IWC Scum — Course Correcting The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak [2007-2021]
Welcome back to the column that puts the incessant whining and complaining in IWC. I’m a coffee-fueled fanboy named SkitZ, and thus caffeine is very much to blame for my ass exploding with inspiration today.
Full disclosure — I was oh so tempted to edit The Undertaker’s WrestleMania 26 match, and replace Shawn Michaels with Chris Jericho, but the goal here isn’t to troll readers into an unholy flame war. Nah, I just really wanted HBK versus CM Punk at WMXXVI so we could watch the Straight Edge Society crucify the born-again Christian for his druggie phase in the 90’s. Douchey frat boy antics be damned, The Heartbreak Kid and his pair of Mania classics with The Phenom are safe. As for Mark Calaway’s passenger on the road to WM23, well he wasn’t quite as fortunate.
XXIII: Batista out, Umaga in
Let me start by saying their World Title match exceeded just about everyone’s expectations. Taker’s streak within The Streak hadn’t really become a thing yet, and while Big Dave could co-facilitate a great match here and there, he certainly wasn’t the type of wrestler you counted on to steal the show in ‘07. I remember being pleasantly surprised by Batista’s performance at the time, but this is where 2025 SkitZ has to be that guy. If subsequent viewings have taught me anything, it’s that the match wasn’t as awesome as I initially thought. The World Heavyweight Title bout is one of WM23’s bright spots for sure, but it doesn’t come close to Michaels/Cena, and Lashley/Umaga isn’t far behind. I believe there was an even better sparring partner available for The Phenom that year. Taker/Batista still happens, absolutely, but I would’ve pushed off their feud until the fall in favor of a nastier animal.
Enter the Samoan Bulldozer. I was a mean mark for Eddie Fatu from the second Three Minute Warning hit the scene. Umaga bridged that gap between Rikishi and Roman as far as standout Samoan workers in WWE. Dude had a great look, an impressively punishing moveset, and knew how to pick his spots. I loved his druglord manager too. Armando Estrada looked like Jonathan Coachman after a couple skin bleaching procedures.
In my biased opinion, Vince did Umaga dirty by having his 9-month undefeated streak snapped on a throwaway single-brand PPV (and by the same stupid rollup John Cena used to retain his WWE Title at the event a year prior). So here’s my pitch: Umaga and Kane’s Loser Leaves RAW match that took place months beforehand features a contract hanging above the ring. The Big Red Machine ultimately climbs a ladder and retrieves it, thus sending his nemesis to SmackDown without being pinned. Umaga proceeds to wreak havoc all over the blue brand, and then dethrones reigning World Champ Batista at the Royal Rumble thanks to some timely interference. The Deadman punches his ticket to WrestleMania, and challenges the Samoan Bulldozer to a title bout I prayed for up until Fatu’s tragic passing in late 2009.
As the kids often say these days, a Taker/Umaga feud could’ve fed families. Entire villages even! I’d put Batista in the Battle of the Billionaires match simply for shits and giggles, given how public his hatred for Trump would become 10 years later. Political unrest aside, The Deadman slays another monster from a foreign land whilst improving to 15-0.
XXVII: Triple H out, Wade Barrett in
If Vince McMahon specialized in one particular area throughout the 2010s, it was killing the momentum of talented wrestlers on the cusp of superstardom. How many times did we watch a guy like Dolph Ziggler or Ryback or Dean Ambrose go from being the talk of the industry to a complete afterthought at WrestleMania 9-10 months later? I remember a fellow writer on a different site posting a column back in ‘09 where he predicted Ted Dibiase, Jr. being next in line to challenge The Streak… ahhh it’s fun to fantasize, isn’t it? The irony in The Million Dollar Man’s own son being charged with money laundering and wire fraud is priceless.
Wade Barrett has also been a victim of highway robbery on the Road to WrestleMania. Remember when the leader of Nexus was main eventing pay per views with Randy Orton and John Cena towards the tail end of 2010? You know, the same dude who went from the hottest angle that summer to being on the losing side of a 90-second squash at WM27. If anyone’s downfall needs to be studied, it’s Barrett’s who had 3 or 4 separate pushes collapse into a creative black hole within the span of 6 years. A dropoff so steep that he’s now back calling the matches of a guy who bitterly left WWE before him.
