Now that we're two weeks removed from WrestleMania 30, much has become clear. Undertaker's streak ended and it was the most unlikely of candidates to bring it to a screeching halt, or at least that's been the prevailing thought. The reality may be altogether different.
It's hard to tell truth from fiction in the world of professional wrestling but the one thing nearly universally agreed upon, including by those who work within the industry, is that Undertaker was the man who made the decision to end the streak. Sure, Vince McMahon may have suggested this be the year but whether or not "The Deadman" would do the job was always entirely up to him.
But why lose it to Brock Lesnar, the part time star who can't be trusted to even stick around long enough to reap the benefits from being the man to defeat it? For his money, Kevin Nash offered an idea we've openly speculated about. From his interview with our own Jason Martin (@GuyNamedJason) alongside co-hosts Brandon Haghany and David Reed at Squared Circle Radio on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville (@ZoneWrestling):
"From what I've understood, it was Mark's call, you know, it was 'Taker's call. People don't remember that 'Taker showed up at a UFC fight and got in Lesnar's face. People don't realize that. Now, when you put the DVD set together, that will be a pretty poignant thing right there. It's not like... things in that universe just don't happen. That was calculated. That was set there.
"I saw Mark in the green room; he was moving slow. Can he do it for five or six more years? Sure he could. The guy could walk on glass if you asked him to because he's a tough guy. But I just think that at this point if you're going to lose and the streak is going to be beaten, I want to be beat by the shoot UFC champion. I want somebody that people look at and go 'that's a bad boy right there'. I would have never beaten him. If it was my company, I would have never beaten him and he would have rode off into the sunset."
(Listen to the full audio by clicking here.)
Nash seems to hit the nail on the head as far as Undertaker's seemingly old school mentality and that likely being the culprit behind his decision to lose to Lesnar. Because, in the end, who better to lose to than a legitimate former fighting champion?
Right?