8 Booking Steps For The Undertaker's WWE Return
1. The Curtain Falls
The last few weeks of build see Taker used as sparingly as before. SmackDown almost becomes a celebration of his career, peppered with numerous highlight packages and other reminders of his stellar run. By PPV time, there should be no doubt in anybody’s minds that this is one of the biggest matches in wrestling history, and a real company milestone.
For his part, Cena will play his usual role. He respects and admires all that The Undertaker has done, and it’s an honour to face him in his final match, but he won’t lie down for him. Cena’s going to go all-out to win, and in light of Taker’s age, he should likely be built-up as the favourite.
Competing against each other at WrestleMania for the very first time, Cena and Taker have a classic match. Taker pushes his ageing body to the absolute limit, and alongside Cena, he produces one of the best matches of his career. They go for close to 30 minutes with finisher kickouts aplenty, before John Cena takes him to the top rope.
Avalanche AA. It’s over, and the life sucks out of the stadium as the referee’s hand moves towards the mat for a third time.
No! The Undertaker kicks-out. Cena’s aghast, and like so many opponents before him, he can’t find a way to kill Taker at WrestleMania. Tired, weary, and looking more mortal than ever before, a drained, weakened Undertaker finds the will to fight back, and pins Cena with one final Tombstone.
Emotion floods the building and streamers will the ring. It takes him a long time to get there, but The Undertaker eventually finds his way to his feet. WrestleMania 33 ends with the standing ovation he deserves, and Taker’s “farewell” ceremony on Raw the following evening goes down as one of the most emotional moments in WWE history.