For those shaking their heads over me replacing Triple H with Wade Barrett of all bums, I’m crazy enough to believe there were tentative plans for the Nexus leader to battle Taker at WrestleMania when the faction jumped him at Bragging Rights. I also didn’t care much for Hunter and The Phenom’s dragout brawl in 2011. Not only is it my least favorite match from their trilogy, but The Game and HBK getting a combined 5 cracks at Undertaker’s Mania streak is beyond excessive. You could omit the WM27 match, and still tell the same story between the three of them the following year inside Hell in a Cell. So much for sharing some of those co-main events with the rest of the roster I guess.
Being in the ring with The Deadman at WrestleMania could’ve done wonders for Wade’s career. Every last challenger of The Streak from 2001 on-forward either was or became a big deal in WWE (even Matt Bloom who’s been NXT’s head trainer for ages). Had Vince stayed the course with The Nexus, rather than splintering it into two lesser stables that died quick deaths, Barrett could’ve enjoyed a career-defining moment in the Georgia Dome. Wade puts forth a respectable effort, but Taker defends his home turf and widens the margin to 19-0.
XXX: Brock Lesnar out, The Shield drop in
Here’s a wild idea — after barely a year and a half on the main roster, Roman Reigns pins The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 to end his unbeaten streak. Along with his buddies Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins of course. Now hear me out before you go getting all angry and argumentative.
As you’ve heard from wrestlers and fans alike for years now, Brock ending the streak was 100% the wrong call. Not only was Lesnar a made man after his first run and subsequent success in UFC, but The Beast had already lost twice (cleanly I might add) since returning to WWE. Vince’s theory that there was nobody left to legitimately beat The Streak is bullshit as well. Taker had plowed through every opponent, but he’d also gotten older and slower. All it took realistically was the right group of stars aligning and using the numbers game to outlast The Deadman.
Rather than wasting The Shield at this Mania in a squash over Mayor Glenn Jacobs and the Old Age Outlaws, I’d get ballsy by having them face The Phenom in a 3-on-1 Gauntlet Match. It brings a completely different dynamic to The Streak, and why wouldn’t Taker be supremely confident in disposing of three cocky young bastards? The Shield were white hot following their victory over The Wyatts at Elimination Chamber, and Roman’s breakout performance in the 2014 Rumble. I’d keep them as heels during the leadup to WM30 where they collectively challenge The Streak, and Triple H lays out the stipulation shortly thereafter. What I love is it forces fans into deciding whether they want this cool new trio to do the unthinkable, or Taker’s streak to stay alive.
Based on Roman’s booking, it was obvious that Vince had big plans to mold him into the next big thing in WWE. Meanwhile, I never really got the vibe that people gave a fuck about Brock/Taker going into WMXXX. Fans knew Roman would be made into a massive deal, and by force if need be, so why not fully lean into that? It’s easier to draw heat than force crowds to cheer for a manufactured babyface. There’s also no bigger rub than beating The Undertaker at WrestleMania, and you just know the reaction to whoever does so is gonna be nuclear the next night on RAW. Picture how different the start of Roman’s solo push would have looked if he was the one who betrayed his Shield brothers and sided with The Authority. Present Seth as an underdog fan favorite, and show the machine fully behind Reigns not just backstage, but on camera surrounded by a bunch of corporate yes men.
Not bad, right? Another perk to my proposed gauntlet match — Taker probably doesn’t get dumped on his head and concussed if he faces someone besides Brock. The Deadman faces Rollins first, then Ambrose second for roughly 10 minutes apiece; defeating both before ultimately falling to Reigns 8-10 minutes later. You give the career-altering victory to 3 guys who are gonna be major players for the company over the next decade as The Streak dies at 21-1.
XXXI: Bray Wyatt keeps his spot, but actually beats Taker
The tale of Windham Rotunda was a tragic one long before his passing in 2023. Even after rebounding from the Husky Harris nonsense and striking gold with the Bray Wyatt character, he always felt like an overly creative individual that Vince could never fully invest in. His track record at WrestleMania says it all. Bray lost to John Cena, then The Undertaker, sat out WM32 where he was originally booked to put over Brock, then dropped the WWE Title to Randy Orton, showed up to assist Matt Hardy in the Andre Memorial Battle Royal, pinned Cena in what was more of a short film than a wrestling match, and then lost to Orton again. Wyatt being slotted to face Bobby Lashely at WM39 didn’t inspire much hope in me either that things were improving in said area.
