I'll admit that we've been tossing around this same speculation for the last two WrestleManias, with many expecting 30 and the end of the streak to be the last time we saw The Deadman step between the ropes. Interestingly enough his few performances in the ring since then have seemed to show a man in much better shape than he was two years ago, with his last two bouts with Brock Lesnar being particularly impressive. With his advanced age there's always the chance that each match could be his last, and I can't help but wonder if the Daniel Bryan situation will cause them to pay even closer attention to Taker and keep him on a tight leash should he suffer anything remotely resembling a concussion such as the one that was reported at 30 during the streak-ending match. If this is the last ride of the greatest character in WWE history, he deserves to go out in a match befitting his lofty status in the company, not in podding slugfest with a green-as-turtle-sh*t rookie giant that will look like two guys fighting in quicksand. Vince McMahon has a tremendous amount of respect for Taker - probably more so than anyone who's ever worked for him - and I'm assuming he realized what a horrible decision it would have been to put one of his biggest stars in the ring with Braun Strowman in what could potentially be his final bout. Now that it seems The Undertaker vs. Braun Strowman is off the table, it'll be interesting to see where they go with The Phenom for his annual Mania showcase. In fact, along with if they have the balls to pull the trigger on Dean Ambrose at Fastlane, it's probably the most intriguing aspect of the road to WrestleMania.
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
