Ending the streak.
 

I don't know if anybody read this but this might possibly be the best thing I've read from Lance Storm.

Booking The Streak

April 23, 2013

I've been asked many times whether I think the Undertaker's Streak should ever be broken. Originally I thought absolutely, it's what this business is about; you should always pass the torch. What's the point of building something up if at the end of that run it isn't used to get over that next generation? That thinking was several years ago and for the last few years I've changed my thinking. My new thinking on this was that the Streak means so much now a guy has to be built up to the point where he is already made in order to challenge for it, and if the guy is already made he doesn't need the win to be made so why not leave the Undertaker's legacy intact.

Well my thinking has changed once again and it was thanks to an idea, or more sort of a questions asked by my friend Todd Martin (@ToddMartinMMA). Todd's question was: Is the Streak being broken a better story? This got me looking at the problem from a whole different perspective. Instead of thinking, what's better for business, I'm looking at it strictly from a drama and storytelling aspect and deciding which is the better story. After some pondering I've made up my mind on what I think the better story is, and in the end it's even the best thing for business. The only shame is that it should have been started a couple years ago, for maximum effectiveness. I discussed this idea on my last F4W online interview and many people liked it so I thought I would share it all with you here.

Booking the Streak:

Yes I would break the streak, and oddly enough it doesn't even matter by whom. I would start the angle with a simple interview with the Undertaker. In the interview the Undertaker needs to be asked if he thinks anyone will ever be able to beat the Streak or if he thinks he will retire with the Streak intact. To this I would have Undertaker reply that he has no intention of retiring until someone does beat the Streak. Continuing the Streak as long as possible is the ultimate challenge and retiring before someone beats it, would be like quitting. He will not retire with 21 or 22 straight victories and live out his life wondering if he could have gone 23 or 24. He will defend the Streak until it is broken and the day it is broken will be his last match and he will retire.

This establishes two very important money drawing details. The first is that the Streak will most definitely end and the second, when it does it will be The Undertakers last ever match. The Streak is already one of, if not the biggest drawing aspect of WrestleMania but with this new addition I believe the Streak's drawing power increases greatly, and why I think this idea should have been implemented a few years ago, to get maximum effect.

The WrestleMania where the Streak being broken in the Undertakers last ever match is a legitimate once in a life time event that no wrestling fan will want to miss, and with this one simple promo fans know that it will happen and realistically fairly soon. Each year now as fans decide whether they are going to attend WrestleMania live or order it on PPV, they will have to ask themselves, is this going to be the year, will this be the year the Streak is broken and the Undertaker retires,and do I want to risk missing that once in a life time moment? Watching it back on DVD, won't be the same as witnessing that amazing moment live, when the referee's hand strikes the mat that third time marking the end of the Streak and one of the greatest wrestling careers of all time. With The Undertaker's age you have to know it's coming sooner rather than later, so how can you possibly risk missing another WrestleMania? The answer is you can't.

There are other benefits to this idea as well. Every near fall in every Undertaker match will have so much more emotion and drama. For the last few years the guys have had to work so hard to create that one moment when fans actually believe the Streak can be broken, but now that fans KNOW it will be broken, every near fall becomes believable and will bring more emotion. Every match will be more heated; every match will have more at stake. Every win will be bigger and that eventual lose will be the defining end a great career deserves.

There is the argument that no one wants to see him lose and the end of the Streak and the defeating of the Undertaker at WrestleMania will be too much of a downer but I disagree. Yes I think it will be a very sad disappointing moment when the Streak and the career of The Undertaker finally ends, but think about the ovation The Undertaker's wins currently get and how much bigger they would be when you add the relief of his career being saved and the reassurance that he will be around for one more defence next year. Each win becomes greater and when that ultimate end does happen I think there is a chance for one of the greatest moments in wrestling history.

When Taker does finally lose and the referee's hand strikes the mat for that third and final time, there will likely be a dead silence fall over the crowd, it will be a sad and surreal moment for sure, but that's okay. As the saying goes it is always darkest before the dawn. I believe that after that three count, if the Undertaker remains completely motionless and does not move, while the winner gets his hand raise, does whatever he has to do, and then leaves, the crowd will have time to absorb what they have just witnessed and I bet the loudest "Thank You Taker" chant would start to build, and when they are about to reach their peak you kill the lights to create silence and then you hit The Undertaker's Gong and a blue spot light on The Undertaker's motionless body, on the second Gong he sits up one last time. In my opinion the ovation this will receive could very well make this the greatest and most memorable moment in WrestleMania history. The perfect send of for one of the greatest ever.

Lance Storm

Discuss

Lance Storm has a great point about the greater risk to 'Taker's career making the breaking of the Streak more impactful and game-changing.

Heath Slater is the man to do it.

If anyone should end the streak it should be Cena...or Heath Slater.

I do like this idea, the risk and reward each year would be brilliant. Still don't know who will break it though, I honestly don't think Cena will break it.

Still not sold on the idea of the streak needing to end but that's the best idea I've read so far.

I think the streak needs to end. There's no reason for it not to. It doesn't tarnish Taker's legacy. Even with a loss to end it, he still had the greatest streak in wrestling history and it will always be part of WWE legend.

With all this hype over the years though, to not have the streak end would basically just be willingly depriving wrestling of it's most monumental moment ever. And for what?

And it should be HBK, dammit. :(

You need someone young to end it to get the most value from the moment, I nominate Bo Dallas.

I actually like Storms idea though I just can't think of anyone to give the rub too that can make a career out of it, Ambrose/Reigns maybe in a couple of years?

storm said in order for his idea to work it should have started a few years ago. its too late now

It still could, just depends on how long he sticks around for.

