Words cannot even begin to describe what fans witnessed last night at WrestleMania. I will instead allow for the screencap below to perfectly encapsulate the moment. That face was not unique either, as basically every face in the crowd featured the same shocked expression.
This of course occurred after the Undertaker finally lost at WrestleMania, ending his perfect 21-0 streak at the biggest wrestling event of the year. In my opinion, ending the streak against Brock Lesnar was the definition of illogical booking.
It makes little, if any, sense to end the most vaunted streak in sports entertainment against a part-time superstar who is way past his prime. That should have instead been reserved for an up-and-coming superstar such as Roman Reigns or Bray Wyatt.
Following the event, fans were even speculating whether the loss was a shoot, that’s how unbelievable it seemed that the WWE would allow Lesnar to end the streak. It was indeed the plan all along, but it still makes one question why Lesnar was the chosen one.
The most logical reason is that Lesnar was hand-picked by Taker to end the streak. At this point in his career, the Undertaker has complete creative control over his character and there is no doubt that he would have to approve any loss. He is also a noted fan of MMA, so he probably thought Lesnar would serve as the perfect man to end his undefeated run.
Another option is that WWE simply wanted a cheap ratings pop. Following the match last night, it was the most talked about topic on Twitter and fans will undoubtedly tune in to RAW tonight to see the aftermath, but that seems harmful to the company. It is moronic to trade in an accomplishment like the streak that could have propelled a rising star to superstardom in favor of a slight boost in ratings.
Not only did the decision not make sense from a business standpoint, it also killed the crowd. They were completely disinterested during the Divas contest and it seemed like they did not become completely invested in the main event until about halfway through. The Undertaker’s loss definitely killed the momentum of the show for the next 20 or 30 minutes, as fans were in a state that was a mixture of shock, disbelief, and anger.
Ultimately, having Lesnar end the streak was a very poor booking decision. That was likely the last time fans will ever see the Undertaker compete in the ring. They will now remember his final match as an anti-climactic botch-fest against an uncommitted part-timer that ended in defeat. The worst was that some disrespectful fans in the audience were actually brazen enough to shout, “You suck!” to one of the most accomplished and respected superstars in WWE history.
