Leave the Undertaker in the past

The Phenom's legacy in WWE and pop culture is assured. But his eventual retirement may already be long overdue.

You were there. If you weren't, you watched it with the rest of the world. Brock Lesnar pinned the Undertaker after 25 minutes and 10 seconds in the main event of WrestleMania XXX. Everyone was shocked and silenced. Old, broken and defeated, the Undertaker writhed on the mat at the feet of a man more powerful and more relevant. That's where he should have stayed.

Undertaker has endured. The Dead Man has gone through countless changes to his character in the wrestling world since he was first Texas Red. He's been The Master of Pain. The Punisher. Mean Mark Callous. Punisher Dice Morgan. Hilariously enough, Kane the Undertaker before dropping the Kane moniker, which would then be used for his in-ring brother. He became the Undertaker with Brother Love, and later Paul Bearer, and though he would go through other incarnations -- American Badass was awful and you know it -- this became his main persona.

And he was phenomenal. He captivated audiences like few wrestlers could. He brought fear and occult-like symbolism to wrestling. He was revered, beloved and respected beyond most. Even when he was a heel, he was a face. It's almost impossible to hate the man who popularized the Hell in a Cell match. The same man who tossed Mankind off the steel cage and created one of the most iconic moments in sports entertainment history. The casket matches, the motorcycles, the era of the Brothers of Destruction. The Last Ride, Body Bag and Buried Alive matches. Even Hell in a Cell. It was all him.

Few things were more exciting than the lights cutting off while a wrestler spoke ill of the Undertaker in the ring. Then to brighten again with Taker standing behind them with his eyes rolled to the back of his head. That and when they believed him to be defeated, just for him to rise to a sitting position, before ultimately winning the match.

But that's the past. In the present, there's nothing left for the Deadman to do. When Lesnar defeated him and ended the streak at 21-1, he took away the last remnants of significance to the Undertaker character. It was harrowing to watch the match. Undertaker has aged badly, or normally in wrestling years. He looked out of shape, old and slow. And he has the right to be all of these things; he's 50 years old and his body has been through it all.

The symbolism of the match that ended the streak can not be overstated. Lesnar was a perfect opponent. He was the unstoppable force to Taker's immovable object. Here were two wrestlers who were special draws and only came back for the main events, Taker to defend his streak and Lesnar as the destroyer of worlds, the killer of hopes and dreams. Both men were characters based on fear: Lesnar because of his raw, destructive power and Undertaker because of his superhuman status. Something had to give, someone's mystique had to be diminished. Taker, being the elder and the soon-to-be retired, became the victim.

It happened. Taker disappeared and the next time we saw him, as Mark Calaway, was when pictures of him were posted throughout numerous social media platforms. There he was, a man who had entertained millions for decades, looking pale and devoid of life. It was heartbreaking and a reminder that heroes are people. And people age. Undertaker's character might be, outwardly, a man who is beyond the realm of the natural. But Calaway is as susceptible to Father Time and wear and tear as anyone else.

There's no reason left for the WWE to bring him back. From Calaway's perspective, you can definitely understand why he would return. He loves the company. But beyond that, he's going to be paid an outlandish amount of money to wrestle for a half-hour at most. It's ceremonial, and he would be a fool not to jump at the chance to prance around for millions of dollars. Anyone would.

In the current storyline, he's supposed to face Bray Wyatt, who is working hard to become the new face of evil. Taker has been mysteriously, or purposely, absent throughout the buildup. This leaves Wyatt with the task of building up the fight on his own, with Taker's absence being an accomplice. It leaves open so many questions from the fans. One of them being, why is Undertaker coming back? He can't possibly lose twice at WrestleMania, yet if he doesn't, then the transition to Wyatt as the new incarnation will be for nothing. If Undertaker does lose, it won't have the same significance since Lesnar has already been there and done that. And then at that point, it looks as if they're just bring him back to embarrass him.

What exactly is the point then?

WWE is in love with the older generation of superstars, and for good reason. Some of them are transcendent superstars who have stood the test of time. Hulk Hogan will always be Hogan and people will go crazy for him. The Rock has become even bigger since moving into the movie business and still drives people into crazed frenzies by just raising an eyebrow.

But none of them are tied to something as fragile as a streak. It's their personas that drive their relevance. WWE unfortunately tied Taker to his undefeated record, and his aura became that he was unbeatable at the biggest stage — till he was beaten. Now everyone's confused since the road ahead seems meaningless.

Undertaker is a relic of the past. He's one of the greatest entertainers of our time and as integral to the growth of wrestling as anyone else, but he's done. And it's time the WWE lets the Deadman rest in peace.

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