The main event of Sunday’s WrestleMania 33 pay-per-view saw Roman Reigns defeat The Undertaker in what appears to be the Undertaker’s final match ever. After suffering his second loss at WrestleMania, The Undertaker eventually sat up in the ring and took a few minutes to collect himself and take in the moment. After putting his jacket, gloves and hat back on, he began to exit the ring before pausing and turning around.
He proceeded to take off his gear and place them in the ring, the symbol of a fighter hanging it up one final time. The Undertaker exited the ring, embraced his wife Michelle McCool at ringside and then walked to the entrance ramp. As he was walking up the ramp, he paused, raised his fist and received a tremendous ovation from the crowd.
Smoke surrounded The Undertaker as he slowly descended under the ramp. This almost certainly marks the end of Undertaker’s career and what a career it was.
The Undertaker’s gear remained in the ring for over a half hour untouched while the ring and stage were deconstructed.
The wrestling world showed profound respect for The Undertaker after the match. Here are some tweets from past and present superstars honoring the career of The Undertaker:
The Undertaker surprised Roman Reigns on RAW. After a promo aired of the Dead Man addressing Reigns from a cemetery and digging a grave for Reigns, the lights went out. When they went back on the Undertaker was in the ring.
Twitter user @VincentMichaels was sitting ringside and captured this video of the Undertaker coming out from under the ring while the lights were out. Watch close and you’ll see Taker actually kicked a production worker in the face while making his move.
The Undertaker and Roman Reigns square off this Sunday at WrestleMania.
WWE.com has posted a couple of previews for Monday’s episode of Raw. Last week, Stephanie McMahon fired Raw GM Mick Foley. It appears that the storyline surrounding the Raw General Manager will continue on Monday. Below is a preview posted on WWE’s official website.
This past Monday night, Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon unceremoniously ousted General Manager Mick Foley, using the two words that seem to come naturally to members of her family: “You’re fired!”
Now, mere days before WrestleMania, Raw is left without a GM, and with so many high-profile Team Red matches at The Ultimate Thrill Ride on April 2, one wonders if Stephanie is looking for someone new to quickly fill the vacant position, or if she will take on the responsibilities of running the show herself, as she did on Monday after Foley was forced to leave the building. Either way, Raw’s management — or lack thereof — should prove interesting in Philadelphia this Monday night.
The WWE also posted a preview for Monday’s episode of Raw that discussed the Roman Reigns/The Undertaker storyline. Monday is the final episode of Raw before Wrestlemania 33. The WWE is asking the question, has The Undertaker gotten inside Roman Reigns’ head?
The Undertaker emerged in Brooklyn to strike fear into the heart of Roman Reigns, but The Big Dog was ready, delivering a thunderous Spear that left The Deadman dazed … but only for a moment.
Like a scene out of a slasher flick, The Undertaker snapped up from the supine position and rose to his feet, letting The Big Dog know, in no uncertain terms, that it will take more than a Spear to keep The Phenom off his feet. As an eerie mist surrounded him on the entrance ramp, Reigns gazed awestruck at his otherworldly WrestleMania opponent. Perhaps this isn’t Reigns’ yard after all.
– WWE has announced a four-date WWE Live tour of Latin America, which takes place in October. Events are scheduled for Puerto Rico, Panama, Costa Rica and WWE’s first-ever live event from Argentina. Tickets for all four events go on sale the day after WrestleMania.
– Former ECW World champion Jerry Lynn was at the WWE Performance Center this past week working as a guest trainer, according to PWInsider.
– The Undertaker’s WrestleMania winning streak is a thing of the past, but the Dead Man has a chance to hit another major milestone when he faces Roman Reigns next weekend at WrestleMania. According to WrestlingData.com, The Undertaker currently has 99 WWE pay-per-view wins (out of 170 matches). If Undertaker defeats Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania, it will be his 100th PPV victory.
– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans which WrestleMania 33 match they are most looking forward to. Bray Wyatt’s WWE Championship defense against Randy Orton is currently in the lead with 19%, followed by Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns (17%), US Champion Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens (16%) and Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles (15%). The main event, Brock Lesnar challenging Goldberg for the Universal Championship, has 10% of the vote.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated to promote his “One Night with the Kliq” Q&A session during WrestleMania weekend, former WWE World Champion Shawn Michaels fielded several Kliq-related questions. One question asked of the WWE Hall of Famer was why The Undertaker never joined Michaels’ Kliq. The Undertaker instead was in a group of wrestlers called the The Bone Street Krew, with the likes of Yokozuna and The Godfather.
“Taker has always been a calm, cool, and collected guy. But the Kliq? We were loud and obnoxious,” Michaels told Sports Illustrated. “Taker was great friends with Kevin and Scott Hall. We’ve always got along, too, and clearly now we’re closer than ever, but ‘Taker had his own crew. He ran with Yoko and the Godwins and some other guys, and we hung out with them a bunch.”
Michaels says wrestlers riding together from town to town is an important part of building those friendships. He said the difference between his friendship with the Kliq members, and people like The Undertaker or John Cena, is they never rode together.
“We’ve always gotten along well, but we never rode up and down the road together. Scott and I have known each other since the ’80s in our days wrestling in Kansas City,” Michaels recalled. “I specifically asked to work with Kevin and wanted to have him on my side, so he comes in the door and started riding with me. Everyone knows the story with Hunter—he came in and knew that we weren’t well-liked, but he wanted to hang us with us anyway. Scott worked with Sean on his first night on Raw, and he sort of has that Curt Hennig gene in him. Curt always grabbed a young guy and said, ‘You’re jumping in the car with me,’ and that’s what Scott did with Sean.”
Michaels’ “One Night with the Kliq” Q&A session takes place on Saturday, April 1st. You can read Michaels’ full interview at SI.com.
– WWE RAW General Manager Mick Foley posted a message on Facebook asking fans, “Assuming Mrs. Foley’s baby boy gets the boot sometime in 2017, who would you like to see in the GM role?”
A fan suggested 2017 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Angle, since he’s got a storied history with commissioner Stephanie McMahon. Foley replied, “Kurt would be a great choice.”
– 205 Live star Cedric Alexander will be out of action for 3-5 months due to a knee injury, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet.
– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans about their favorite Undertaker WrestleMania match. Each option description includes the event and the opponent, except one. Conspicuously absent from the list is Taker’s WrestleMania XXIX opponent, CM Punk.
Thought it was a joke, but it's true. WWE poll listing every Undertaker opponent at WM with one name noticeably absent, and it's not Snuka. pic.twitter.com/P4Ci1zKq1Z
The Undertaker has been in the biggest match at Wrestlemania for years now. His matches may not always be the main event, but they almost always feel incredibly important. I was one of those that believed that the streak should have never been broken. I thought that if the streak were to ever come to an end, it would be in The Undertaker’s final match and The Undertaker would lose it to someone that the WWE wanted to make into a star. Instead, Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 30 and the streak was over. Brock Lesnar wasn’t a bad choice to end the streak, I just did not see it coming at all.
The Undertaker will be facing Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania this year. The Undertaker has had health issues all year and it is impossible to predict if that match will turn out well or not. I’m not going to doubt The Undertaker and I’m sure the match will turn out just fine. Having said that, this is the first year in a long time where I haven’t felt like The Undertaker match is that important. This is also the first year I’ve ever went into a Wrestlemania expecting The Undertaker to lose.
The streak has been over for a few years now and the WWE is heavily invested in the success of Roman Reigns. It will piss everyone off but I would be surprised if Roman Reigns didn’t get the win at Wrestlemania 33. Fans often complain about Superstars of the past showing up during Wrestlemania season and stealing the spotlight. There are tons of people in the WWE Universe that are annoyed that two part-time performers, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, are headlining Wrestlemania this year. I happen to be one of those people. However, I am also not interested in seeing Roman Reigns defeat The Undertaker.
