The Undertaker’s retirement has been looming over WWE since he left his gloves in the ring after winning his match with Shane McMahon at Wrestlemania 32 back in April earlier this year. For over seven months, the WWE Universe speculated about the future of his career and for awhile it seemed like they would never see The Undertaker again. Fortunately, the fans got their answer recently and more answers are coming.
It was reported that The Undertaker would be returning to WWE programming during this week’s edition of SmackDown , which will also be the 900th episode of the show. There has been a lot of speculation about his return to WWE because it’s only November and it’ll be the last show before this weekend’s WWE Survivor Series PPV. In theory, WWE could be setting something up for The Undertaker on Sunday night .
Another possibility is The Undertaker’s return is a one-off appearance to celebrate SmackDown in the same manner that Edge will be on Tuesday night. However, what the WWE Universe wants to know and what they truly want to see is what WWE has planned for The Undertaker next year at Wrestlemania 33 . If he is confirmed for the grandest stage of them all in Orlando , what will happen on SmackDown later this week?
According to a new report , The Undertaker’s appearance on SmackDown this week is expected to address his Wrestlemania status for next year’s show. His Wrestlemania 33 opponent will also likely be revealed by The Deadman himself. It seems that WWE will be going for a long term feud for Undertaker’s Wrestlemania match, which adds to the rumor that next year’s Wrestlemania could be the last of his legendary career.
If the rumors are true, The Undertaker will wrestle at Wrestlemania for the 25th time in his career, which is an unprecedented achievement. Since his next match at Wrestlemania 33 could be his last, WWE is under a lot of pressure to select the right opponent for him who can manage the spot, add extra star power to the match, and protect The Undertaker to have a great match. Needless to say, there are a lot of options.
It has been reported that Kevin Owens is the top choice from WWE officials . We would have seen John Cena vs. Undertaker this year in Dallas if the former hadn’t been out with an injury. The WWE Universe is still holding onto hope that WWE will book that match , but Cena won’t be appearing on SmackDown this week due to his hiatus. The Undertaker could still make the announcement during his return, but most people had a much bigger moment in mind for when The Deadman officially sends out the challenge to John Cena.
The most recent rumor is that WWE officials are planning for The Undertaker to face Randy Orton at next year’s Wrestlemania in Orlando . There is no question that Orton vs. Undertaker is a big match, but WWE has some more work to do before the WWE Universe will accept that match over the other options. Randy Orton recently turned heel and aligned with The Wyatt Family, so there is some work to do there as well.
The WWE Universe still isn’t convinced that Orton’s heel turn will stick and isn’t just a red herring in the feud between Randy and Wyatt. The Undertaker targeting Randy Orton on SmackDown later this week and their feud continuing to build on WWE television over the next several months would be an indication that Orton will remain heel through Wrestlemania. That makes this week’s SmackDown a big deal for Orton.
Whatever WWE has planned is expected to be revealed during Tuesday night’s 900th edition of SmackDown . No matter what happens, the WWE Universe is going to be ecstatic to see The Deadman back inside a WWE ring because they thought it may never happen again. If this is to be the last stand of The Undertaker, this week’s episode of SmackDown and the coming months of WWE television are must see.
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