A Completely Different Kind of Undertaker Return
Mar 13, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: May 23, 2024, 10:11 am

(Photo by Bob Levey/WireImage)
by Matt George – Sports 1140 KHTK Reporter
It’s Wrestlemania season! The time of year where the crazy wrestling fans, like myself, or even just the common WWE fan, get giddy with excitement and nostalgia. Much of that nostalgia due to the annual appearances of The Dead Man, The Undertaker.
Last night on RAW, John Cena issued a challenge to The Undertaker in a creative, breaking-the-fourth-wall promo that left the WWE Universe buzzing with excitement. “Will Undertaker answer?” “I thought last year was it?” “Will we finally get our dream match of Taker and Cena at Wrestlemania?”
Of course Undertaker will answer. And yes, this match is finally going to happen. Whether or not the match is three or four years too late is a completely different story. But yes, it will happen. WWE would be royally screwing over the iconic personality of arguably their greatest character of all time with this angle if he didn’t end up returning. Again.
However, it’s the manner of his return this year that will be very different.
Following his loss to Roman Reigns last year at Wrestlemania 33, Taker left his iconic black jacket and hat in the middle of the ring, symbolizing what many believed to be his legitimate retirement. I emphasize “legitimate” because of his once-thought retirement at Wrestlemania 28 after his end-of-an-era match with Triple H inside Hell in a Cell. Then there was his first ever Wrestlemania loss to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 30.
But it just wouldn’t be Wrestlemania without The Undertaker.
Starting next year though, at Wrestlemania 35, WWE needs to find a way to pull it off.
As for this year, The Undertaker will wrestle while managing to keep his symbolic Wrestlemania 33 exit intact. It all has to do with his character.
Throughout the years, The Undertaker has had three major personas; Vintage Taker (with the hat and coat that he left in the middle of the ring last year), Ministry of Darkness Undertaker (with the spooky robe that he wore during his odd promo at the 25th anniversary of Monday Night RAW), and American Badass Undertaker (with the black bandanna and motorcycle).
This week, WWE announced that legendary singer Kid Rock would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, an event held every year the night before Wrestlemania. Kid Rock’s “American Badass” was American Badass Undertaker’s theme song. Shouldn’t be too hard to put two and two together.
There's been talk of Undertaker returning as The American Badass, but will it ever top this? #WWEFastlane pic.twitter.com/6XSO2Ljkhz
— BW- WWE News & Rumors (@BossWrestleNews) March 11, 2018
It makes perfect sense that The American Badass Undertaker will make his return at Wrestlemania, with Kid Rock performing his old theme live, as he rides his motorcycle down to the ring, one last time, to fight John Cena.
It literally checks all of the boxes. Give Kid Rock his Wrestlemania moment while you can put the final nail, pun intended, in the coffin of Taker’s legendary career. All three of his major characters get one more run, and with an American Badass win over Cena, Undertaker literally rides off into the sunset.
We have seen WWE “Creative” make some crazy moves before, but they couldn’t possibly get this one wrong. It just makes way too much sense in literally every way.
Let’s do it one more time Undertaker!
But, for real, let this be the final time.