There lies the inconsistency with wrestling fans, including myself. Everyone wants to see the next guy get the win over the star of the past, unless you aren’t really a fan of the next guy. There really is no reason for The Undertaker to defeat Roman Reigns at this year’s Wrestlemania. It is wildly inconsistent to complain about Goldberg defeating Kevin Owens and then hope The Undertaker defeats Roman Reigns. I just am not looking forward to seeing it because I grew up a fan of The Undertaker. The fact is that a lot of the WWE Universe view Roman Reigns as the future of the WWE and The Undertaker only has a few matches left in him. A victory over The Undertaker at Wrestlemania will only make Roman Reigns an even bigger star than he already is.
Discussion: Do you expect The Undertaker to lose at this year’s Wrestlemania? Are you looking forward to the match between The Undertaker and Roman Reigns? Share your thoughts below.
– Dana Brooke competed in the fitness category at the 2017 Arnold Classic this weekend. Her routine can be seen in the video above, and according to FlexOnline.com the judges put her in 14th (last) place.
– The Undertaker and Michelle McCool-Calaway recently went hog hunting via helicopter in Temple, Texas. McCool shared the below photo of the couple posing with their rifles before getting to the chopper:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRPLRFOFNjp/
– Remember to join us tonight for live play-by-play coverage of WWE Fastlane 2017, with the Kickoff show starting at 7 PM ET. It airs live tonight (Sunday, March 5th) from the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI, and is WWE’s third annual Fastlane-branded event.
We’re officially on the road to WrestleMania, and with the biggest pay-per-view of the year less than a month away WWE is going all-out to promote the show. According to PWInsider.com, The Undertaker is expected to return to television very shortly to start promoting his WrestleMania match.
Sources say The Undertaker could appear as early as Sunday’s Fastlane PPV in Milwaukee or Monday’s RAW in Chicago, where he’ll enter a program with Roman Reigns leading up to their singles match at ‘Mania.
Reigns is booked to face Braun Strowman at Fastlane, which airs live at 8 PM ET on Sunday on the WWE Network, with live play-by-play coverage and discussion on SEScoops all night.
– In recent weeks there have been reports that WWE is reaching out to former Superstars regarding one of the women’s matches at WrestleMania 33. Earlier this week, Kelly Kelly visited RAW, teased that she’ll be at WrestleMania and might have another run in her. Former WWE Superstar Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon) is another name that’s been discussed regarding a WrestleMania return and a “Snap” from her this week indicates the rumors are correct.
– Sting posted a tweet to promote the mobile game WWE Champions. In the tweet, Sting stated that he can now finally face The Undertaker after not being able to during his career.
Sean Waltman stated on a recent episode of his show X-pac 12360, that he had a conversation recently with AJ Styles. Waltman was backstage during Smackdown this week and according to Waltman, AJ Styles had some very complimentary things to say about Cena.
Styles discussing Cena to Waltman backstage at Smackdown Live
“I was watching your show and I just wanted to tell you what you said about John Cena being the man and the best going, you are one hundred percent correct. Anyone that doesn’t agree with you, it is because they don’t know John Cena and have never been in the ring with him.”
You can check out the full episode in the video below or subscribe to the podcast by clicking here.
Over a year ago, Bret Hart announced on his Instagram page that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. In an interview with Sportsnet.ca, Hart revealed that he is 100% cancer free and back in the gym. Hart also urged men over 40 to get regular check ups because early detection is what ultimately saved his life. Hart wrote in his Instagram post that announced his diagnosis, “I hope I can take the fight to prostate cancer. To be a leader in awareness and set the example for men everywhere who find themselves in my very same shoes, that prostate cancer can be beaten”. Congratulations to Bret Hart on accomplishing that goal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBQBeULMQpQ/?hl=en
In the latest poll, the WWE asks fans who The Undertaker should face at this year’s Wrestlemania? As of now, John Cena is winning the vote with a 10% lead over AJ Styles. Click here to vote in the poll.
The WWE uploaded a video to their YouTube channel of Superstars making their predictions for the Super Bowl. Nikki Bella, Kofi Kingston, Mojo Rawley and Sasha Banks picked the New England Patriots. Xavier Woods, Titus O’Neil, AJ Styles and The Miz picked the Atlanta Falcons.
