For a wrestling fan, it is never too early to start talking about Wrestlemania. A main staple of the biggest wrestling show on earth is the match The Undertaker is involved in. The lure of his undefeated streak has given every match he has an added bonus. With the added pressure to make his Wrestlemania match better than each year previous, The Undertaker is reliant on having an opponent who can live up to expectations and whose character can legitimately have a chance at winning. So who is left to face The Undertaker at Wrestlemania?
1) Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar came back to the WWE the night after Wrestlemania 28 and immediately destroyed John Cena, much to the crowd’s delight. Somehow, he was still the bad guy. Since his return Lesnar has been a part-time worker, using Paul Heyman to hype up his pay per view matches. A Lesnar versus Taker Wrestlemania match will have a lot of people talking and may even attract a few UFC fans since these two apparently have a legitimate beef with each other over who would win in a real fight. My main concern is that Lesnar is not a good wrestler anymore and would not be able to carry The Undertaker in those moments of weakness like Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and CM Punk have done recently. Lesnar automatically slows down the match’s pace and this does not work with The Undertaker anymore. More importantly, it’s pretty clear a part-time guy who will retire soon will not pick up a win over The Undertaker on his home turf at Wrestlemania. Lesnar would go into this match as the projected loser and he will indeed do so.
2) Daniel Bryan
The way things are going Daniel Bryan would not be a good opponent for The Undertaker. These two would without a doubt tear the roof off the arena with a match, but the WWE seems to have other plans for Bryan, like possibly winning. Bryan can make anyone look good in a match and his style would complement The Undertaker perfectly, even when factoring in the size difference. Bryan realistically would not beat The Undertaker and it is hard to see his character at this point caring to do so. Things may always change. For now I think Daniel Bryan is better suited for taking on a bad guy, not Wrestlemania’s number one hero.
3) Ryback
The Ryback craze might have gone away, but by the time Wrestlemania rolls around it could be brought back. Ryback is a monster and one of the few guys on the roster who looks like he might actually be able to beat The Undertaker in a real fight. The biggest problem with this match is the hype leading up to it. Ryback’s simple Goldberg-like promos combined with The Undertaker’s silent demeanor makes for a month of boring standoffs. Even if the match was to be great, which it has the possibility of, the weeks leading up to the match may not be strong. Ryback simply will never be a guy who can promote a match. Plus, Ryback has already lost to Mark Henry at Wrestlemania so he has yet to earn a match against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania.
4) Chris Jericho
A feud between The Undertaker and Chris Jericho has never happened to its fullest. Only for a brief time when Jericho was teaming up with Big Show did they even have a match, and it was on Smackdown!, not even a pay per view. Jericho, like Daniel Bryan, can make just about anyone look good in a match. From the start it would be clear Jericho would not win. At this point though, we all know each year deep down inside that to have The Undertaker lose to a veteran would be almost pointless. Imagine the weeks leading up to this match. Jericho is one of the best on the mic ever and whether he plays a face or heel makes no difference. Jericho would gracefully lose the match and make The Undertaker look great doing it.
5) John Cena
The most obvious opponent for The Undertaker is the face of the company for the last decade, John Cena. These two have never faced each other and it HAS to happen at Wrestlemania before The Undertaker calls it quits. The rest of the matches on the card could be divas tag team matches and this would still be one of the best-selling Wrestlemanias of all-time. Cena, the good company boy with the clean image against the darkest of legends would make for an epic encounter. Not only that, Cena is the last remaining wrestler with an honest chance at ending the streak. The possibilities on how Cena beats Taker are even more interesting. Cena is long overdue for a heel turn and beating The Undertaker under suspicious or controversial circumstances could help the turn. Cena has the ability to tell a fantastic story in his matches, something necessary for a match of this magnitude. Everybody wants to see this match. Make it happen WWE. If you refuse, you better have Sting’s phone number available.
