A packed arena is silenced as all of the lights are suddenly turned off. In the darkness, the crowd anxiously awaits for the sound of a large bell to signal the tune of a death march in the background. DONG… DONG… The whole arena is lit with a spark of lightning and a spooky fog envelops the long path leading to the ring. Then suddenly, the Undertaker emerges and takes his slow, long march down the aisle.
If you are a wrestling fan, whether you love him or not, you have to applaud the dead man for giving each and every one of us match after match of just pure breathtaking performances. Although he has had many highly acclaimed fights throughout his career, his battles during WrestleMania have somewhat defined him – Buried Alive, Casket Match, Last Ride match, and Hell in a Cell.
These exciting matches have all been associated with the Phenom and have either headlined WrestleMania as the main event or acted as a third main event. Even if it wasn’t headlining, his fights have surely gotten the most hype. How could it not? His mere presence in the ring was enough to talk about alone. This has also somehow given rise to an unplanned and unexpected storyline in the Undertaker’s already illustrious career – the Streak.
Back in the late 90’s and in the dawn of the new Millennium, his so-called “streak” was nothing more than a string of consecutive wins. Wresting fans and announcers never really talked about it and it was never really an issue. The Streak seemed to have taken a life on its own; and the whole organization was smart enough to take notice of it. From his matches against Sean “The Heartbreak Kid” Michaels to Triple H, Hunter Heart Helmsley, the man from Death Valley have, time and again, rallied back from the dead to have the referee count his opponent out.
But this streak has also been frowned upon by others. Some say he was just at the right place, at the right time. Others believe that his earliest matches were against sub-par opponents whose careers have already peaked and were looking for an anti-climactic way out. Whatever the debate may be, it is obviously apparent that this has immortalized him in a way that no other superstar can ever replicate.
With WrestleMania coming up, fans are expected to come in the millions to see whether the Phenom will be able to continue his winning ways or will finally rest in peace.
