{"id":66358,"date":"2020-04-06T16:10:18","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T20:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=66358"},"modified":"2020-04-06T16:10:18","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T20:10:18","slug":"undertaker-five-decades-of-the-deadman-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/04\/06\/undertaker-five-decades-of-the-deadman-part-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Undertaker: Five Decades of The Deadman (Part 5)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to Undertaker: Five Decades of the Deadman.\u00a0 We have <em>finally<\/em> made it to the end of this series.\u00a0 Over the past three weeks, we have taken an in-depth look at the career of <strong>The Undertaker<\/strong>.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2020\/03\/20\/five-decades-of-the-undertaker-part-1-the-1980s\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Part one<\/a> focused on the 1980s; the introduction of Mark Calaway to pro-wrestling.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2020\/03\/24\/undertaker-five-decades-of-the-deadman-part-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The second installment<\/a> took a look at the 1990s; the birth of The Deadman.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2020\/03\/28\/undertaker-five-decades-of-the-deadman-part-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Part three<\/a> walked us through the 2000s; arguably the most active year of The Undertaker&#8217;s career and certainly the most innovative.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2020\/04\/04\/undertaker-five-decades-of-the-deadman-part-4\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The last installment<\/a> led us to the 2010s and the foot coming off the pedal of an already legendary career.\u00a0 Part five is going to review The Undertaker&#8217;s Boneyard Match with <strong>AJ Styles<\/strong> &#8211; a match which made it five straight decades in the wrestling business for Mark Calaway.\u00a0 Additionally, we will take a look at what the 2020s may have in store for the <strong>WWE<\/strong>&#8216;s resident Deadman.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Undertaker raises hell on AJ Styles &amp; The OC in Boneyard Match: WrestleMania 36\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uj25bG6Cnfo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Undertaker versus AJ Styles: Boneyard Match<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>What a match.\u00a0 At <em><strong>WrestleMania XXXVI<\/strong><\/em>, The Undertaker and AJ Styles had the grudge match we all wanted &#8211; it stole the show on night one of <em>WrestleMania<\/em> weekend.\u00a0 Motorcycles were ridden.\u00a0 Shovels were used.\u00a0 <strong>Good Brothers<\/strong> (<strong>Luke Gallows<\/strong> and <strong>Karl Anderson<\/strong>) were thrown off barn roofs.\u00a0 Perhaps inevitably, AJ Styles was buried alive &#8211; his hand being left above the dirt (sadly not in a &#8220;Two Sweet&#8221; pose).\u00a0 This was a fitting end to a heated feud featuring a number of &#8220;real&#8221; moments.\u00a0 The main question we are left with: what is left for The Undertaker? It certainly felt as though this could be a final hurrah for The Deadman.\u00a0 Driving off into the night on his Harley &#8211; to the sound of <strong>Metallica<\/strong>&#8216;s &#8220;<em>Now That We&#8217;re Dead<\/em>&#8221; &#8211; leaving the boneyard and Styles in his rear-view mirror.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The legacy continues. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@WWE<\/a> superstar The <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/undertaker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Undertaker<\/a> walked out to \u201cNow That We\u2019re Dead\u201d on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWENetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@WWENetwork<\/a>! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mC4hCGLpOm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/mC4hCGLpOm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Metallica (@Metallica) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Metallica\/status\/1246631695475867648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 5, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In western movies, it is a common cliche for the cowboy to ride off into the sunset at the end of the movie.\u00a0 For a character as dark and, well, &#8220;un-dead&#8221; as The Undertaker, riding off into the moonlit night would be a fitting end.\u00a0 Did it represent the return of The American Badass persona; Taker riding away from the graveyard which has become a staple of his Deadman persona? This is mere speculation.\u00a0 If you turn to the upcoming <em><strong>WWE Network<\/strong><\/em> series Undertaker: The Last Ride, there is an interesting quote from Calaway in there.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m gonna go out with a match befitting The Undertaker.\u00a0 That&#8217;s what separates being good, being great and being a legend.&#8221; &#8211; Mark Calaway (The Undertaker)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><strong>The Undertaker Goes Out With Style (Or Out With Styles)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If The Undertaker is hoping to go out with a match befitting The Undertaker, then what a fitting end the Boneyard Match would be.