Thank You Undertaker

Last night on the day he made his WWF debut 30 years ago Undertaker officially call it a career. This fan been with him in his entire WWF/WWE run. I got emotional watching celebration of his career. From the final walk to the ring with his trademark pyrotechnics and setup, the final speech, his trademark pose with a hologram of the late Paul Bearer (great tear-jerking excellent touch!) to the final walk up the ramp. I wish this was done in front of a crowd, but covid put every crowd holding plans on hold. I want to say thank you Undertaker. He is part of my growing up days from a kid to adulthood. You deserve a long rest and into the darkness. This fan will forever miss you in the ring.

I want you check out his interviews with Steve Austin on Broken Skull Sessions and docuseries Last Ride. It's a great rare in-depth look of his career and his tough final years in the ring. Also check out Meeting the Undertaker as wrestlers and personnel give details when did they first met him in the wrestling business. Another documentary to check out called The Mortician: The Story of Paul Bearer on his former late manager who been with him month after he debut and became vital part of Undertaker storyline throughout the years as well Brothers of Destruction as Undertaker and Kane spoke on infamous wrestling storyline. All of these shows are on WWE Network.

Undertaker's Last Ride

Can't believe it took me a week to get through this. As I get older there are times part of your childhood dies. One of those moments happend at end of Wrestlemania 33. This wrestler been through high and low times of WWE with his mystique presence in the ring. He put on hundreds of memorable moments from matches to angles. He is known for "The Streak" at Wrestlemania. That legendary wrestler is The Undertaker.

After his loss he put down his gloves, jacket, and hat in middle of the ring signaling his retirement. It was bittersweet and sad with tears appear from this fan as he made his final walk up the ramp knowing this is the final time The Undertaker get to be in the ring. As a fan you know he's going to retire but didn't expect the impact of it.

I started watching in early of 1991 when I was 10. During that time The Undertaker was few months into his WWF run. I grew up watching him through his entire 26 1/2 years run. I witness the start of his Wrestlemania winning streak beating the late Jimmy Snuka at Wrestlemania 7. Watched him shoved The Ultimate Warrior in a casket on Superstars. Watched him beat Hulk Hogan for WWE World Heavyweight title, a first of many times he won the top belt of the company. Watched him turn face and obliterated everyone in his feuds for years til he faced Mick Foley as Mankind in 1996. It was this on and off feud that made Mankind as credible threat doing something that never been in his previous feuds from 1991-1995: getting the best out of him at times. They would have high impact brawls featuring gimmick matches such as boiler room and buried alive match. Both would have infamous match in 1998 when they faced each other at King of the Ring. It was that match Undertaker sent Foley off top of the cage and through announce table. Then later on he chokeslam him from top of the cage but ceiling gave out and Foley gets sent down to middle of the ring. The feud also introduced Kane subplot storyline, his little brother thought to be dead but is alive and looking for revenge. He fought Shawn Michaels in first ever Hell in Cell which Kane finally debut tombstoning him costing him the match. Like Mankind, both feuded on and off through the years, but with a twist teaming together on same side at times. He took drastic change going from Deadman to American Badass in 2000 riding a motorcycle down to the ring. After few years being "Biker Taker" he reverted back to Deadman in 2004. He continued on beating wrestlers and take names and souls with memorable matches and feuds with Batista, Edge, Big Show, and Shawn Michaels. Even he became part-time Wrestlemania only match it was still a sight to see him battle and continue put on good against Triple H and CM Punk to add more to his Wrestlemania winning streak.

Then came Wrestlemania 30 in biggest shock of wrestling world as Brock Lesnar beat him ending his glorious long Wrestlemania winning streak leaving the crowd stunned silenced. It was this match saw the decline of The Undertaker. Decades of bumps finally took a toll on his body and his age catching up on him. He would have mini-feud with Brock Lesnar in summer of 2015 but its hard to watch him gutting out and going through pain despite how good the matches are. After few painful matches and giving it all he decide to hang it up after Wrestlemania 33.