Great idea, but yeah, it should have started a few years ago if they wanted to go that route.

At this point in my life, if anyone breaks the streak I want it to be DEAN FUCKING AMBROSE and nobody else.

I've always felt that whoever ends Taker's streak should have his "power" "transferred" to him. Don't hand over the gimmick entirely, but give the winner certain attributes of the Undertaker; the lights, the extra visual effects, etc. Ambrose is creepy enough to pull off some of that stuff, and I think it would add to his aura. He already dresses in black and the Shield have that "outlaw" aspect to them already.

Cena is the only guy I can see ending the streak right now. Like Storm said, at this point, you need to be established to even be one of the precious few who gets the chance to end the streak. Cena's the only full-time guy who hasn't gotten his chance. Plus, this video...

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needs to be used heavily in the build. The man who Taker was so impressed with on his debut, 12 years later is the one to finally end the streak. It would be a pretty awesome story.

Daniel Bryan?

Think he was rumored as one of the options this year but declined either because the stuff with Team Hell No was helping him a lot more or the payoff with Undertaker would just have been as another streak victim and nothing more.

I might have agreed with this 5 years ago, but UT is past 20-0 @ WM. It wouldn't make a bit of sense IMHO, to have anyone end the streak now. Let him win 4 more matches @ WMs XXX-XXXIII so he can bring the total to 25-0 all-time and have the 25th be his retirement match. Taker needs the streak as the majority of his legacy to be remembered by when everyoneasks why WWE is putting him in the HoF.

uhhh what I don't think anyone is going to ever ask why Undertaker is in the HoF. Even when I was a kid and had no idea what wrestling was, Undertaker was like one of 3 wrestlers I even knew the name of. PROBABLY IN LARGE PART because he was in the nintendo game BUT WHATEVER

Yeah, even if you look at his accomplishments and career outside of the streak, no one would be questioning why he is in the HoF.

The fact that The Undertaker has only shown up once a year for the past few years and is still one of the biggest draws says everything about why The Undertaker is a Hall of Famer and is one of the all-time greatest icons in pro wrestling. He is the last wrestler going who still has that aura of old school wrestling. No matter how jaded of a smark you are, the gong hits and you feel like you're 8 years old.

The streak ending does not mean the streak no longer exists. People will still remember when Taker went 22-0 or 23-0 or 24-0 at Mania. That won't be tarnished if it ends. That streak will still go down as possibly the greatest achievement in wrestling history. Like I said, it's silly for the streak NOT to end. Forget the whole putting someone over thing... there's no reason to willingly just forgo what would be one of the most memorable moments ever.

That and Taker would be a legend even if the streak didn't exist. He doesn't NEED it.

I've thought this for years, and I am probably wrong, but I think Cena will cheat or something to end The Streak and turn heel. It will be an insane moment. It could be what Austin's heel turn could have been. Plus, I think it could give Cena the same shot in the arm it gave Hogan's career. He could be a heel for 5-6 years, and eventually turn back to a babyface to finish out his career.

Cena turning heel and ending the streak at the same time is like combining wrestling's two possible biggest moments into one mindblowing package.

Pretty sure the IWC would implode.

...or Brad Maddox could end The Streak with a school boy.

Fandango can go streak vs streak and win

He can then absorb Undertaker's powers. That'd be an awesome gimmick. Every time he shakes his hips, lightning rains down from the sky.

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Getting erect at the thought of a demonic dancing Fandango.

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Fandango defeats The Undertaker at WrestleMania. He uses his new powers to dance and bring The Undertaker back to life. WrestleMania closes out with an epic rave as Fandango has become The Lord of Raves.

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Seriously loving this idea the more and more I think about.

Just picture druids coming out with giant glowsticks instead of torches. Instead of smoke, you get foam, and he is carried out on a giant light show UFO looking thing.

WRESTLEMANIA 30

Three biggest things in wrestling happens in one match

Cena beats taker thus ending the streak.

Cena turns heel to beat Taker.

Maybe: HHH maybe helps Cena because Vince and Hunter have "ALL CONTROL OF WWE" stipulation with HHH choosing Cena and Vince choosing Taker.

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HHH becomes the new heel chairman

Cena heel is money (Daniel Bryan is new main face) and CM Punk-HHH rivalry becomes an Austin-McMahon level of epicness.

This is the potential problem: WWE would just as likely give that moment to someone who:

a) doesn't appreciate the gravity of what they just got handed to them; or some flash-in-the-pan they see dollar signs on instead of someone who can actually carry that flag... like a Lashley or a Chris Masters.

b) doesn't need it. As much of a marquee matchup stuff like Taker vs HBK or Hunter or even Cena would be, the fact is those guys really don't need it. Pretty much what Lance said about them being "made men" is true.

Not saying it should be Dolph, but someone like him is in the best position *right now* to benefit the most, as he wouldn't be really hotshotted into the spot, but more or less adding the "seal of approval" on the guy. In a couple years, Ambrose, Reigns, or even Rollins might be that guy in that positon (everyone seems to want to discount Seth, but I'm willing to bet he'll be the one that finds that something later on in his career to become a breakout star everyone will suddenly be in love with). Barrett might get some hot booking and be back in the running to be that guy. They could brag that they did what (list all big names on the streak) couldn't do getting a massive rub, and at the same time, not turn out to be a huge bust that they tried to heap a massive rocket onto much to the delight of nobody.

I know, but 25-0 just seems like a nice round number. :) And he may not NEED the streak, but there honestly never has been, nor will there ever be, ANYONE worthy of breaking it.

Those 23 words are exactly why they should do it. Shame it doesn't mean they will.

Excellent!