Sports fans remember streaks. There is just something magical and exciting about them. The Atlanta Braves won 14 straight division titles. The Philadelphia 76ers are on the verge of shattering the longest losing streak in NBA history. Most fans could tell you who, to this day, owns the title of longest hitting streak in MLB -- Joe DiMaggio at 56 games. Streaks like these are rare, and people will always remember them because it takes such a long time before they are broken, if ever. The Undertaker's incredible WrestleMania winning streak is on the line once again this year as "The Phenom" takes on Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 on Sun., April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Is the time right for 'Taker to finally lose, or will that time ever come?
We really don't know how many more WrestleMania matches 'Taker still has in him, but I'd bet you could count them on one hand. If WWE elects to give somebody the rub and go over 'Taker at WrestleMania it won't be until the man himself comes to the conclusion he can't go anymore. With that said, Lesnar ending the streak this year is probably not going to happen, nor should it. A rub of that significance should be saved for somebody who is going to be with the company for a many years to come. Giving it to Lesnar, John Cena, Sting, or any other veteran or part-timer would not be a wise decision on the company's part. That's not to say I wouldn't like to see Undertaker wrestle more veterans or part-timers, I just don't think any of them should be booked to go over in the match.
When doing a brief scan of the current WWE roster the list of potential candidates to receive a rub like this is relatively small. Bray Wyatt, Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, and maybe Dean Ambrose would probably be atop the list, but do any of these superstars really need to beat Undertaker to become stars in the company? I lean towards "no", but you could probably talk me into Wyatt or Ambrose. Maybe. To make a decision as big as booking Undertaker to lose at WrestleMania you have to be completely sold on the wrestler going over as a top company guy going forward. Once it's done; it's done.
Perhaps the best route to take with Undertaker's WrestleMania streak is to leave it completely intact. Sure, it would be a huge story to see the streak end. But maybe keeping something as intriguing as the streak intact is far more beneficial for both the company and Undertaker's legacy going forward.
Hypothetically, let's say the Undertaker beats Lesnar at WrestleMania 30, and finally faces Sting at WrestleMania 31 next year and wins. And that's it. Undertaker finishes 23-0 and rides off into the sunset with a perfect WrestleMania record. WWE has the option to keep the streak alive forever, which other professional sports don't have the option of. Streaks end in baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer and football. Somebody else always comes along, but in wrestling that's not the case. There will never be another Undertaker, and there will likely never be another WWE superstar that comes close to matching Undertaker's WrestleMania streak. It's a draw, and can stay one long after he is gone.
If you ask DiMaggio, Wayne Gretzky, or Cal Ripken Jr. if they'd like to see their prestigious records broken at some point I have my doubts they'd welcome the idea, even though it's likely to happen at some point or another. The Undertaker's streak doesn't have to end, nor should it. WWE has the opportunity to preserve the memory of one of its most legendary stars as an unbeatable opponent one night a year, no matter who he faced.
That's something worth preserving.