The WWE posted another video entitled 4 things The Undertaker hasn’t accomplished yet. The four thing are have a match in NXT, defeat Vince McMahon, win the Intercontinental Championship or win an Iron Man match.
WWE.com is currently running a poll of which Superstar would you consdier be the WWE equivalent to Tom Brady (multiple titles, one of the greatest ever, polarizing among fans). 61% of the vote so far has gone to John Cena. Triple H and “Other” are tied with 15%. Roman Reigns is currently in last place with 9% of the vote. If you’d like to vote, click here.
– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans which Superstar they most want to see step in the ring with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. John Cena has 36% of the vote, followed by AJ Styles (28%) and Goldberg (14%). Despite the fact that Roman Reigns is The Undertaker’s rumored WrestleMania opponent, only 4% of fans voted for The Guy.
– Our friends over at WrestlingINC.com have obtained these photos of the Alamodome being set up for tomorrow night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
Here is another photo of The Royal Rumble set for this Sunday, you can see the shark cage on the score board pic.twitter.com/wW22Lz4klH
With just days until the 2017 Royal Rumble, WWE’s plans for WrestleMania 33 are still being finalized, with several top stars still without certain opponents. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, here’s what’s currently being considered Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker is on the books as one of the headline matches.
The Observer also reports that current plans do not have AJ Styles and Kevin Owens going into WrestleMania with the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship. Styles is scheduled to defend against John Cena this Sunday at Royal Rumble while Owens will defend against Reigns.
Another WrestleMania match in the works is Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt. Rumors have Orton winning the Rumble and and Wyatt winning February’s Elimination Chamber match, setting up their WrestleMania match for the WWE Championship.
As noted earlier this week, John Cena vs. Samoa Joe has been discussed in recent weeks, but is not confirmed. Whether nor not that match happens, Joe is due to join the main roster soon.
These matches are in addition to Goldberg vs. Lesnar and Shaq vs. Big Show, both of which have been ‘set in stone’ for months.
This week’s RAW ended with a staredown between Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker to promote Sunday’s Royal Rumble Match. That staredown continued after RAW ended before Brock Lesnar was the first to make his exit.
Goldberg then left but stopped to greet a few fans at ringside. The Undertaker did his trademark pose before leaving the ring and raising his fist on the stage.
Vince McMahon has changed his mind on one of the biggest WWE matches of the modern era – John Cena vs. The Undertaker. That match had been considered for WrestleMania 33 in Orlando but it’s now off the books.
No word yet on who Taker or Cena will face at WrestleMania but it was reported by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Taker won’t be facing Braun Strowman, as has been speculated, and Taker will not challenge for the WWE Championship or the Universal Championship.
The current plan for the RAW Women’s Championship is a fatal 4 way with Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax, instead of the expected Charlotte vs. Bayley singles match.
There are set to be 6 or 7 main event-level singles matches at WrestleMania 33 this year, not including cruiserweights or women. Top Superstars still without matches are Finn Balor, AJ Styles, Cena, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, who may defend the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a multi-man ladder match. It looks as if Chris Jericho will be defending the WWE United States Championship against Kevin Owens.
As of this week, the confirmed top matches remain – Triple H vs. Seth Rollins, Goldberg vs. Lesnar and Shaq vs. Big Show. The Observer speculates that Lesnar vs. Goldberg will be the main event.
– WWE confirmed this week that Brock Lesnar will be appearing on WWE TV next Monday for the first time since Survivor Series. Next Monday’s RAW will mark Lesnar’s return, and he’ll likely come out to the ring with Heyman to promote the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 29th. The Jan. 16 edition of RAW featuring Lesnar will air live on the USA Network from the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, AR.
– WWE.com caught up with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels after RAW ended at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Michaels addressed rumors of a Royal Rumble appearance by saying that he may visit, but he’s going to set an example for his peers on how to stay retired. You can watch the interview below:
– Sami Zayn did not appear on last night’s RAW to sell the injury storyline from the week before. WWE’s website mentions that Sami is expected back next Monday but he’s suffering from multiple contusions and other injuries from the beatdown Braun Strowman gave him last week.
