencing a WrestleMania crowd awaiting an inevitable victory, a third F5 put 'The Deadman' down and out. It was only in the years that followed could the true impact of the record be fully assessed, and hindsight has suggested that 'Taker was working beyond himself for the integrity of the angle.
Post-Lesnar battles with Bray Wyatt, Shane McMahon, Roman Reigns and John Cena have ranged from dull to disastrous. Like the streak itself, Undertaker's 'Show Of Shows' aura came to a crashing (and crushing) halt.