At Wrestlemania 33, the “Big Dog” Roman Reigns did what the WWE Universe didn’t want to see; defeat and retire the Undertaker. Regardless of how you saw it, logically it didn’t make sense to have Taker take the win and that should be the end of the legend.

A brief history of Cena and Taker

Big Match John has not faced Taker since "No Way Out" in 2007 and that was a tag team match between him and Shawn Michaels, and Batista and the Deadman. HBK capitalized on Batista’s betrayal to nail Sweet Chin Music on Taker and allow Cena to score the pin. Ever since then, neither legend has crossed paths, in any capacity.

The last time these men faced off was in a 2003 episode of Smackdown that followed their match at that year’s Vengeance. Prior to that, Cena defeated Taker in order to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at "Backlash," earlier that year. That’s it, scurry throughout the internet for a bout between them, but you’re not going to find one.

Take a look at Taker’s recent matches

The last time Taker had an amazing match was at Wrestlemania 28, against Triple H. The bout against CM Punk at Mania 29 was really good, but it fell short of the previous event. After "Wrestlemania XXX," Taker hasn’t been able to leave us in awe. It’s quite understandable, given his age. When Brock Lesnar faced him, the match itself was ok at the very least.

Lesnar did a great job in carrying the match, despite the early injury that Taker suffered. After that, the matches against Bray Wyatt, Shane McMahon, and Roman Reigns were far from instant classics. John Cena is always a reliable performer and he is one of the guys that can make a broomstick look like an amazing wrestler, but that’s only because the broomstick is smaller and easier to move.

In comparison, the Deadman is far from small and easy to move. In addition to that, how much damage can he take? Ok, Cena’s AA only looks brutal due to the elevation of the Finisher, but it will be a massive frame that will hit the floor. Logically speaking, one AA isn’t going to put away Taker, and don’t expect him to tap out to the STF.

Their match will rely on strikes and basic grappling, that’s as magical as it’s going to be. In order for this encounter to pass off as decent will be based on time and how much work Cena can do.

The emotion will be dead

It's not a pun, it’s true. At least after Reigns won and left the ring, Taker was able to soak in the praise and love from the fans in attendance. There is no price that can be put on that once in a lifetime moment that creates tears when you watch it again. We only felt that way, because we were led to believe that it was the end. If Taker was to lace up his boots for another round, what kind of reaction would he get? Will the fans feel betrayed or filled with joy? If negative emotions play a huge role in how they perceive the rumors alone, just imagine the mess if it comes true.

It will be far from what we felt from Ric Flair’s and Shawn Michaels’ retirement matches.

No one is the real winner

The reality of the matter is that neither man will be a winner. Undertaker does not benefit from a win. His legacy was defined by the streak before it was broken. The wins, after that loss, lack substance in comparison to their predecessors. What? Can he add to his resume that he defeated John Cena – 2018? That is like the end of a novel in which the protagonist defeats the antagonist in the very final sentence of the story, without an explanation.

For Johnny Boy, he will be the third guy to beat the Undertaker. Lesnar’s win will always hold a bigger significance. Underneath this illusion that is presented to us lies the story of a middle-aged man trying to fight an old man that just entered a retirement home.

That makes the fans their children and grandchildren. The kids are ones that are never satisfied, no matter what you give them. At the end of the day, the result WWE wants is that at least Cena and Taker finally had their match. The rest of the card will suffer greatly if Taker returns, as everyone will be focused more on him than the Royal Rumble winners. That’s it, no more dream matches.
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