While I understand the mindset behind The Deadman needing a return to form after suffering his first defeat at Mania, he had already lost. Once The Streak was broken, wins and losses no longer mattered. Everybody stopped keeping score when The Phenom fell to 21-1 and Paul Heyman referenced it 8,947 times, which is why I believe doing the job for Bray at WM31 would’ve done far more good than harm going forward. If Wyatt emerges victorious over Taker in 2015, ain’t no way he continues eating pins in every pivotal match throughout his career. And as is the case with Roman, you strap the rocket to Bray in a move that lets the wrestling world know he’s gonna be a dominant force in WWE for years to come.
You could’ve played up The Phenom’s confidence being shaken after the WM30 defeat, and questioning if he’s still capable of holding his own against WWE’s top guys. In booking such a scenario, the temptation is definitely there to have Luke Harper, Erick Rowan or even a debuting Braun Strowman turn up and help Wyatt upset Taker, but the cult leader ultimately has to do it himself in order to get the absolute most out of the win. Bray officially becomes the new face of fear as he destroys The Deadman and drops him to 21-2.
XXXIII: Misses due to Injury
Part of the logic behind my proposed changes for WrestleMania 30 was turning the Roman/Taker Mania match into a positive. Well that and not putting The Phenom in a bad spot where he looks like a broken down old wrestler who can’t hack it anymore. If the Last Ride documentary taught us anything, it was Mark Calaway being in no shape to compete at the highest level at WM33. Taker needed hip surgery badly heading into the event and could hardly even walk straight without a limp. I get the weighted responsibility of putting over the company’s next megastar, but what WWE doctor checked out Undertaker before the show and thought he was alright to work 23 minutes with Reigns? Sheer madness.
There’s no shame in missing a WrestleMania, especially since The Streak had already been snapped. The Deadman tombstones Shane McMahon into oblivion the year before to regain some of his mojo, and then takes all of 2017 to recover. I honestly thought it would be Cena battling Taker inside HIAC at WM32, but John’s shoulder surgery threw a wrench in things, and Vince said “screw it, lets throw Shane in there instead”. Speaking of The Phenom’s WrestleMania 34 opponent…
XXXIV: John Cena avoids the squash, but still meets the same fate
All the trash talking and attempts at goading The Undertaker into a match? Prefect. Loved the storyline; simple yet effective. The execution however left much to be desired. After initially suspecting it was a timing issue, I’m almost certain the decision had more to do with Vince protecting Taker following his ugly performance the previous April. Nevertheless, imagine training like crazy for a half hour slugfest only for the boss to curtain jerk you right before walking out by saying “yeah you’ve got 3 minutes. Just play the hits and take it home”.
Whatever the reasoning might’ve been, it still came off massively underwhelming and also a little disrespectful towards two legends who wrestling fans had clamored to see square off at Mania for YEARS. Hence why I suggested Cena and Taker wrestling early on at WM19, and then again during their twilight years in a cool full circle moment. The Phenom would win both matches of course, but I’d give them 12-15 minutes to work with. If Elias’s live concert has to get cut or significantly shortened then so be it. The Deadman stormed into 2018 in full redemption mode. I would’ve loved the chance to witness what he was capable of at that particular point. Taker and Cena upstage everyone else on the show as The Phenom surges to 23-2.
XXXV: Instead of no-showing the event, he wrestles Kevin Owens
Harkening back to The Last Ride documentary, we watched The Undertaker twiddling his thumbs backstage at WrestleMania 35 as the show went on without him for the first time in 20 years. You could sense how unnatural it felt for The Phenom to be soaking in the event as a spectator rather than a performer. Dude was itching out of his skin to be in the ring tearing it up. Yet another Mania where I felt The Deadman could’ve added to it without needing to take up a major spot on the card.
KO found himself in a similar position that year. Even worse for The Prizefighter though, he was initially penciled in to work WWE Champion Daniel Bryan at WM35 before KofiMania took over. Owens went from possibly leaving MetLife Stadium a World Champion to watching the show on a TV backstage right next to Taker. How does that happen? Vince knew by late February that they were going with Kingston as Bryan’s Mania opponent. Six weeks is plenty of time to put something together for two of your most reliable and well-respected wrestlers in the locker room. Don’t give me any shit either about these matches being locked in months ahead of time with how often Vince’s mind changed on a week-to-week basis. He could’ve even just sent KO out there to complain about not being booked, and issued an open challenge that gets answered by The Deadman.
