Dead Man Walking: Undertaker’s Legendary Streak

A packed arena falls silent as all the lights suddenly go out. In the dark, the crowd anxiously awaits the sound of a large bell to signal the tune of a death march in the background. DONG… DONG… The entire arena is lit up by lightning and an eerie mist envelops the long path leading to the ring. Then suddenly, the Undertaker emerges and begins his slow, long march down the hall.

If you’re a fan of wrestling, whether you love it or not, you have to applaud the dead man for giving each and every one of us, match after match, impressive performances. Although he has had many highly acclaimed matches throughout his career, his battles at WrestleMania have defined him in some ways: Buried Alive, Casket Match, Last Ride Match and Hell in a Cell.

All of these exciting matches have been associated with the phenomenon and have either headlined WrestleMania as the main event or acted as a third main event. Even if he wasn’t headlining, his fights have surely received the most publicity. How could it not be? The presence of his mother in the ring was enough to speak for himself. In some ways, this has also led to an unplanned and unexpected story in the Undertaker’s already illustrious career: The Streak.

At the end of the 90s and at the dawn of the new millennium, his so-called “streak” was nothing more than a series of consecutive victories. Wrestling fans and announcers never really talked about it and it was never really an issue. The Streak seemed to have come to life of its own; and the entire organization was smart enough to notice. From his matches against Sean “The Heartbreak Kid” Michaels to Triple H, Hunter Heart Helmsley, the man from Death Valley, time and time again, has risen from the dead for the referee to count his opponent.

But this streak has also been frowned upon by others. Some say he was in the right place at the right time. Others believe that his first matches were against lackluster opponents whose careers had already peaked and were looking for an anticlimactic way out. Whatever the debate, it’s clear that this has immortalized him in a way that no other superstar can replicate.

With WrestleMania drawing near, fans are expected to flock by the millions to see if the Phenom will be able to continue his winning ways or finally rest in peace.