5 WWE Superstars you did not expect would ever tap out

1: The Undertaker

Arguably the greatest in ring performer in WWE’s long and chequered history, the Undertaker has carved out a legendary status for himself within the company. His debut and in-ring actions as the menacing Western Mortician at Survivor Series 1990, had unsettled every man, woman, and child in the arena. Ever conscious of the changing conditions of the “sports entertainment” business, the Undertaker had reinvented himself time and again, to the delight of his fans. His stature as one of the most impactful performers inside a WWE ring put him in a perfect position to put green talent over. Needless to say, from the very first day till his most recent televised venture at Wrestlemania 32, the Undertaker has been feared, respected, and adored in equal measure by fellow wrestlers and fans alike. Therefore, for such a colossal character to tap out would be unlikely, unless it attests to putting the performer and his submission move over.

Officially, the Undertaker has never legitimately submitted to anyone inside the ring. However, there have been two moments when his tapping the mat was discredited in lieu of other results. The first of these came at a Smackdown! match in 2003 where he faced Kurt Angle. Caught in a triangle hold, the Big Evil Taker was on the verge of collapsing when he decided to pin Angle instead since his shoulders were touching the mat. However, Taker began slapping the mat just as the referee had concluded his three count, ending the match in a dispute. Regardless of whether the submission held any value to the outcome of the match, it can be said that Taker had actually tapped out despite not losing for it.

In 2015, the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar stood toe to toe inside the Summerslam ring as their renewed feud reached its crescendo. Both men being industry legends, their fight surpassed typical levels of hype, drama, and exhaustion. At one moment, Lesnar had the Undertaker in a Kimura Lock to which the Dead Man tapped out but the whole act went unnoticed by the referee. Chaos erupted when the bell rang without the referee’s knowledge. The match was still a go and Taker hit Lesnar with a low blow, positioning him in a Hell’s Gate to which Lesnar passed out eventually. Of course, the ending was to extend the feud till Hell in a Cell but it also reinvigorated the story that these juggernauts had so far sketched between one another. Lesnar’s mocking the Undertaker while still inside the hold, but choosing to pass out instead of doing what Taker had done, certainly shot the enmity between these two men through the roof.