– The latest WWE Fury video looks at 16 Northern Lights suplexes and can be seen here:
– The latest WWE Canvas 2 Canvas video features The Undertaker and can be seen below:
– Big Show took to Twitter last week and tweeted a photo from the gym to warn Shaquille O’Neal as they prepare to do battle at WrestleMania 33. The NBA Hall of Famer responded via Instagram yesterday with this taunt:
The Undertaker interrupted the post-RAW celebration by Kevin Owens and new WWE United States Champion Chris Jericho after tonight’s RAW in New Orleans went off the air.
Jericho and Owens worked the mic before Jericho threatened The Deadman and the segment ended with chokeslams for each man.
The Undertaker returned to RAW in New Orleans tonight and announced that he will be in the Royal Rumble match from San Antonio later this month.
Confirmed names for the match as of this writing include Baron Corbin, Chris Jericho, Big E, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar.
Below is video of The Deadman’s return promo, where he announced that he is “back” on RAW and goes wherever he wants because he answers to no one:
WWE artist Rob Shamberger painted The Undertaker in the newest episode of Canvas 2 Canvas. The Undertaker will be making his return to Monday Night Raw later on tonight. You can check out the video below.
NXT Superstar Patrick Clark took to Twitter to call out wrestling fans. Clark seemed to be disgruntled at fans who pay to attend events and voice their opinions during the show. Clark went on to call fans entitled and classless.
Local advertising lists The Undertaker and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels for the 1/9 RAW from The Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
This is being billed as a “special appearance” for HBK and Taker’s “return to Monday Night RAW.”
It’s possible that HBK’s appearance is tied to The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, a faith-based movie he’s starring in. WWE Studios will be distributing that movie on 1/20. We will keep you updated on their appearances when more information is available.
On Smackdown Tuesday, it was revealed that AJ Styles will be defending his WWE Championship against John Cena at the Royal Rumble. Styles has had Cena’s number so far. However, it is Wrestlemania season and it is John Cena, it would be hard to imagine him losing once again to Styles. In the video promo for the live event, it was advertised that AJ Styles will be defending his WWE Championship against Dean Ambrose on February 4th, 2017. This doesn’t mean that Styles will defeat John Cena at the Royal Rumble on January 29th. I’ve seen local advertisements for live events in Boston that I thought spoiled a future event and it turned out to not be the case.
There have been a bunch of rumors surrounding AJ Styles and John Cena. I haven’t heard too many people say that John Cena would be facing AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble. The rumor I heard the most was that Styles would be defending his WWE Championship against The Undertaker at the Rumble and that Cena might wind up facing The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. After the Royal Rumble, it is the Elimination Chamber. In my opinion, I would have thought it would be more likely for The Undertaker to show at the Royal Rumble rather than at Elimination Chamber. I’m just basing that off of the fact that he is coming off of hip surgery. It would seem odd that his first match back would be in the Chamber but stranger things have happened. For all I know, The Undertaker may wind up appearing at both the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber.
Discussion: Do you think Styles will retain his WWE Championship against John Cena at the Royal Rumble? Would you rather see John Cena vs The Undertaker or Styles vs The Undertaker at Wrestlemania? Share your thoughts below.
WrestleMania rumor season is picking up and according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, John Cena vs. The Undertaker and a multi-woman match for the RAW Women’s Championship are new probable matches.
In regards to Cena vs. Undertaker, Vince McMahon has not decided on the match but it’s being considered. Another opponent being discussed for Taker is Roman Reigns but there’s a feeling that Reigns is the future of the company while Cena vs. Taker doesn’t do anything for the future. This could be Taker’s last match and the last chance to do Taker vs. Reigns on the big stage.
With Reigns and Cena both receiving championship shots at the Royal Rumble, it’s possible Taker gets a Universal Championship or WWE Championship shot at WrestleMania. That would indicate Taker having a spot in the Royal Rumble main event
The Observer noted that Braun Strowman, who is another favorite to win the Rumble, could end up facing Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania.
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens looks to be another WrestleMania match but The Observer reports that as of this week, only three matches are considered to be a lock for the big event:
-Triple H vs. Seth Rollins
-Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar
-Big Show vs. Shaq