\u00a0 With the match being the main event of night one of <em>WrestleMania<\/em>, he has achieved a feat no one else has.\u00a0 The Undertaker has now main evented a <em>WrestleMania<\/em> in four consecutive decades: 1997 versus <strong>Psycho Sid<\/strong>; 2008 versus <strong>Edge<\/strong>; 2010 versus <strong>Shawn Michaels<\/strong> and now 2020 versus AJ Styles.\u00a0 This stat &#8211; combined with the boneyard stipulation and the end to the match &#8211; this would be the perfect end.\u00a0 At <em><strong>WrestleMania XXXIII<\/strong><\/em>, it was widely believed that at the conclusion of his match with Roman Reigns, The Deadman was no more.\u00a0 He left his trademark hat, gloves and cloak in the ring and disappeared.\u00a0 It would have been a fitting end, but it had a certain melancholy feel to it which did not resonate the way this ending did.\u00a0 The conclusion to the main event of night one felt like the <em>true<\/em> end of The Undertaker.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker - No Holds Barred Match: WrestleMania 33\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oC4svcyIhg4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The title of Undertaker&#8217;s series &#8220;The Last Ride&#8221; along with the timing of it &#8211; with Undertaker moving to a less kayfabe version of his character &#8211; certainly seems to indicate this is truly the end.\u00a0 If so, what a career he has had.\u00a0 Five straight decades in the wrestling business (as a performer) is no easy feat.\u00a0 In an industry where countless careers are cut short by injuries, it is quite the achievement.\u00a0 The fact that four of those decades included a <em>WrestleMania<\/em> main event is unmatched and will be for quite some time (unless <strong>Triple H<\/strong> gets a <em>Mania<\/em> event within the next nine years).\u00a0 With a career as legendary as The Undertaker&#8217;s, it is no wonder <strong>Vince McMahon<\/strong> speaks so highly of him.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Vince McMahon speaks candidly about the decision to end The Undertaker\u2019s WrestleMania Streak\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WY-fPsD7eZc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>No one has had a career like The Undertaker&#8217;s.\u00a0 He has been present throughout generations of performers within the WWE.\u00a0 During the <strong>Hulk Hogan<\/strong> led <strong>Golden Era<\/strong>, he was there.\u00a0 He was there during the <strong>Attitude Era<\/strong>; an era defined by it&#8217;s two biggest stars, <strong>&#8220;Stone Cold&#8221; Steve Austin<\/strong> and <strong>The Rock<\/strong>.\u00a0 Taker was ever-present throughout the<strong> Ruthless Aggression<\/strong> <strong>Era<\/strong>; still standing against the likes of <strong>Brock Lesnar<\/strong> and <strong>Kurt Angle<\/strong>.\u00a0 The <strong>PG Era<\/strong> &#8211; so dominated by <strong>John Cena<\/strong> &#8211; still had its resident Deadman in the locker room.\u00a0 Though appearing infrequently, he has still been present during the era dubbed the &#8220;<strong>New Era<\/strong>&#8220;, competing with the likes of Roman Reigns and AJ Styles.\u00a0 Undertaker is a true throwback to a time long-since passed but has somehow remained relevant throughout.\u00a0 There is nobody more deserving of the &#8220;legend&#8221; moniker than The Undertaker.\u00a0 What lies in-store for Mark Calaway? We&#8217;ll just have to wait and see.\u00a0 But if this truly is the end, it was an end befitting The Undertaker.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Thank You<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Thank you, loyal readers, for joining us on this five-part series chronicling The Undertaker&#8217;s career.\u00a0 Just under 10,000 words of content have been put into this series but no amount of writing could ever truly do The Undertaker&#8217;s career justice.\u00a0 If there is another series you would like to recommend, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comment section.<\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned to the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. WWE and Undertaker fan? You can check out The Undertaker\u2019s recent sit-down podcast with \u201cStone Cold\u201d Steve Austin, as well as all of your favorite matches on the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WWE Network.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to Undertaker: Five Decades of the Deadman.\u00a0 We have finally made it to the end of this series.\u00a0 Over the past three weeks, we have taken an in-depth look at the career of The Undertaker.\u00a0 Part one focused on the 1980s; the introduction of Mark Calaway to pro-wrestling.\u00a0 The second installment took a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2482,"featured_media":66359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,3],"tags":[145,6325,297,241,396,47],"class_list":["post-66358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-aj-styles","tag-boneyard-match","tag-the-undertaker","tag-vince-mcmahon","tag-wrestlemania","tag-wwe"],"modified_by":"Niklas George","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}