As will become clear in potentially contentious future editions of this very article, your writer is neither fan nor mark for The Undertaker. It was however impossible not to be rapt in the pageantry of his return to the gimmick that had made him a megastar. Or, at least, a variation of it.
Undertaker - the truest version of the persona - was on his way back, and he was just a few years away from unleashing the most unlikely streak of bangers in company history. As per f*cking usual, he had a Kane to despatch of first.
'The Deadman's virtual squash victory over his brother neatly tied up their months-long angle, briefly reintroduced Paul Bearer for some early-1990s authenticity, and upgraded the former mortician's aesthetic to take in elements of the American Bad *ss fans had become familiar (if not friendly) with since 2000.
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
