On the 900th episode of SmackDown, which aired on November 21st, the Undertaker, WWE’s most iconic performer ever, made his first appearance on the brand in many years. He cut a promo, in which he stated that he’d no longer be defined by WrestleMania.
This was an indication that we’d be seeing the Undertaker far more than his usual yearly WrestleMania appearance, which is a good thing for all parties involved.
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The Undertaker is a wrestler of mythic proportions, revered by everyone both within WWE and in its fanbase. His popularity transcends all demographics, and his importance to WWE and its history cannot be overstated.
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The fact that he appears to be back now on a more regular schedule is great news for SmackDown, as it gives that show an important figure to help them in the (supposedly-ongoing) battle with RAW for brand supremacy.
The big question on everyone’s mind is, what will the Undertaker do?
In theory, he could do literally anything, and the fans would cheer him. But the truth is that the Undertaker isn’t getting any younger, and his physical status becomes more limiting with each passing week. So in order to make the most out of the Undertaker’s more frequent appearances, WWE has to make his involvement on SmackDown mean something.
He needs to have an important role on the show.
So where would he fit? Well, out of all the wrestlers on SmackDown, the following five would be the best choices for the person lucky enough to share the screen with the legendary Undertaker.
#5 Dean Ambrose
There is actually a storyline reason for this feud. In his return promo, the Undertaker warned team SmackDown of the consequences of losing to team RAW. If they lost, they’d have to deal with him.
Now, while team SmackDown did win that match (for which, oddly, there was no major prize other than ‘bragging rights’, which doesn’t really matter since the brand extension has only been in force for about four months), they nearly lost thanks to Dean Ambrose.
Ambrose thought it would be better to form a brief Shield reunion and attacked his own partner A.J. Styles, causing him to be eliminated from the match. Had team SmackDown not won, then the blame for such a loss would’ve fallen squarely on the shoulders of Dean Ambrose.
This could lead to a brief feud between the ‘Insane’ Dean Ambrose and the veteran Undertaker, who obviously wouldn’t approve of Ambrose risking the team’s victory for his own petty revenge. It would be a fresh match-up that would lead to genuine fan interest. Ambrose has been rather hit-or-miss as of late and has been in dire need of a better feud.
His ‘wacky’ antics are more like childish jokes, which don’t make grown men want to cheer for him. Putting him in a rivalry with the Undertaker would make him a more serious character, and could possibly lead to better performances from Ambrose. After all, which character ever tried to treat the Undertaker like a joke and survived to tell the tale?
It would also be nice to see this feud, as it represents a form of storyline continuity. The Shield once triple-powerbombed the Undertaker back when they were together, and now the Undertaker just might have a chance at getting his hands on the man once pegged as the leader/breakout star of the faction.
#4 Kane (As Undertaker’s Tag Team Partner)
After SmackDown went off the air, the Undertaker was joined briefly by his brother Kane, who came out to do their Brother of Destruction double arm-in-the-air salute. This was probably done for nostalgic purposes, but one shouldn’t put it past WWE to possibly put the famous brothers back together for one more run.
It would be interesting to see Kane and the Undertaker back together as teammates one more time. Although both of them are clearly past their primes, both have proven they can still work surprisingly well. While Kane is much slower than he used to be, he can still work a regular TV match and still execute his regular moves without much concern.
Taker meanwhile is in incredible shape for a man over fifty with many artificial body parts. Although his most recent match was gimmicked heavily, he has shown that he can wrestle a lengthy match and still keep the crowd immersed in his actions.
With SmackDown’s tag team division lacking in big names, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a demonic kick in the ass.
Having the Brothers of Destruction team up for one last hurrah as Tag Team Champions would elevate the entire division, as everyone would work harder to ensure they have a good match with two certified legends, and the titles would mean more with such important figures going after them. Also, Double Chokeslams galore.
#3 Shane McMahon
WWE’s habit of ret-conning old stories is an irritating one, to say the least. But this is one story that really deserves a proper conclusion, especially considering how much time and effort was put into it.
Shane lost to the Undertaker at WrestleMania and was given control over RAW nonetheless. This made his match pointless and a waste of time for both men involved. Moreover, there were things said by both Shane and ‘Taker that might not be resolved, especially since Taker takes considerable pride in his legacy and accomplishments.
So why not continue the feud by having the Undertaker and Shane fight once again?
If booked correctly (and that’s a big ‘if’), this could lead to some intriguing storyline directions. If Undertaker came back and Tombstoned Shane McMahon, it could lead to some interesting dynamics. Is he there acting on behalf of Stephanie because he was treated better on RAW? Is he still doing Vince’s dirty work?
Is he back on SmackDown because he genuinely cares about the show’s survival, and thinks that Shane isn’t doing enough to keep the show afloat?
These stories and more could be developed if given proper writing and timing. Then again, this is WWE, so expecting either or both of those things to happen these days is a big stretch in and of itself.
#2 AJ Styles
This is a rivalry that’s being rumored heavily right now. If this match-up comes to fruition, it could lead to one of the most anticipated match-ups in recent memory. For years, fans have begged A.J. Styles to sign with WWE, in the hopes that his skills and years of toiling away elsewhere would be recognised and appreciated.
So far, they have, as he has been in several great matches and is the top guy on SmackDown. But many people still view him as a ‘non-WWE guy’, and feel that he’ll never be accepted as part of the WWE for being so much of an outsider. The Undertaker can fix that.
Styles would be the perfect opponent for the Undertaker. He’s a spectacular worker that can conceal his opponent’s weaknesses with great ease. As Taker’s most recent matches have demonstrated, he excels when his opponent is smaller and more technically-skilled than he is.
When he wrestled against another monster or in an overly-gimmicked match, the results can be hit or miss.
Furthermore, this is the same tried-and-tested formula that WWE has been using for years, usually with great success. A wrestler arrives on a show. They go on a winning streak and eventually run out of opponents to destroy.
They think of themselves as the best WWE has to offer, when all of a sudden, GONG! Out comes the Undertaker to give them their biggest challenge to date.
John Cena has once called himself the gatekeeper to the main event. The truth is that title rightfully belongs to the Undertaker, as defeating the Deadman (or even having a match with him, for that matter) is all a wrestler needs to become a certified top superstar in WWE.
#1 John Cena
This is the money match everyone’s been waiting to see for over a decade. The last time these two had any major confrontation of any sort was in 2007, when Undertaker was trying to decide which champion he’d face at WrestleMania 23.
Although he did tease that he’d challenge Cena, he chose Batista in the end, leaving the biggest of dream matches for another day. That day never came for one reason or another, and the most recent time WWE wanted to try this was at WrestleMania 32. Alas, Cena was injured, so those plans fell through.
Now imagine the sight and sounds if Cena returns in early 2017 to announce his plans for WrestleMania, only for his promo to be cut short by that famous gong. The audience would absolutely lose their minds, jumping and screaming like grown children.
Then, imagine the sight of Cena and the Undertaker, two legends from different eras, standing nose-to-nose in the middle of the ring, neither one averting the other’s gaze, as the audience roars in approval.
Then, slowly, both men turn their gazes to the WrestleMania sign in the distance. The crowd goes even crazier and begins chanting ‘Yes!’ on the top of their lungs. Then, in a final confirmation of the dream match to end all dream matches, the Undertaker does his throat slash taunt and Cena nods his head. WrestleMania would sell out faster than ever before.
Sometimes these things just write themselves.
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