Undertaker: The Lone Outlaw
The Undertaker versus Shane McMahon. Fans have warmed up to the idea of this match but that wasn't the case when it was first announced. Many were surprised by the move, mostly because it seemed like a rushed and illogical bit of booking.
It was a quick fix for WWE, a way to get Taker on the card and get a major plot twist going at the same time. That plot twist seems to be overshadowing the match itself and with good reason; the fate of Raw and ultimately the company is at stake.
But it's what lies underneath that's the real story here. What is the plan for The Deadman?
The easy answer is, there is none. WWE is playing this by ear, going through the motions and taking it match by match. It's always been said among those who know that as long as he's healthy and as long as he wants to work, then he should work.
He's one of the top three draws next to John Cena and Brock Lesnar; he shouldn't be shown the door unless he's decided it's time to walk through it.
Taker has earned that and deserves to call his own shot. Those who know typically agree on that one as well.
But why does it feel as though WWE has no idea how to use him? How could one of its top performers of all time have no direction and constantly be stuck in neutral while the company moves forward without him?
The truth is there's no one left for him to work.
Therein lays the real problem here, and there seems to be no solution available. WWE has spent so many years protecting Undertaker's character that there's now nothing to do but keep protecting him. This is not a case of the veteran star giving back to the company that made him by putting over its new stars.
There's no opportunity to build main event talents, no chance of giving the rub to the younger generation. This is not Shawn Michaels or Chris Jericho. This is the ultimate gimmick character of all time, the one whose credibility hinges on his mystique and his legend being safeguarded as much as possible.
Undertaker rarely gives interviews, he's almost always in character and for the most part, it's more about him and less about his opponents. This is not to criticize him of course; Taker has put in a career's worth of high quality matches and carried a company like no one else in the business could.
WWE needed an unique attraction that could pack a house every night, and Undertaker became that attraction. In order for his persona to get over and stay over as long as it has, he had to be treated differently than everyone else in the locker room.
But after 26 years, what's left for him? WWE has shown no real commitment to any future top guys other than Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins. That means there's really no one viable enough to face Taker and really be considered a threat. Bray Wyatt filled the void at WrestleMania 31 out of necessity, not for some greater purpose. He stayed in the same spot after facing Taker, and some would argue he's lost a step since then.
So if Undertaker is not putting over younger talent, no rising stars are on his level, and he's beaten nearly all of his veteran peers already, then he's down to Shane McMahon on April 3. That's how WWE has worked it and really, how else could they work it?
The problem is this will only get worse. Undertaker is a symbol, the standard to which all others have been held to for years. He's the hero with no villains left to fight. He's the old outlaw in a town with no other outlaws to challenge him.
The Undertaker has no purpose and until he leaves the game, he will merely be treading water. That's not to say his Mania match with Shane won't be good. It's not to say it won't be memorable. But this is how his gimmick and his character have played out.
He will always be a draw because of who he is. He will always be loved and respected for what he's done in the industry. He will always be idolized by his peers and fans alike, who appreciate all that he's given to the business. He will always be The Phenom and he will always do all he can to entertain the fans. At the end of the day, maybe that's his purpose after all.
