The WWE announced last night that The Undertaker would be returning to RAW next week in New Orleans. For anyone who has been paying attention to the WWE landscape over the past few months, the move seems to contradict the message the Undertaker delivered on the 900th episode of Smackdown LIVE when he voiced his loyalty for Team Smackdown ahead of their Survivor Series matchup.
During that very same promo, Taker announced that he was back “digging holes and taking souls”, and more importantly that “Wrestlemania would no longer define him.” Since then, it has been rumored that Undertaker would be involved with AJ Styles at Royal Rumble and eventually John Cena at Wrestlemania. Last week, however, it was announced that Cena and Styles would face off at Rumble, leaving the Undertaker’s position in limbo.
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So why is the Undertaker returning next week on RAW and what will could it mean for the WWE landscape heading into Wrestlemania33? We’ve come up with 5 intriguing possibilities.
To Announce His Entry Into The Royal Rumble
For likely the first time in WWE history, two of the favorites for the Royal Rumble are men in their 50s. With Goldberg hunting down one more championship run, the former WCW champion is a heavy favorite to be among the last participants in the 30 man battle royal.
With The Undertaker yet having a clear path to a marquee matchup at Wrestlemania, his entry in the Royal Rumble would make perfect sense. The Deadman is heavily rumored to be involved in a Championship match at Mania and winning the Rumble would be a great way to get him there.
RAW Needs The Ratings
Last week Smackdown Live finally topped RAW in the ratings for the first time since the brand split. The complaints of RAW’s 3 hour drag are very real. According to the latest WWE rumors from iDigitalTimes, part of the reason why the ratings for both Raw and SmackDown are falling is that the market is over-saturated with WWE stuff. “WWE fatigue is beginning to set in as fans are turning to cutdown Hulu versions of Raw or YouTube for clips of shows. With falling ratings come band-aids for the company such as Bill Goldberg who come in and pop ratings temporarily. That means precious television time going to washed up stars instead of talent who are on the road every single week. The WWE will not change the current formula anytime soon so 2017 will continue to see falling ratings and general disinterest at shows.”
It’s highly likely Undertaker would have been returning back to Smackdown had the RAW ratings not been so horrendous.
To throw Us Off The Scent of Cena VS Undertaker
You can’t blame the WWE for not wanting everyone to know their Wrestlemania main event 3 months in advance. When John Cena returned to Smackdown last week, he was showered with Undertaker chants.
All I want is The Undertaker vs John Cena at Wrestlemania 33. #RAW #SDLive pic.twitter.com/QK5b68GSR4
— Markell Bailey (@tenorbuds) January 3, 2017
If Taker returns to RAW, it could keep him seperate from Cena for the time being, which would allow an eventual Cena vs Undertaker program feel a bit more unexpected.
To Set Up A Roman Reigns Feud
As of a few weeks ago, The Undertaker’s name came up as a possibility to face Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 33. The prevailing thought was that if this is the Undertaker’s final year in the WWE, it would make more sense for him to pass the torch to Roman Reigns, who many believe is the future of the company. While a win over Undertaker would be an impressive notch on Reigns’ resume, it would certainly only further the WWE universe’s disdain for the former muscle of The Shield.
To Announce His Retirement
Last year, The Undertaker reportedly told Vince McMahon that he was “done” after his Hell In A Cell match with Shane McMahon. Taker’s health clearly rebounded enough to convince both he and the WWE that he had another run left in him. While it’s never safe to count the Deadman out, at 51 years old, Taker’s legendary career has to come to an end at some point.
I don’t expect The Undertaker to announce an immediate retirement, but it’s very possible he could announce that he is on a quest to win one more WWE championship at Wrestlemania or retire trying.
While many would like to see Taker retire on top, it is wrestling tradition to lose on the way out; just as Shawn Michaels did when he faced Taker at Wrestlemania 25.
