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All The King’s Men 09.26.12: Week 12 – Breaking the Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak

September 26, 2012 | Posted by Larry Csonka

ALL THE KING’s MEN!

The Concept
The concept of the column is simple. As the “King” of the 411 Roundtable, I will pick a topic for discussion. The staff, or “Knights” of the old roundtable will then have the opportunity to state of they are FOR or AGAINST the week’s topic, and then will have the chance to defend their position. Lets get to it…

BREAKING THE UNDERTAKER’S WRESTLEMANIA STREAK

The Undertaker’s streak has reached 20-0, and at this point, some people think that it will never be broken. If someone broke the Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak now, no matter who it was, the fans would resent that star instead of celebrate them.

The White Knight Ken Hill – DISAGREE: If it was 5-6 years ago, when Undertaker was a main event player and at the forefront of WWE, I’d be more likely to agree that anyone going over him, whether new to the WWE or an seasoned competitor, would’ve been resented in the immediate future after ending his streak.

However, it’s 2012, and I believe everyone has come to the realization that the Undertaker, with all his accumulated injuries, and “The Streak” have become a vaunted, legendary, and annual WrestleMania novelty, but a novelty nonetheless.

Anyone who could rise against the foreboding history and the awesome challenge that the Undertaker stakes at this far-advanced point in his career would be more likely to earn the fans’ respect than disdain. Not adulation or cheers, mind you, but respect for the seemingly impossible accomplishment.

As far as veterans and relative newcomers go, John Cena and Sheamus are the top two competitors I could see WWE going with to break Undertaker’s streak, if they consider doing so at all.

Bobby Knight Jack McGee – AGREE: I do not care if it is a returning Shawn Michaels, Dolph Ziggler with Ric Flair at his side, Internet darlings CM Punk & Daniel Bryan or the good lord Jesus Christ himself; at this point, the “WWE Universe” will not accept anyone beating the Undertaker at WrestleMania. In my opinion, while the streak was an accidental occurrence at first, they have missed the boat in breaking it. I think it really picked up steam at WM 17 with the first victory over Triple H. From there it started to feel like a big deal. In my opinion, had everything been perfect and Randy Orton not injured, the ideal time to break it was WM 21. Orton was hot, the Legend Killer thing was working and I feel that would have put him over the top. But it didn’t happen, and Orton was victim 13. I feel that the second match with Shawn Michaels would have been acceptable to fans, because while Taker would have lost, fans still would have had Shawn Michaels around, and they could have been happy with that. But now, now I don’t see it happening. While the streak is a huge thing in the WWE Universe, and could have been huge for someone to break, I think that with the Undertaker being just an “attraction” guy that it is all he has left. People love the Undertaker; they look forward to his returns, his WM match and his victory. So at this point and time, I simply feel that the audience would shit on anyone that ended it.

Michael Knight James Wright – DISAGREE: Adding the proviso that it was a permanent member of the roster, if Brock or Rock do it then I can see fans being annoyed as it would be pointless. A guy comes in, collects a big check, and then ends the streak, denying anyone else the chance.

However with the right build and the right guy I still believe that ending the streak could be an awesome achievement that puts them way over. If it were Cena I’m not sure, in fact I can imagine no greater way to turn the guy heel. Cena has an hour classic with Taker at Wrestlemania 30, then at the last second he pops up and delivers an AA to break the streak, then next night on Raw comes out and acts like a dick about it, most hated heel ever!

But if you got a guy who was a great worker, who clearly could be a major player in the future, had him win some kind of tournament or Battle Royal for a shot at the streak or something, then give them a great build where they are constantly proving themselves, but of course no one thinks they will actually do it, and then they do, that could work. Personally I would pick a guy like Dolph Ziggler, give him a title run first and have him work a little more as a tweener by getting rid of Vicky, make him more a Y2J heel where all the fans are dying to cheer him but just need a reason. Then when he finally overcomes the odds, ends the streak despite taking everything the Undertaker had to offer, the Undertaker shakes his hand. Of course if it is anyone it will probably be Sheamus, but eh.

The bottom line is that I don’t think the fans will begrudge a guy for ending the streak as long as it is done right and actually means something to their career.

GREEN KNIGHT Chad Nevett – AGREE: The time for the Streak putting someone over is done. It’s bigger than that. There was a time where it was a big deal and someone could have gotten a big rub by ending it. But, that was before the Streak became a mythic, epic thing where the Undertaker returns once a year for two months to extend it. That’s part of it, actually: the Undertaker isn’t around enough, so seeing him return only to lose isn’t what people want. If he’s going to show up once a year, they want a match to end all matches that finishes with a Tombstone and a tongue sticking out. It’s a feel good thing.

