Filmmaker Woody Allen once said, "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to do it by not dying." As funny as that sounds, that's what The Undertaker has tried to do over the course of his career.
No matter how many fans his "undead" persona has won him over the years, `Taker is at the stage of his career at which leaving the proper legacy is important to him. Clearly, he would rather be remembered for what he did in the ring than merely the character he portrayed.
Indeed, `Taker's list of in-ring accomplishments is impressive-four WWE World titles, six WWE World tag titles, even a hardcore belt-but even he knows that titles no longer have quite the significance that they had when he broke into the sport. Few fans are likely to recall exactly how much gold he collected. Besides, other wrestlers-some forgotten-have collected more than `Taker ever will, and none of his title reigns was memorable enough to stand out among everyone else's.
That's not to diminish Undertaker's vast achievements. Rather, it's acknowledgement that the sport has evolved, for better or worse, over the course of UT's career. And that means reaching wrestling immortality now requires more than a compelling persona and collection of title belts.
As far as he's concerned, the fastest way for `Taker to indelibly punch his stamp upon wrestling history is to keep his perfect WrestleMania record intact.
Of all his accomplishments, amassing a 12-0 record in 'Mania matches is his pride and shining joy. "It doesn't matter how great you think you are," he said, "if you can't get it done in the big matches, you ain't worth nothing. There ain't no bigger stage than WrestleMania. And so far, I'm the perfect on the big stage."
Whoever ends up wrestling Undertaker at WrestleMania XX had better be prepared for the fight of his life. WWE sources told PWI that `Taker was training for his unlucky 13th with an intensity and focus not seen in years, and that he had 'Mania on his mind long before even the Royal Rumble card was set.
Eddie Guerrero, who's been loosely allied with "The Dead Man" of late, says The Undertaker's energy is palpable. "The big man is firing on all cylinders, baby," he told PWI. "Right now, I'd hate to be the guy who has to face him at 'Mania. Something come over him when 'Mania rolls around. No wonder he's 12-0. It means everything to him. Now if someone beats him that could really mess up his head.
Yes, as hard as Undertaker is working to cement his future glory, his match at WrestleMania 21 has serious implications for his current situation. Clearly, UT's not ready for the scrap heap. But after 16 years, the injuries are adding up, and there's an entire generation of younger WWE superstars clawing their way to the top tier. As time marches on, `Taker's grasp on a spot in the top tier is likely to slip. The best way for him to maintain his iconoclastic status would be to win decisively on April 3 in Los Angeles. The again, one of the best ways for a star on the rise to make a career would be to beat `Taker at WrestleMania-any WrestleMania from here on.
Should he go down the defeat, not only would his cherished streak end, his viability as a main-eventer might as well. Should Undertaker lose at WrestleMania, we might be stuffing his career into a casket for the last time.
It's no secret the WrestleMania streak is the fuel that drives The Undertaker's engine. Without the streak to inspire him, `Taker might find mid-card or special attraction status with Smackdown an ignorable and dishonourable ending to a remarkable career. Trying to revive an uninspired athlete in any sport is a difficult and often fruitless venture.
Worse, an unfocused `Taker could be bad news for Smackdown. Imagine Undertaker heading into WrestleMania 22 with nothing to motivate him other than a chance to make sure he doesn't lose two 'Mania matches in a row. Without his legacy to fight for, `Taker could hang on simply to wreak havoc on those who surpass him. As popular as he remains, it should never be forgotten that UT is guided by strange, if not nefarious, forces. We all know whose workshop idle hands are. Unless UT has meaningful matches on which to focus, he could lapse into a streak of senseless violence and cruelty much like what we got from Kane in 2003. It wouldn't be the first time in his career Undertaker let himself get bogged down in meaningless feuds, but it very well might be the last.
Of course, that's it he loses at WrestleMania, and given the odds, we can capitalize, italicize, underline, and boldface "if." But don't bother `Taker with talk of odds and worst-case scenarios. "I'm not stupid," he said. "I know what this match means. That's why I'm busying my ass to make sure I win it. But I ain't approaching this match any differently than any other match. I'm just preparing myself to go out there and get my lucky 13th 'Mania victory."
Going into WrestleMania 21, it's hard to think of any WWE superstar more motivated than
`Taker. Being known as the only major WWE wrestler to post a perfect record at 'Mania
obviously has more meaning to him than most could comprehend. What UT should realize is
that, win or lose, his legacy in WWE and professional wrestling is secure. His spot in
the Smackdown program, that's another matter.
`Taker's Dozen
Here's a chronological look at The Undertaker's 12 WrestleMania victories:
1. WrestleMania VII (March 24, 1991): Defeated Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka by pinfall.
2. WrestleMania VIII (April 5, 1992): Defeated Jake "The Snake" Roberts by pinfall.
3. WrestleMania IX (April 4, 1993): Defeated Giant Gonzales by disqualification.
4. WrestleMania XI (April 2, 1995): Defeated King Kong Bundy by pinfall.
5. WrestleMania XII (March 31, 1996): Defeated Kevin "Diesel: Nash by pinfall.
6. WrestleMania XIII (March 23, 1997): Defeated World champion Sid Vicious by pinfall to win the title.
7. WrestleMania XIV (March 29, 1998): Defeated Kane by pinfall.
8. WrestleMania XV (March 28, 1999): Defeated Big Bossman by pinfall in a "Hell in a Cell" match.
9. WrestleMania X7 (April 1, 2001): Defeated Triple-H by pinfall.
10. WrestleMania X8 (March 17, 2002): Defeated Ric Flair by pinfall.
11. WrestleMania XIX (March 30, 2003): Defeated The Big Show & A-Train by pinfall in a handicap match.
12. WrestleMania XX (March 14, 2004): Defeated Kane by pinfall.