WWE will pay tribute to the Undertaker 30 years after he made his debut.
WWE will pay tribute to the Undertaker at this year’s Survivor Series, 30 years after he made his debut. The appearance is being touted by the company as “Undertaker’s Final Farewell.”
’Taker debuted in WWE at the 1990 Survivor Series and in the three decades since has become one of the wrestling industry’s most iconic attractions. Now 55, Undertaker (real name Mark Calaway) has appeared sporadically for WWE in recent years. As his body has declined, Undertaker’s recent matches have at times been underwhelming, such as a disastrous affair with Goldberg that ’Taker himself has called a low point.
His match with A.J. Styles at April’s WrestleMania 36 was well-received, though. The “Boneyard Match” was pre-taped, filmed in a cinematic style that allowed for Undertaker’s physical limitations to be masked.
In June, WWE aired a multi-part documentary about Undertaker‘s recent career titled The Last Ride. In the final episode, ’Taker hinted that he would be retiring.
It will be interesting to see what Undertaker’s appearance at Survivor Series entails. WWE could simply honor his legendary career or it could be used as a springboard toward another cinematic match at next year’s WrestleMania. Rarely has anything truly been “final” in the world of WWE.
After Survivor Series goes off the air, WWE will air a new episode of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions in which Stone Cold interviews Undertaker.