Published 18:35 IST, May 22nd 2020
The Undertaker's hunt for the perfect swansong continues in The Last Ride Chapter 3
The Last Ride: A look at The Undertaker's last match at Madison Square Garden and how he struggled to come to terms as the end of his WWE career neared.
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The Undertaker's WWE career so far has been nothing short of phenomenal. Despite being 55 years of age, Taker is just as big a name in WWE as he was during his peak. What was expected to be his last match at WrestleMania 33 against Roman Reigns, turned into a match that only opened new avenues for the future Hall of Famer. WWE's critically acclaimed documentary, 'Undertaker: The Last Ride' sheds light on the events after his WrestleMania 33 match and how Taker refused to let go of his passion and kept returning to the ring time after time.
Also Read | WWE News: The Last Ride Features Never-seen-before Footage Of John Cena Aiding The Undertaker
ACT 1: Taker's final match at Madison Square Garden
Chapter Two of the five-part series closed on his WrestleMania 34 match against John Cena. The episode shed light on how Taker (real name Mark Calaway) wanted the match to last longer but was generally satisfied with the result. Chapter Three starts right where it left off as we see Calaway, his wife, Michelle McCool, and his daughter react to his match against the leader of Cenation. Three weeks later, Taker took part in his first match ever in Saudi Arabia, beating Rusev in a casket match at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Despite Taker being a shell of his previous dominating self, it was evident that he was still a big draw for WWE and Vince McMahon.
The focus then shifts to Taker reacting to his final career match at Madison Square Garden. The Undertaker teamed up with Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman in a six-man tag-team match against Kevin Owens, Baron Corbin and Elias. A tombstone piledriver to Owens for the three count ended the match and the Garden bid farewell to The Phenom.
ACT 2: Reliving some of his greatest WrestleMania matches
October 6, 2018, at Super ShowDown, Australia, The Undertaker was scheduled to face Triple H, billed as 'The Last Match Ever'. As the buildup for the feud begins, Taker cuts back to his legendary WrestleMania feud with Shawn Michaels and Triple H. In snippets, we run through the four WrestleMania matches which many consider the holy grail of Undertaker's WrestleMania displays.
WrestleMania 25 & 26: Taker and Michaels tear the stadium apart
Shawn Michaels and Taker delivered arguably one of the best matches of their careers at the Grandest Stage of Them All. Two different personas and two of the most technical wrestlers in WWE locked horns at the NRG Stadium (formerly Reliant Stadium), to deliver a fine piece of storytelling. Taker stood tall at the end as he caught HBK mid-air to deliver his signature Tombstone Piledriver.
The WrestleMania 25 match already set the bar very high for any sequel, but the veterans delivered once again as Michaels scripted the perfect ending to his WWE chapter. Despite never seeing eye-to-eye on a personal level, The Phenom and HBK held the utmost respect for each other. Both men battered each other in the 'Streak vs Career' match, which Taker won. A gesture of respect from one legend to another concluded their storyline on a high note.
WrestleMania 27 & 28: Triple H continues the fairytale story
With Michaels out of the picture, Triple H took it upon himself to end Taker's WrestleMania streak. The WrestleMania 27 match saw Triple H dominate The Deadman, exposing the ageing veteran's flaws. However, one moment of lapse in concentration and The Undertaker once again stood tall over his foe. The Deadman locked in a Hell's Gate on Hunter in the middle of the ring, who slowly faded out before tapping out.
The final page of the storyline was the WrestleMania 28 meeting between Triple H and Taker. What started at WrestleMania 25 with one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history between Taker and HBK ended at WrestleMania 28, when Taker beat Triple H at Hell in a Cell with HBK as the guest referee. Four matches, four years and a culmination of fantastic storytelling.
The likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Michael Cole, react to the matches as the camera slowly rolls onto Taker training for his match against Hunter. Michaels and Kane accompanied the two men in the ring. Triple H won the match, thanks to interference from HBK. Instead of serving as a short reunion of legends, the match paved the way for something bigger - Shawn Michaels' comeback from retirement.
Also Read | The Undertaker Reveals How Much Longer He Wanted The Undertaker WrestleMania Streak To Last Longer
ACT 3: Hunt for the perfect swansong
Crown Jewel 2018, main event - D Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) vs Brothers of Destruction; four legends of the industry, well past their primes, in front of a buzzing Saudi fanbase, what could go wrong? Arguably one of the worst matches in recent history, the four legends openly admitted the match went haywire. From Hunter tearing his pectoral muscle to Kane's mask being ripped off his face, the flaws in the match were evident and rightly documented.
The match culminates and a dejected Taker walks backstage with his head down. Has Taker's obsession for wrestling taken him too far? Does he need to stop looking for the perfect last dance? Fans start to speculate if Taker should finally hang up his boots after his Crown Jewel debacle. Several questions raised, none answered as the curtains fall on Chapter 3 of 'Undertaker: The Last Ride'
Chapter 3 of 'Undertaker: The Last Ride' will be available to stream on the WWE Network on Sunday at 10 am ET (Sunday, 7:30 pm IST).
18:35 IST, May 22nd 2020