In the WWE, The Undertaker has been a main event staple for many years, but with the streak over with, there’s always been rumors that we may see The Undertaker retired relatively soon. Now that the Deadman has unofficially announced that he’s taking a new role with the WWE NXT development team, does this mean he’s seriously looking toward retirement?
In a related report by The Inquisitr , the official WWE.com website may have given us a hint about The Undertaker’s retirement when it published an article claiming Roman Reigns may take over The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania . Of course, Reigns’ health update on RAW may have made many doubt the big push for WrestleMania 31 will happen, never mind Vince McMahon’s angry reaction to the interview piece , and now it’s said Dean Ambrose will be the next face of the WWE , not Roman Reigns.
According to PWInsider via Wrestling Inc. , The Undertaker’s NXT role came during last night’s taping.
“The Undertaker, who was visiting the WWE Performance Center this week, attended last night’s WWE NXT taping and told people he will assisting the developmental program as an ‘adviser.’ The word going around the company is that he will going to the Center in Orlando on a limited basis to help out and offer advice.”
Some would think that The Undertaker’s health would require Mark Callaway to figure out a way to retain a role in the WWE yet step down from being the focus of main matches. It’s said that after he faced Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30, The Undertaker’s injuries were severe enough that he could not recall the majority of the match. But this type of speculation has been written about in the lead up to every single WrestleMania for the last several years, so take it with a grain of salt.
Helping the NXT development team almost makes sense over the long term, since it would keep him active within the WWE without actually wrestling. A similar role was previously suggested for John Cena, who is predicted to step down from the brutal weekly tapings within five years ( Cena is already looking at a “vacation” to focus on Hollywood in the near term). Although Cena would highlight major WWE PPV events similar to The Undertaker, it’s said that Cena could become a Monday Night RAW manager when age starts catching up with him.
Still, other hints that The Undertaker’s retirement might be around the corner came directly from the mouth of Calaway himself. It’s claimed by fans attending a Texas Comic Con that The Undertaker told several fans that he does not even plan to attend WrestleMania 31, although he also added the caveat that he can “never say never.” Even when Calaway was asked about the possibility of The Undertaker Vs. Sting at WrestleMania 31, he simply shrugged the idea off.
That’s not to say that The Undertaker’s retirement is set in stone for 2015. The WWE has already begun advertising The Undertaker’s face on the side of the official WWE buses for WrestleMania 31, so it should be presumed he will make an appearance of some type, even if it’s not a main match. Regardless, the question remains for when we will see The Undertaker take his own Last Ride.
If The Undertaker does retire within a year, what do you think Mark Calaway should do for his final wrestling appearance in the WWE?