In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 34 , WWE officials made the decision that The Undertaker did not need to appear on WWE television before the actual event. As a result, the WWE Universe speculated from almost every angle and some fans weren’t sure if The Deadman would even appear at WrestleMania . At the event, The Undertaker made his in-ring return, but some huge changes were made before his appearance.
According to a report from DirtySheets , WWE officials were selling merchandise that featured The Phenom as a mix between “The Deadman” and “The American Badass” gimmicks he’s used over his WWE career. It has been said that WWE officials were planning for Kid Rock to play The Undertaker out to the ring for the match with John Cena, but that idea of scrapped after Kid Rock received a lot of negative media attention.
Apparently, Rock’s comments during his WWE Hall of Fame speech and more negative buzz forced WWE officials to cancel the gimmick change for The Undertaker and he performed under his normal “Deadman” persona. There was some speculation about The American Badass gimmick returning for the event, but it’s clear those rumors were correct since WWE officials waited until the day of the show to cancel their plans.
Obviously, The Undertaker’s “American Badass” gimmick returning even for one night would have been a huge surprise for the WWE Universe. All the stars seemed to align with Kid Rock’s Hall of Fame induction, but it’s unlikely the persona will ever return to WWE programming after being canceled last weekend. The segment and match still garnered a great reaction from the crowd and was a huge highlight of the evening.
It was just announced that The Undertaker will battle Rusev in a Casket Match during the “ Greatest Royal Rumble ” event later this month. The Deadman wrestling another match is a huge indication that the rumor about him extending his wrestling career for a few more years is true. It’s unclear what the future holds for him, but the WWE Universe will spend the next year trying to figure out if they can expect The Phenom to be in New York for WrestleMania 35 . It’s only a matter of time until some new rumors begin to spread.
