It's Wrestlemania season. That means it is time for our once a year Undertaker appearance. While the Undertaker's career is not necessarily all about his Wrestlemania Streak, he has had a great overall career no doubt, his Wrestlemania Undefeated Streak is his crowning achievement. The last few years of his career have been all about The Streak, mainly because he doesn't appear on WWE TV outside of Wrestlemania season anymore. I really don't have too much of a problem with it. Taker is up there in years and his body can't handle a weekly schedule anymore.
But with The Undertaker's career more than likely coming to an end sooner rather than later, and with it again being Wrestlemania season, it is time to bring up whether or not The Streak should be ended. People will argue their point for each side. For those who want The Streak to stay intact, they say it is something special and unique to the character of The Undertaker. There really is nothing else like it in the history of the WWE. It's different. In the past few years, it has made The Undertaker's match at Wrestlemania almost seem like a co-main event. I would argue that in the last few years that Undertaker's match at Wrestlemania has been better than the actual main event on the show. A lot of that, of course, has to do with the opponent Taker has faced and the story told in the match. But if The Streak was not intact during those matches, they would not have felt as special.
For those that argue that The Streak should be broken, their main point is that it would truly make someone in the WWE a main event star. There's no doubt that whoever would break The Undertaker's Streak would instantly become a huge star in the WWE. Of course, how the WWE would handle said wrestler afterwards would be interesting to see. Mainly because there wouldn't be too much follow up after since The Undertaker would be gone right after Wrestlemania. But the WWE would have a huge star on their hands. Many say that when The Undertaker retires, The Streak should end. And of course, you could do some weird Undertaker like things when its over, like having the druids come out and carry him away. Up until this week, I would have said Paul Bearer could have come out to lead Taker and the druids up the ramp.
When it comes to my opinion on The Streak, I have honestly always been indifferent toward it. If I had to pick a side, I would lean toward it ending rather than staying intact. As I said above, if there was nothing else to talk about during the Undertaker's career, it would be a different story. But Taker has had such a legendary career that it doesn't make a difference. I've always THOUGHT, however, that the WWE would keep The Streak intact. Mostly because the WWE doesn't have anyone that would be better off ending The Streak. Neither Triple H or Shawn Michaels would have benefited from ending The Streak. They were already established as top tier main eventers.
There's only a handful of opponents that the WWE can still throw at The Undertaker and can have a semi-entertaining match with him. I really thought that this would be the year the WWE would throw John Cena at Taker. I really think Taker is done after next year's Wrestlemania. The WWE will probably make a big deal out of Wrestlemania 30 because it is a big milestone to reach. Add to the fact that we didn't even know if Taker would go this year, and you know Taker's time as a wrestler is winding down. They could have thrown Brock Lesnar at Taker, but I don't think they would work well together. Brock isn't full time anymore and you can't trust him to put on an entertaining match. Plus, Taker's body probably couldn't handle the brawl that match would entail. I always thought The Rock would have been an interesting choice, but that would have had to happen this year too, the same along the lines of a John Cena match.
But this year we get to see The Undertaker go one-on-one with C.M. Punk. If you are looking for a good wrestling match, then CM Punk is the way to go. Punk is the best wrestler on the roster right now and you know that he can get a good match out of The Undertaker. But the bigger question we have to ask is this: Should CM Punk be the one to end the Undertaker's Streak?
Punk is already a main eventer in the WWE. He held the WWE Title for 14 months, over 400 days. But Punk has never been really looked upon as "the man," even during his WWE Title run. He started to get more attention as the top guy toward the end of his run. But for the better part of 2012, CM Punk played second fiddle to whatever story John Cena was involved in. The WWE badly needs someone who can be looked at as a guy who could replace John Cena at the top and not have business miss a beat. Randy Orton could have been the guy, but he screwed up. Sheamus could have been it but the WWE has booked him to hell the last few months. That leaves CM Punk.
Punk has suffered three pretty big losses in the last few months. Two to the Rock, and then one on TV to John Cena. Punk has enough talent to rebuild himself back up into a threat and a top talent. But CM Punk needs something to leave his mark on the WWE. His 434 day WWE Title reign is great. I'm not denying it. But the WWE didn't treat it like a big deal until it got close to a year as WWE Champion. Ending The Streak would solidify CM Punk as a top tier, John Cena like main event star in the WWE.
It all comes down to the long term thinking of ending The Streak. When The Undertaker retires, people will talk about The Streak. But if The Streak is ended, then whomever ends it will be able to talk about ending The Streak, and more than likely ending The Undertaker's career. And Punk is the perfect guy that can talk it up and goad people about it for a long time.
So how do you go about booking this? Well after you have CM Punk defeat The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, you have Taker carried off by the druids after CM Punk celebrates in the ring. The night after RAW, CM Punk says that he has taken The Streak away from the fans, and that now he is taking himself away as well. If CM Punk is beat up as some are speculating, the guy definitely deserves some time off. Now I know this goes against what I suggested to do with building up the man that ends The Streak, but there really isn't anything you could do to follow up the win with Punk. Would would he do? Move on to the World Title? A feud with a mid-carder? You have Rock/Cena 3 to carry Extreme Rules, and then a likely John Cena WWE Title reign. Keep Punk off of TV and have him return at some point in the summer.
If it was up to me, I would immediately have Punk back in the WWE Title scene. He will have been gone long enough to make another Punk/Cena match seem fresh. At that point, I'm pretty sure most people will be sick of John Cena's Title reign as well. Punk wins the WWE Title at SummerSlam and carries it all the way until the Royal Rumble, where he loses the Title back to John Cena after a gong plays in the background, distracting Punk. For the next month, CM Punk receives creepy, typical messages like The Undertaker usually sends. Then at the Elimination Chamber, Taker and Punk meet face to face. Taker challenges Punk at Wrestlemania, one more time. Taker wants revenge on the man that ended his Streak. Punk refuses and walks away, until Taker lays it all on the line. "Last year you beat me and ended The Streak. Beat me at Wrestlemania this year, and you can say you ended my career." Punk turns around, smiles back at Taker and accepts.
As I said above, I really think next year will be Taker's last Wrestlemania. And this sets up three potential big matches for Wrestlemania 30:
C.M. Punk vs The Undertaker- Taker's Career on the Line
The Rock vs Brock Lesnar
John Cena vs ??? for the WWE Title
If you ask me, this year will tell us whether or not The Undertaker's Streak will be broken. If I was a betting man, I would say that none of the above will happen. The WWE never likes to try anything new and they like to stick to the norm. But if there was ever someone who could break the Streak and become a top company guy from it, CM Punk would be that guy. Just facing at Taker isn't enough of a rub for CM Punk. His 434 day WWE Title reign did that. If you want to make a new mega star at Wrestlemania, having CM Punk end the Streak would be the perfect way to do it.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
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