5 Reasons why The Undertaker's match with AJ Styles should be his last

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One of the annual matches to look forward to each year at WrestleMania is the one involving The Undertaker. It has been used as a marquee match for those who aren't in title matches at the event. Others consider the honor even grander than challenging for a title at the Show of Shows.

Despite his advanced age (55) compared to full-time WWE Superstars, The Undertaker's matches at WrestleMania have often eclipsed 20-25 minutes. The match where Brock Lesnar broke the streak was a little over 25 minutes. His Hell in a Cell contest with Shane McMahon at WM 32 was 30 minutes long. Even his match against the Big Dog at WM 33 clocked in at 23 minutes. If things are spaced out, then he has been able to perform well.

While his appearances always pop the audience and many stars still want to work with him, it might be time for 'Taker to truly hang up his boots. He left his gloves in the middle of the ring after his loss to Roman Reigns but has still competed a few times a year since. That might work out but here are five reasons why his upcoming match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36 should be the last one for the Undertaker.

#5 Going out on top

If you ask a lot of athletes, they usually say two things about ending their careers - they want to go out on top and on their own terms. While this slide show is in contrast to the second part of the previous sentence, The Undertaker has absolutely nothing left to prove. He's done it all in wrestling - main-evented WrestleManias, won numerous titles and even amassed a streak at WrestleMania that will never be touched.

He's probably sticking around for a few reasons as he has been extremely loyal to the WWE. His star power alone is huge for the Saudi Arabia shows. However, The Phenom still wants to go out on his terms as most athletes hope to do.

The perfect time to step away from the ring would have been after he defeated Bray Wyatt at WM 32. It would have allowed him to go out on top on the Grandest Stage of Them All. Some of the matches since then have been fine, but he lost to Roman Reigns the following year and then had a tough match to watch at Super Showdown 2019. Had he retired prior to that match with Wyatt, it might have helped his legacy more than a few ensuing high-profile losses.

#4 He's already hinted at retiring a few times

Remember when this seemed like the end of an era?

There are two stars I'll refer to when it comes to retirement and WWE. The first is Ric Flair. He lost a match to Shawn Michaels at WM 27 that required him to retire had he lost. The Nature Boy did retire from a WWE ring in theory but he then joined TNA/Impact and wrestled a few more matches. It lessened the impact of his retirement in WWE and the ceremony dedicated to it.

Michaels suffered the same fate as Flair when he put his career on the line against the Streak at WM 26. The Undertaker won and the Heartbreak Kid did not have a match for eight years. He then teamed up with Triple H against Kane and Undertaker at Crown Jewel in 2018 but has not competed since.

My whole point is that the Phenom has actually teased his retirement a few times after big matches. The first was in the picture above after he defeated Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match at WM 28. The three men helped each other up the ramp as we fans witnessed the end of an era. While that was almost eight years ago, the Undertaker has competed regularly each year since.

The second time he teased leaving the ring was after his loss to Roman Reigns at WM 33. He left his gloves and other gear in the ring after departing. That's a signal that a fighter is hanging things up. If he truly decided to hang things up after facing Styles, no one would fault him. Since he's already hinted at doing so before, it wouldn't be a surprise if he does so permanently this year.

#3 Some of the "Deadman" aura has worn off

The Undertaker is the greatest gimmick in professional wrestling history. It has spanned numerous generations and still holds weight in the ultra transparent age of wrestling in 2020. It's hard to get things over on fans today, so part of the smoke, fog and supernatural aura was starting to wear off a little.

It's why he appeared similar to the American Bad**s instead of the classic Phenom on the WWE RAW where he signed the contract for his match. Rumors circulated after that appearance that he was trying out something different than his hugely successful Deadman gimmick. Wrestlers that have been around for awhile enjoy their longevity due to being able to adapt and switch things up when they need to. Just look at the success of Chris Jericho.

Jericho has been Y2J, the Ayatollah of Rock 'N Rolla and Le Champion. That's a super impressive list of characters for one man to use and to use in a wonderful fashion. The Undertaker has also done the American Bad*** character but has basically stuck to his supernatural guns over the years. This new character could be something different but people will probably always clamor for the Deadman. With some of that luster worn off, it just might be time to call it a career.

#2 Styles is the man to make him look his best at this point

AJ Styles is considered to be one of the best performers of this generation. You could even go further and make the argument that he's one of the best of all time. Regardless of where you stand in that debate, his talent is undeniable.

It took him a while to get to the WWE, but it didn't take long for creative to realize how special he was, even at the tail end of his career. He's over 40 but still puts forth great matches.

That's precisely why Styles is the one facing Undertaker at WM36. 'Taker wanted to work with Styles because he considers him a "modern-day Shawn Michaels." That's immense praise to be picked by one of the best of all time because he is reminiscent of another best of all time. The Phenomenal One is such a great in-ring worker that he'd be able to carry anyone, including a 55-year old Phenom, to a great match.

There are a few others on the roster that could do the same - Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan - but who don't have as much star power as Styles. Bryan is a big name but isn't as similar to Michaels as Styles is. The Undertaker might still come back for a few more matches, but few should be as good as his bout with the former Impact Champion.

#1 It's time

Maybe it's just time to fade to black for 'Taker.

As mentioned on the previous slide, The Undertaker is 55 years old. Goldberg is 53 but has a few matches each year that are usually under three minutes. 'Taker rarely has short matches save for his bout against John Cena at WM 34 and against Styles in the gauntlet match at Super Showdown 2020.

The Deadman has been wrestling since 1987 and wrestling for the WWE since Survivor Series 1990. That's a thirty-year career. It's also unheard of. NFL athletes used to play 15 or more seasons before they were informed of the effects of the wear and tear of the game has on their bodies and minds.

Even if it is known to be scripted, professional wrestling is still a full-contact sport. The only parts that are scripted are the outcome and moves. The physical toll it can take on a performer's body is very real. The toll it can take on a wrestler that's almost seven feet tall is increased simply due to the size of the performer.

I said it before - he has absolutely nothing left to prove in the wrestling industry. He's won 7 world titles, 7 tag team titles and a Royal Rumble. Throughout his career, the Undertaker has faced high-profile names including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Edge and Triple H. He's also battled the likes of Randy Orton, Sycho Sid, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Mick Foley. Not many other stars can boast that list of names as former opponents. He might still want to perform for his own reasons but perhaps it's just the right time to walk away from in-ring action following his match with AJ Styles.

Edited by Pratyay Ghosh