So here is the $64,000 question – if Undertaker is considered the greatest performer in WrestleMania history, then why so we refer to Shawn Michaels as “Mr. WrestleMania”?
[adinserter block=”1″]It is a question that has perplexed me for some time. When you look at the greatest performers in WWE and WrestleMania history, there is a definite division amongst both but no denying the greatness of Undertaker. But does his “streak” make him the best ever? Let’s leave that up to you, the fans. While he has been the definition of consistency and the main reason for the success of the event as of late, Undertaker is more a symbol of the pay-per-view, not the cause. And his performance defies logic for a man who comes out of hibernation for about a month and wows us with his entrance, his music, his aura, his persona and his words.
It was written by PWmania.com, the “Streak” of the Undertaker is the important part of the selling point of WrestleMania and has been for some time. Taker’s skills are diminishing, his body broken over and over again and his aura has become bigger than him. He is the stuff of legend that continues to defy the logic. Yes, I know wrestling is predetermined, the actors are not real and there is a winner and loser even in this nonexistent “Kayfabe” world today’s fans live in. But there is some truth to the “streak” and its importance to the sports community. Yes, even the mainstream fans of sports know about this streak.
As Bill MacCormick wrote …
Try to think of this as a 21 Days of Wrestlemania Marathon. The Streak begins today March 16th as we start at the beginning against Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka at Wrestlemania VII for the first victory. I’m excited because we get to go back through and watch some great matches. We’re going to go through the trilogy of Triple H, the Wars with Kane, the title wins and the history of The Streak. It is undoubtedly the greatest record in wrestling history and I never sat down and thought about how important The Streak has been and how it is the untouchable record of professional wrestling. So before we get into the specific matches, let’s talk about the Streak a little bit.
An employee of the company since 1990, he is its most tenured performer, and the only remaining active competitor from the very first episode of WWE Raw in 1993. ‘Taker began his wrestling career with World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984. He joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as “Mean” Mark Callous in 1989. When WCW did not renew ‘Taker’s contract in 1990, he signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). He another similar achievement was from December 1991 to September 1993, when he did not lose a single match, marking the longest undefeated streak in WWF in the 90s. He is an eight-time World Champion having won the WWF/E Championship four times and the World Heavyweight Championship three times as The Undertaker, and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship once under his Master of Pain character. The Undertaker is also a seven-time Tag Team champion: a six-time World Tag Team Champion and one-time WCW World Tag Team Champion. The Undertaker was the winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble and became the first man to enter the annual event last and win.
And in the end, people come to see the streak. Broken or unbroken. They come to see how he looks in the ring, they look to see how much slower he has gotten and most importantly come to see if he will finally be beat.
Streaks are made to be broken. This year might just be the one.
[adinserter block=”2″]Disclaimer: For the next 30 days, this will be an ongoing series of stories as we move down the Road to WrestleMania. Follow Camel Clutch Blog writer/blogger David M. Levin as he talks about the history, the pageantry and the success and failures of the past when it comes to wrestling’s biggest events. The views of the writer are not necessarily the views of Camel Clutch Blog, and this series is intended to ramp up the excitement that is associated with WrestleMania XXX and the Crescent City of New Orleans. Please enjoy this new feature and any comments are most welcome.
Follow David on Twitter @davidlevin71
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