As for the end result? They create a small masterpiece on a fairly paint-by-numbers WrestleMania. The Phenom drops Owens on his head and blows the minds of the fans in attendance; one of which was ambitious enough to bring a sign that reads 24-2.
XXXVI: AJ Styles out, Sting in
While reconstructing The Streak, Bray Wyatt was actually my original choice to battle Taker at COVID-Mania. Not only battle, but beat him. I loved the idea of the cryptic cult leader not being able to pull it off back in 2015, but then ultimately slaying The Undertaker in 2020 after he evolved into The Fiend. That’s some anime level shit right there. Unfortunately, Vince had once again destroyed Wyatt’s momentum by WM36; so bad in fact that Bray was essentially fired 15 months later.
I replaced Styles for reasons that will become clear soon enough, but the Sting idea just made too much sense to ignore. It always has from a money-making standpoint, even if Vince failed to see the value in such a dream match. I do agree with The Deadman’s comments on his podcast regarding it likely not meeting expectations given how late Sting joined WWE. He reportedly came very VERY close to signing with the company in early 2011, which I took into consideration, but the reality is he didn’t put pen to paper until 3-4 years later. The only legitimate option was WrestleMania 31, but given Sting’s physical condition by then coupled with Taker’s confidence issues after the Brock concussion, it probably would’ve been a disaster.
So how the hell do you give wrestling fans what they want without it being a letdown? Ignoring the impossibility of that question by today’s standards, you book Sting versus The Undertaker as a cinematic match. We saw what it did for The Icon at the start of his AEW run, and let’s be real… the intrigue surrounding Sting/Taker lies far more in the aura of both men than them wrestling one another. The smoke and mirrors, the face paint, the eye-rolling, lurking in the rafters, creeping around a cemetery, etc. Opting for a Boneyard Match not only plays into the essence of their characters, but it opens the door for endless scenarios that aren’t conducive to a wrestling ring. Sting’s WWE contract didn’t run out until a couple months later, so the timeline would’ve worked too.
What better era to experiment with it than during the pandemic? Sting is finally granted his long-requested dream match against The Deadman, Vince gets to job out another WCW star to his greatest creation, and Taker’s Mania record grows to 25-2. That would have capped off The Phenom’s career perfectly, right? Yeah, not so fast.
XXXVII: Pushes off retirement another year, faces AJ Styles
Given how the fan anticipation and involvement became such an integral part of Taker’s WrestleMania matches, it always irked me that he wasn’t able to ride off into the sunset after performing in front of a packed stadium. Perhaps if the Roman debacle had gone according to plan at WM33, but we’ve all seen firsthand how difficult it is for a legend to walk away from their life’s work. As someone who’s painted houses for a living over the past 20 years, I catch a buzz off of just 2 or 3 satisfied customers at a time. Imagine having to turn down 80,000 of them when your mind’s still sharp, but the body’s no longer able to produce a quality product.
I suppose the lesson in all this is never letting it reach that point, but pro wrestlers are a different breed of athlete. If The Phenom were to return once more at WrestleMania 37 to scrap with AJ Styles, I have no doubt they could’ve put on a good show. Use the same type of build they did for WM36, but this scenario offers the crowd dynamic as well as an environment that better suits AJ’s skill set (i.e. more wrestling, less acting). The Deadman gains closure after the pandemic ruined his perfect career ending the previous year. Taker’s able to retire against a guy whom he has immense respect for, and then has the luxury of bidding the fans farewell properly afterwards.
Following a hard fought fight, The Phenom beats Styles and retires at 26-2. His only two losses come at the hands of Reigns and Wyatt in hopes of catapulting the young stars into another stratosphere in WWE. Furthermore, Taker’s legacy leaves the door open for debate as far as no one man ever being able to end The Deadman’s WrestleMania streak (seeing as it took all three members of The Shield to wear him down in 2014). The final tally isn’t a perfect record by any means, but it lets The Undertaker retire on the 30th anniversary of when his dominance first began.
Twitter: writersblock_skitz (@SirSkitzAlot)
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