Roman Reigns could be the first man to go into a match at "WrestleMania" against The Undertaker without being considered an underdog. If the latest WWE rumors are true, the plans for the Dead Man and the former muscle of The Shield could result in an uproar, as many fans that are a part of the WWE Universe will be incredibly upset if The Undertaker loses to Roman Reigns.
What follows is just the first in a series of "WrestleMania" Résumé articles in which we take a look at a current or former WWE Superstar's history at "WrestleMania" and what it might tell us about that competitor at "Wrestlemania 33" in Orlando.
'WrestleMania' record
23-1. In all reality, there will likely never be anyone with a "WrestleMania' record that rivals The Undertaker's. After going undefeated for his first 21 matches at "WrestleMania," Brock Lesnar finally broke the streak at "WrestleMania XXX" in New Orleans. If Reigns manages to get a victory over Taker, he'll be able to accomplish something that such greats as Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and CM Punk never could.
Title matches
Despite this being The Undertaker's twenty-fifth match at "WrestleMania," he's only ever challenged for a title three times at WWE's biggest PPV of the year. Even though his matches are generally billed as one of multiple "main event" matches on the "Mania" card, he hasn't competed for a world title at the event since 2008.
While some thought The Undertaker would win this year's "Royal Rumble" Match, he was eliminated by Reigns.
At "WM23" and "WM24," The Undertaker defeated Batista and Edge, ending their respective World Heavyweight Championship title reigns. 10 years before that, at "WM13," he defeated Sycho Sid for the WWE Championship in the main event.
Main event matches
With the "WrestleMania" PPV now lasting over four hours every year (not to mention the two-hour pre-show), they often bill the card as having a double or even triple main event. But most fans consider the final match of the night to be the true main event.
Surprisingly enough, The Undertaker has only closed out "WrestleMania" on three occasions.
His title matches at "WM13" and "WM23" were the final matches of the show, as was HBK's rematch at "WM26."
Worthy competition
With 24 matches under his belt, The Undertaker has faced some pretty epic competition at the annual event, including Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Kane, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Edge, Batista, Randy Orton, Ric Flair, Sycho Sid, Diesel and King Kong Bundy.
When guys like Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Shane McMahon and Jimmy Snuka are considered some of your "easier" opponents, it's clear that you don't have to prove anything to anyone. The Undertaker is clearly in a class of his own when it comes to "WrestleMania."
The Shield promo from an undisclosed location where they claim that The Undertaker is very much afraid of them. #DeanAmbrose pic.twitter.com/y5fYJYWJHu
— D.C. (@DarrenConnolly_) March 7, 2017
'WrestleMania' moment(s)
While many WWE Superstars are still looking for the first iconic moment at the event, it's hard to nail down just one for The Undertaker.
Holding up the title in a purple haze after defeating Sid was a huge moment, as was his victory over Shawn Michaels that sent HBK into retirement. Of course, the shock of Taker finally losing at the hands of Brock Lesnar is a pretty huge moment in WWE history. But would a loss to Roman Reigns at the upcoming event ultimately tarnish one of the biggest feats in professional wrestling history?
Predictions for 'WM 33'
As it stands, The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns will be a singles match without any special stipulations, even if some suspect that it could be The Undertaker's final match in WWE.
Unless the WWE wants Roman Reigns to be a monster heel, having him defeat The Undertaker doesn't make any sense at all.
Every year, they want the fans to believe that The Undertaker is vulnerable. And with the obvious exception of Brock Lesnar three years ago, it was all hype. This year will prove to be like the 23 other years that The Undertaker left "WM" victorious.
This match is going to be amazing at #WrestleMania 33!@WWERomanReigns #RomanReigns #Undertaker #TheUndertaker #WrestleMania33 pic.twitter.com/N1RVz3UMhZ
— The Shield (@TheShieldWWEx3) March 12, 2017
"WrestleMania 33" airs live from Orlando on the WWE Network on April 3.