I will write about my thoughts on the rest of the show in the next couple of days, but this one deserves an article of its own. SHOCK and AWE don’t even begin to adequately describe it.
Most long time fans, every wrestling insider I am aware of, and people who have been in the business longer than Brock Lesnar has been alive all predicted The Streak would never end. Just a few days ago, I wrote an editorial all-but-guaranteeing a Taker victory (see it here). Good Ol’ JR, Jim Ross, has said on numerous occasions that “no sane person” has ever suggested that Taker should lose at WrestleMania.
Related: WrestleMania 30 Results
Frankly, I am at a loss.
Though, for the record, I would disagree with every one of them, I could see a few reasons to break The Streak.
- Let’s say they wanted to go all-in on a talent as the man to launch the next “Hulkamania.” They had Hulk bodyslam Andre to take his place as the Immortal One. Maybe you have a young guy like Roman Reigns break The Streak at catapult himself into super-stardom.
- Maybe you want to cement someone’s legacy and stroke their ego, so a guy like HHH, Shawn “Mr. Wrestlemania” Michaels, Ric Flair, or even John Cena gets to break the streak. For the record… HHH did the job for Taker three times, Michaels did it twice, and Flair did it once. Cena never got his shot.
- Maybe, as Jim Ross points out in his FoxSports.com article (see it here), The Undertaker is just that beaten up and this might be his last match. If that is the case, maybe WWE could see it as a way to negotiate for something they see as more valuable. For instance, imagine if CM Punk (who already did the job once), agreed to come back, sign a long term deal, and make a bunch of concessions in exchange for The Streak. After all, The Streak could easily be seen as the biggest prize in the history of the sport. No title could even come close.
So, who gets the honor of breaking The Streak?…. A guy who had a short, albeit strong, run in the early 2000’s, and then left to play football, and then came back as “The Beast” but was strangely booked to lose to just about everyone (Cena, HHH, etc.).
Even if we grant that someone went delusional and decided to end The Streak, how does Lesnar even show up on a top 10 list of people to do it?
Jim Ross points out in his article (linked above) that WWE may have wanted to try to monetize on Lesnar, but there has to be at least 100 ways to do that without giving him The Streak.
I just don’t get it folks.. I really don’t.
I guess I will end where I started…. WOW! Just…. WOW!
Related: WrestleMania 30 Gallery
Of course, thoughts and comments are welcome as usual.