Theoretically, ending the Streak should be the biggest thing someone could accomplish — too big, I would argue. It’s the one thing that no one has done in the WWE, so it would take someone pretty damn big to do it without people scoffing immediately. I mean, in the past six years, the Undertaker beat Batista, Edge, Shawn Michaels twice, and Triple H twice. Those last four matches especially put the bar so high that the one winner someone would buy is someone who doesn’t NEED to end the Streak — and if they don’t need the rub, why bother?

There’s also the idea that the Undertaker is past a point where winning is as big an accomplishment. He’s no longer a main event wrestler, a yardstick to measure someone against. He shows up once a year. He’s not the man he used to be, so where’s the glory in beating him? There would always be a sense that whoever did it had to wait until the Undertaker was past his prime. That, were it the Undertaker at his peak, the Streak would still be alive.

Some of these reasons are contradictory, but they all blend together for an overall impression that there’s no way to end the Streak now without it being bad for the person who does it — and, even more so, bad for the WWE given the special draw that that match is every year at WrestleMania.

SUGE KNIGHT Robert S. Leighty Jr – AGREE: I have some personal experience with how a WrestleMania crowd reacts to someone trying to end the streak. I was there for WrestleMania XXV in Houston, XXVI in Arizona, and XXVII in Atlanta, and each time they crowd was solidly behind Taker. In the 1st two cases you had one of the most respected and beloved Superstars of All Time in Shawn Michaels trying to end the streak, and the crowd was rather pissed anytime it looked like Shawn might get the job done. In Atlanta the anger and disgust from those around my area when HHH hit the Tombstone and it looked like he was going to end the streak, was quite noticeable. The streak is just something the fans are conditioned to believe in, and I truly think you would have a near riot on hands now if he did lose at WrestleMania. They seemingly had a chance to get away with this as late as WrestleMania 21 with Orton, but since then the Streak has grown to near mythological proportions. No matter if it is a seasoned vet returning for one last shot at Taker or a young gun that is pegged as the future of the business, that person will be hated by the crowd for being the one to end the Streak. Now the WWE could certainly take that reaction and run with it, but I don’t ever seeing a day where the fans celebrate someone doing the unthinkable. The other key is that if someone ends then streak, it would seemingly also end the Undertaker’s career and that would only add to the resentment.

The Red Knight Robert Cooper – DISAGREE : While I don’t think just anyone at anytime could break the streak of The Undertaker. I do think that if done correctly it could put someone’s career into the next level. Let’s say, whether it be a seasoned veteran or a newcomer, they start a feud with Undertaker a few months before Wrestlemania, and it is quite heated, streak related, and a very even match-up, and they have an epic of a match at Mania. The opponent manages to pull that victory off, and it could be a trampoline to the brass ring for that person. I personally think that the streak should be kept alive because Taker is almost done with his career, but if the scenario were to happen I can surely see a benefit in someone breaking it. Much like Chris Jericho being the first Undisputed Champion in the history of the WWE, whomever could break the streak would hold that distinction and could wear it as something that tells the fans that he is a cut above the rest, and if the company runs with that and gives that person a big push and the person delivers with great matches, I could see the fans embracing that person totally.

KNIGHT Francisco Ramirez – AGREE: The Streak itself has grown beyond what at first was imagined. It will never be duplicated, it is one of a kind, and at this point has become magical, if not legendary. Regardless of who were to defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, thus ending the Streak, fans would resent if not hate that competitor.

Let’s not kid ourselves. There was a point that ending the Streak would have catapulted someone to instant main event status. What more credibility could one ask for? That time has come and gone, I don’t believe it’s a wasted opportunity though, the Streak has been solidified, and if not broken, will live on forever, I can pretty much guarantee it.

The only other achievement that the Undertaker’s Wrestlemania Streak can be compared to is Goldberg’s undefeated streak. We all knew it would end sooner or later, we all knew it was a big deal, and once Kevin Nash ended the undefeated streak, regardless of how it happened or the storyline, Goldberg was never the same. It didn’t do Kevin Nash any favors either, sure Nash was established beforehand, but instead of being something that Nash would proudly carry and flaunt like a trophy, it instead became a footnote in WCW history. Now, using that comparison, if an established wrestler breaks the streak, at the very worst he becomes an answer to a trivia question. What if let’s say a Dolph Ziggler ends the Streak? The WWE uses that momentum to push him, and he doesn’t hack it? Breaking the Streak might be more of a curse than a gift.

Now, the comparison might not be fair, but it might be the closest thing. The Undertaker losing would not cause him any harm. The man and character have grown beyond legendary status, I would go as far as to call him a wrestling god, if there is such a thing. The Undertaker, will still be held in that esteem regardless of the Streak being held up or not, even if he were to lose once, no one else will ever be able to accomplish that. What happens then, the magic ends! This mythical achievement would basically be dead, people love records, Guinness has a yearly volume on records, the NFL proudly announces when a player breaks a record. If the Streak is broken, all we are left with is a wrestling footnote, and the person who made it that.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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