I had opportunity to watch The Undertaker live in person few times. Despite being a fan in 1991 I never been to live WWE show til 2002 when they start coming to Odessa, TX where I used to live in the area. He was in main event against Steve Austin, in his final month before walking out on the company, at house show. The crowd was hot the entire time at Ector County Coliseum as both had fun heated brawl which Undertaker won. The same type of match was done at Judgment Day PPV minus Austin foot on the rope. Funny how it was great to watch it live but two weeks later came off dead on PPV. Seen him the following year teaming with Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar to taking on FBI which his team won. And again in 2004 beating Booker T. The next I saw The Undetaker live was 12 years later taking on Shane McMahon at Wrestlemania 32 in Hell in the Cell. Then the final time was at this year Royal Rumble eliminating Goldberg before getting unceremoniously dumped by Roman Reigns achieving white heat status from the crowd for it.

The Undertaker will be missed in the ring by wrestling fans. Not once he threaten to jump to WCW staying loyal to WWE throughout his 26 1/2 year career there. He been there for tail end of Hogan era through New Generation into Attitude followed with Ruthless Aggression going to PG and into Reality era. Thank you Undertaker for those memories and times seen through eyes of this fan as I grew up. Hope see you at WWE Hall of Fame soon most likely next year.

Rebel's Top 10 Wrestling Matches of the Year - Part 2 (1-5)

This is part 2 of my 2012 Top 10 wrestling matches of the year. They are based on matches and shows I saw throughout the year. You can part 1 here. This list ranked no. 1-5.

 5. John Cena vs Brock Lesnar - WWE Extreme Rules

This match is far different than the cookie-cutter matches WWE puts out. The entire match had a big time fight club feel with a cocky Brock overpowering and completely destroying over-confident Cena most of the match. At the end over-confidence prevails over cockiness. I haven't questioned the finish.

 

4. Robert Evans vs Portia Perez - ACW Guilty By Association 6 (Grudge Match)

  

This match filled emotional hatred and it showed throughout the battle. Short story of a year long build Robert Evans confessed his love to Portia Perez and she responded with a superkick splitting up the team. While Evans gone marching, Portia terrorize ACW til fall of 2011 when Evans came marching back costing her matches. After Evans first match in ACW in almost year Perez return the favor back superkicking him and issuing a grudge match challenge at Guilty by Association 6. What a match they produce. Before the match I could feel the hate between these two as Evans stared down at Perez. Once the bell rang they fought, battle, brutalize each other all over the ring trying to break each other will for almost 30 minutes. After the brutal hard-fought battle Evans came out on top in one of best emotionally invested hatred of a match....and its not the end to this saga yet.

 

3. Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan - WWE Extreme Rules (2 out of 3 falls match)

After 18 second match at Wrestlemania 28 these two got another go this time at Extreme Rules in a 2 out of 3 falls match.This time crowd nearly split based from aftermath of their Wrestlemania match. They were for happy-go-lucky tough guy Sheamus because he's the good guy to sympathetic Daniel Bryan who felt got cheated out of his moment.This should have been their long Wrestlemania match, these two put on amazing performance as they traded falls before Sheamus came out on top.

 

2. CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan - WWE Over the Limit

 This match has classic written all over way before their PPV encounter. Both battle to two non-finish matches on RAW which they tore down the house each time. Their third battle took place at Over the Limit this time for WWE World Title. They gave fans another masterpiece this time for near 30 minutes with a finish. They were times you thought either man would win. At the end CM Punk took victory and kept his belt.

 1. Undertaker vs Triple H - Wrestlemania 28 (Hell in the Cell)

My 2012 match of the year. One hell of a battle in this hard-hitting slugfest between two legends with a third legend involved in this match. I watched this live at friend's place and on edge our feet each moment, each move, each pin. There were times when you thought Undertaker streak would end throughout the shear brutality inside the Cell. Undertaker prevailed again pinning Triple H. This match far exceeded their Wrestlemania 17 and 27 matches. The post match of Undertaker, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels embracing in the ring and on stage gave a good lasting image. Dubbed "End of Era" they gave the fans are memorable last hurrah.