So Lets Discuss The Streak

[Dale]

So unless you've been living under a rock the past couple of a days, you will be aware that shockingly the Undertaker's WrestleMania streak has finally come to an end at the hands of Brock Lesnar.

When the referee made the count of the three, I think it's fair to say that everyone both in the arena and watching elsewhere were truly shocked that the streak had been snapped especially when you saw some of the awesome facial expressions caught on camera.

Heading into WrestleMania though, whether it's just because we've almost been programmed to believe that the streak would never end or just because we didn't think Brock would be the guy, I don't believe anyone hand on heart could have said that they were 100% confident in Brock ending the streak.

I believe it was Deezy who made a good point in mentioning that the booking for the buildup to the match actually suggested that Brock would break the streak given how Undertaker had the upperhand but because it's the Undertaker, the streak and WrestleMania we didn't see it coming.

I'm just a little uncertain in all honesty on how the situation played it. I can't decide whether they always had it planned that Brock would be the guy to break it at 30, or whether Taker himself decided in the lead up to this match that his body was done so it was more a case of going with what's infront of them at the current time.

My instinct tells me that he's now retired from in-ring competition and they will do a retirement angle / sendoff shortly because surely if he wasn't retiring, they wouldn't want to pass up on the money matches at Mania against Sting & Cena would they? I mean sure you could still do a match against Sting or Cena where he can say that he doesn't want to go out the way he did but do those matches now not lose quite a lot of luster given it was always about the streak?

So what are your thoughts on this whole subject? Should the streak have stayed intact and was Brock the right guy to take on that mantle? What's next for Undertaker?

 

[Cwalker]

I had no problem with the streak ending, but I don't think it should've been Brock. Something that was built over twenty-plus years shouldn't have been ended by a guy who is only going to wrestle maybe 3 more times this year.

My two leading candidates to end the streak would've been Cena and Sheamus. Cena is obviously the face of the franchise and a victory over Taker at Mania would've been more of a symbolic passing of the torch than Cena going over Rock at 29.

And I say Sheamus because I feel like it would cement him. He's still a relatively fresh face considering that he's only been on TV about 5 years and it would be a major milestone for him to build on over the next 7-10 years of his career. Plus he's firmly established himself in a short time so it's not like they'd be giving the streak away to an unproven like a Roman Reigns(who I would've been in favor of breaking the streak 3 years from now)

But as far as Taker goes now, retirement should be obvious. He's got nothing left to fight for. He's become an attraction over the past 4 years and now that attraction is gone. A match with Sting or a match with Cena means nothing now that the streak is gone.

So I think it's time for him to call it a career. Once I actually came to terms with the streak ending, I wished he simply would've had his finally moment bowing to the fans before walking up the ramp and throwing his arm in the air and walking into a sunset. Would've been a fitting end to a great career.

 

[Kahuna]

People are forgetting a key factor in this story. It was Taker that challenged Brock. Brock didn't call out Taker or challenge the streak, it was Taker who gave Brock the shot. Taker lost.

Guys like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, Orton, really any guy who challenged him just for the sake of defeating the streak... lost. Why?

Historically the streak has been built up by guys who challenged Taker, WANTING to beat his streak. Id say 75% of the time when the streak was undeniably favored to end, Taker was challenged, and in the end, Taker won. Taker paid no mind until they got his attention somehow or earned the shot. Brock had an "open contract", Taker comes out and challenges him. That right there had me thinking Taker was ready to lose. Brock didn't say he was going to beat the streak, hell it wasn't even brought up until Taker showed up. Brock "could have" faced anyone, he could have chosen anyone but people seem to forget that Taker ultimately booked himself to lose.

I wont lie, sitting there I put my beer down and watched as I saw him laying there, after the 3 count and I saw the graphic...

21 - 1.

At first I thought they fucked the finish up, I thought, well shit, there was hardly any build up to the finish, the lack of reaction from the commentators and the stunned silence which turned into a hateful wave of "bullshit" chants, they must have fucked it up. Taker couldn't kick out? No energy? Something is amiss!

Then it dawned on me. Taker has been on the verge of losing countless times, beat up, battered, but always coming out on top with *this* much energy left. *this much* Energy against guys like CM Punk and Triple... guys that could barely beat Brock Lesnar, if at all. The true testament to the streak was not about who was to beat it, but who was to lose it... Taker lost and in the span of 3 seconds took every bit of emotion and anger from the crowd, they stunned 75,000 people for a good bit of time. They pulled something off that made WM 30 one of the most memorable moments, and in the process behind the shades of Taker's loss was Brock's win. No one who saw it will EVER forget that image, or that moment. I won't.

Brock doesn't need a title, he doesn't need any high tier feuds. Brock's WWE career will not be defined by being a WWE Champion, it will be defined by being the guy who beat the streak. This alone makes him HOF worthy. Agree or disagree, Brock won and while it pissed a lot of people off, I see the beauty behind it. If no one in WWE could do it, then you need someone who exceeds WWE and someone who has history with Taker. Something fitting for him, as WWE is solidly booked right now with guys who can and should carry the title and main event WM. People may hate him, people may say the wrong guy won, but look at it like this. Taker could never beat Brock. Not in 2002 when they were feuding for the WWE title, not in 2014 at WM 30. If Taker wanted to go out, and I believe it was ultimately his choice, it was against a guy who he could never beat. Did that factor into the storyline? Not really but that's the way I see it.

