It’s becoming official finally, and WWE fans are likely feeling a certain way about the Undertaker stating that he’s going to fully retire from the WWE, at least from the action part of it. One can imagine that he might make special appearances here and there since many wrestlers that retired in their day have made it a habit to come back now and again to the pleasure of the fans. But this is a monumental day in wrestling history since Mark Calaway has been a part of the WWE universe for so long that it’s hard to think of the show going on without him any longer, even if he does pop in from time to time. If what he’s said is any indication though, his body is just about used up when it comes to the high-octane performance that he’s been putting on for so long, and things have been headed this way for some time now. Most wrestlers don’t have a very long career when it comes to this business, since despite the fact that this is a scripted show, a lot of the hits and falls they take are all too real, and even if they train and choreograph everything, accidents do tend to happen, and the physical strain that is placed on the performers is so intense at times that they tend to find that they can’t keep going after a while. Mark has lucked out in a way since his three-decade-long career has seen him take some nasty spills and endure a great deal of pain, but he’s managed to keep coming back most times.
Some wrestlers continue to wrestle long after their best days have come and gone for various reasons. Some need the money, some need the constant gratification that the fans bring, and some just don’t have anything else to fall back on. By the time a wrestler is used up and unable to keep going it’s best if they have something built up or another skill to fall back on since otherwise there’s no retirement plan for a lot of them. Depending on who one believes, there also isn’t any such thing as company health insurance for WWE wrestlers, but this is kind of a muddied point that needs a little more inspection when it comes to just who is able to benefit from the company’s protection and who is on their own. Considering the fact that Mark has been in tight with Vince McMahon for so long it’s easy to think that he’s been doing just fine when it comes to being taken care of in a physical manner, especially since he’s been such a huge attraction for so long. The Undertaker has gone through a few different evolutions in his time with the company, and they’ve all been revered since he’s played up each character for the fans that have continued to support him and the company.
He’s been the Deadman, the American Badass, and he’s been one of the favorite wrestlers of fans for decades, and seeing him step back finally feels like it’s going to cause a serious shift in the dynamic of the WWE. Hell in a Cell is going to be different, Wrestlemania will be different, and the landscape of the WWE is going to feel different without Mark there since he’s been such a huge part of the show for so long that even trying to imagine it without him is kind of difficult. The best thing about Mark though is that he didn’t really try to upstage people, as he mentored a few wrestlers in his time with the company, and he was a valued asset that actually put a few wrestlers over, meaning he helped to advance the careers of his fellow wrestlers and managed to stay in character the entire time. Whether people like to hear it or not, he was fully on board with Brock Lesnar ending his Wrestlemania streak, and he was also on board with Roman Reigns taking the next Wrestlemania win over him. In fact, his loss to Reigns was supposed to be his last match since the idea of putting his coat and hat in the middle of the ring was to signal that he was retiring finally.
But while he wrestled in several matches after that, Mark could obviously feel that his body was starting to fail him since after so many years the effort to get himself back into fighting shape and get ready for each appearance was taking a greater toll on him with each passing year. Watching him get ready for a match at one point was almost a painful experience for many viewers since seeing one of their favorite wrestlers in a weakened state wasn’t easy. But the hope is that retirement will suit him and that he’ll be happy with whatever comes next. He’s earned it many times over.
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