the last time undertaker was on wwe was may 2000.
the last time undertaker was on wwe was may 2000.
when was the last time undertaker was on wwe?
may 2000
in march 2017, dave meltzer reported that wwe's long term plans ("which obviously could change") for 2018's wrestlemania 34 was to "once again build for a year and have the big coronation" for reigns, who would still be a heroic character "between now and then" and beat brock lesnar for the wwe universal championship "to fully replace john cena as the face of the company", while the "idea" for lesnar's role "for this year now" was "to become a monster, be unbeatable, run through everybody, beat them with one "f-5" and then lose to roman reigns". at wrestlemania 33 on april 2, reigns was booed before, during and after the main event (his third wrestlemania main event in a row), which saw reigns beating the undertaker, who seemingly retired. before the match, "pro wrestling insider"'s dave scherer predicted that if reigns beat and retired the undertaker, then "the fans that hate him will hate him forever". critics reported that after the match, wwe "did clearly turn down the sound" from the audience "and then they hit the pyro", but boos were still heard during a break in reigns' music being played. on the "raw" after wrestlemania, reigns was loudly booed and the crowd microphone volumes were turned down when he appeared, but multiple chants of "delete", "fuck you, roman", "you suck", "asshole", "roman sucks", "shut the fuck up" and "go away" were still heard before reigns chose to speak. after that segment, wwe commentators labelled the post-wrestlemania 33 crowd as "non-traditional wwe fans" who may cheer for those they normally boo and boo those they normally cheer "all in the name of fun", which echoed similar comments a year prior for the post-wrestlemania 32 crowd. "pro wrestling torch" editor wade keller wrote that these comments would anger fans as "genuine dissatisfaction with the product is reframed by vince mcmahon's propaganda machine" – undertaker received the usual reaction from fans, as did reigns, just more intensely. following reigns' victory over the undertaker and given that reigns was reportedly selling more merchandise than any other full-time wwe wrestler (john cena, who sold more, was considered a part-timer), "forbes" writer blake oestriecher declared reigns as "indeed the new face of wwe, one who could remain in that spot for the next decade".
persona and reception of roman reigns
the main event for the wwf world heavyweight championship was a rematch between champion shawn michaels and challenger the undertaker. the feud had begun after "summerslam" the previous august after michaels, who was the special referee in the match between then-champion undertaker and bret hart, hit undertaker with a chair meant for hart and counted the pin to cost undertaker the championship. the first match between the two came at the following month, a match that ended in a no contest due to outside interference from michaels' d-generation x cohorts, triple h and chyna. michaels and undertaker resumed the feud at in october 1997 in the first hell in a cell match which ended with the debut of undertaker's (kayfabe) brother, kane, giving michaels the unfair win by delivering a tombstone piledriver on undertaker, allowing the almost beaten michaels to steal the match. to mock his opponent, triple h and chyna brought a casket to the ring only for michaels to appear from inside and spray paint it in d-generation x slogans. the following week, while michaels was delivering a promo, the same casket appeared again but this time undertaker appeared from inside, grabbing the champion by the throat and dragging him into the coffin. undertaker made his full presence known the following week, interrupting an interview in which michaels was claiming to introduce the newest dx member: kane. undertaker told his opponent to leave his family out of the feud, before attacking the stable and being outnumbered. kane made a surprise appearance and helped undertaker, fighting dx up to the ramp before turning and reaching his hand out in an undertaker-like salute which his brother returned.
royal rumble (1998)