In the grand scheme of things to come in the years ahead, not taking anything away from Lesnar's win, but looking back people will sooner remember that at WM 30, it wasn't that Brock Lesnar won, it was that Undertaker lost. In essence Undertaker's streak will live on even through defeat.

 

[Cena's Jeans Shorts]

The concussion more than anything may decide whether Taker ultimately retires. He may have decided his body isn't quite there anymore and wants to open up a spot to the new generation of wrestlers. He very well could have just done this as something to give back to help give someone else an indirect rub without necessarily thinking he's done wrestling.

If in his mind, he knew Daniel Bryan was someone the WWE was looking to give a big title run, why not think this is the time to give up the streak against Brock knowing that Brock could help get Bryan over even more if they were to feud a couple months down the road? It could be a matter of knowing there's a lot of value in Brock still, and having him beat the streak gives him a rub that negates the losses to Cena and Trips, builds him back up as this monster heel. And who knows if Brock is open to more work to do a title run down the road.

As far as Taker not having the streak intact, he could have gone with a one more match deal, where it's about seeing if he has anything left in the tank, about being convinced he can beat Brock or Cena or whoever may be booked against him.

A big loss is a perfect, old-school way to go out. Whether it was meant for this year or next, who knows.

But I think if the concussion is as bad as the dirt sheets say, that's probably the biggest factor in deciding it may be time to stop entirely.

If there's anything that isn't entirely satisfying about that match, if it is indeed his final match, is that he probably did so disoriented from the concussion and not able to do it quite on his terms. However, we don't always get a say in such things, especially when the body finally has enough.

As much as I would have loved seeing him walk into the sunset with a great deal of fanfare, even with some major happy ending, it would be even more fitting if he quietly walked off in a way as mysterious as the character and the intensely private man behind the persona.

 

[Keith]

Personally I would not have ended the streak, but I don't think it matters too much that they did. Brock was a strange choice, but you can't denay that it was a powerful moment which made Wrestlemania history.

 

[PHX]

To me its shocking enough he lost but it is even more shocking that he lost to Brock and is very ballsy on WWE's part. This is the same guy who was looking like one of their faces of the company left them hanging and is someone who is only around every now and then. So I'm just curious as to why they picked Brock to be the guy though I'm sure for the reasons I said I'm shocked they picked him is part of why they felt he was the perfect heel to do it. The good thing of this is come next Wrestlemania they have a chance to boost someones career if whoever faces Brock next mania beats him since that would be beating the guy who broke the streak. So there is some good putting over situations that could come out of it if they do it right.

As for Taker I'd be shocked if he didn't just stay retired and never came back. He isn't the kind of guy who needs a big retirement ceremony or anything like that. The only reason he kept wrestling is over with now so it would be a good time for him to retire which would make the breaking of the streak even bigger since Brock could say he ended the streak and Taker's career. Still can't help but think how big that would have been for someone who could have used the boost but oh well.

 

[Deezy]

Brock beating Taker makes him bullet proof, getting a win over him is the biggest rub there is, and now everytime he comes back he is an attraction. He is still just 36 with limited dates, he could be an attraction for feasibly 10 years.

 

[PHX]

Yes and no and I say no because he already was an attraction before that just based on being the legit UFC bad ass guy who came back to WWE where no one can match him physically.

 

[Deezy]

But, everyone complained that he lost twice and talking about how it's all the same blah blah blah......Now he is the guy who ended the streak, and the guy who now looks like he can do whatever the fuck he wants now. Can always just remind people he was the one to end the streak. The ONE in 21-1. He can go for the title if he wants, shit him and Bryan at Summerslam or Mania.

 

[Dale]

But, everyone complained that he lost twice and talking about how it's all the same blah blah blah......Now he is the guy who ended the streak, and the guy who now looks like he can do whatever the fuck he wants now. Can always just remind people he was the one to end the streak. The ONE in 21-1. He can go for the title if he wants, shit him and Bryan at Summerslam or Mania.

He has to go on a serious unbeaten run now though otherwise beating the streak is almost for nothing. I dunno how I'd approach it now but I would quite possibly considering putting him as a WrestleMania attraction from here on and out and building a mini-streak of his own starting with Cena.

 

[Deezy]

All I know is, WWE just told their audience "don't make assumptions, anything can happen" and I'm glad for it.

Brock doesn't have to have a perfect record, just look dominant throughout.....Could be the Andre the Giant of WWE, brought out when neccessary and to bring the pain.

 

[Dale]

All I know is, WWE just told their audience "don't make assumptions, anything can happen" and I'm glad for it.

Brock doesn't have to have a perfect record, just look dominant throughout.....Could be the Andre the Giant of WWE, brought out when neccessary and to bring the pain.

I agree with you on the first part, while predictability isn't exactly a bad thing providing it's done right, there's just something magical about a well done surprise / shock / swerve whatever you want to call it.

I think if he sticks around for 3 matches a year then yeah I agree he doesn't have to have a perfect record however I would make sure he wins at Mania for the next few years if you can get him tied down for it, then lose probably one of his next 2 matches outside of Mania itself.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

Realistically, Taker had no chance whatsoever. Reports claim that people heard Taker tell Brock to "take it home" and other such remarks. I'm glad Lesnar won honestly. He was the perfect guy to do it. I really don't care if he's a part timer, so is Taker. There was no way Taker was gonna win that one. Taker looked awful in the ring too.

 

[Chris]

To be fair, it's hard to look good in the ring when you suffer a concussion a minute into the match.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

To be fair, it's hard to look good in the ring when you suffer a concussion a minute into the match.

I actually had no idea he suffered a concussion.