John Cena and The Undertaker are not just two of the biggest names in wrestling, but they also share quite a history with each other. Kurt Angle may have been the one to introduce the future WWE franchise player to the world, but it was the Deadman who first acknowledged him. The two faced each other a few times, but to the surprise of many, they never shared the ring at WrestleMania. This would finally change at WrestleMania 34. However, both the build to the match and their eventual encounter was a massive letdown.
Also read: Who Was The First WWE Superstar To Defeat John Cena At WrestleMania?
John Cena went through several hurdles to book himself a match for the show of shows, but failed in his endeavors. With all his doors closed, he then resorted to calling out the retired legend week after week with multiple personal shots. However, The Undertaker did not respond once, leading to Cena attending the event as a spectator. That soon changed when he was informed that the Deadman was at the arena.
The Cenation leader quickly changed into his wrestling gear and headed to the ring. Soon a bell rung and out came the man who many believed had pulled the curtains on his career just a year earlier.
What followed surprised everyone. John Cena, who had previously gone toe to toe with Roman Reigns, was squashed by a man who hadn’t wrestled in a year since his loss to the same wrestler.
The match was never addressed on television again and was just swept under the rug. Today we will look at the reason why all of this absurdity took place.
Real Reason why The Undertaker and John Cena had a baffling build and match at WrestleMania 34
According to the Wrestling Observer, the WWE did not want to commit and announce the match because of the Undertaker’s health. The promotion was worried that even if the Deadman made it to the event, he would not be able to put on a show that fans would expect from the names involved.
Therefore, a decision was made to downplay the match, so expectations could be lowered. The WWE did not want to promise a match that was going to deliver below what the Deadman was capable of at the time.
The Undertaker addressed the match on his “The Last Ride” documentary, stating that he felt like he needed to return because he was not pleased with the Roman Reigns match being his last ever.
“I looked old. I looked slow. I was overweight. I could not move. It just wasn’t Undertaker-esque in any sense,” Taker said of his WrestleMania 33 encounter with the Big Dog.
The Undertaker would wrestle a few more times before finally hanging his boots
During the same documentary, The Undertaker revealed that he kept returning because he wanted to have one final match that he was proud of, a “perfect ending” in his own words. He fought several times, but could never recapture the magic he had during his prime.
It was a natural process called aging, but the Deadman just couldn’t come to terms with it.
In the end, he finally got what he long desired at WrestleMania 36. Three years after he originally wanted to end his career.
And the man who helped him reach there was none other than AJ Styles, one of if not the greatest wrestler of this generation.
The two faced each other in a cinematic bout dubbed ‘The Boneyard Match.’
The Deadman described the match as the perfect ending to his 30-year career, calling it “storytelling at its finest.”
“If there was ever a perfect ending to a career, that right there was it. At this point in my life and in my career, I have no desire to get back in the ring,” The Undertaker said.
“I’m at a point where it’s time the cowboy really rides away. There’s nothing left for me to conquer. There’s nothing left for me to accomplish. The game has changed. It’s time for new guys to come up. The time just seems right. I think this documentary has helped me discover that. It’s really opened my eyes to the bigger picture.”
Click here for more Wrestling News
