The Rise of an Icon

Part X: The End of an Era

January 29, 2017, Royal Rumble

The Road to WrestleMania 33 begins at the Royal Rumble, in San Antonio, Texas. This is going to be one of the biggest Rumbles of the year, with an expected attendance of 60,000+. This year, I won't be in the Rumble because I am getting another shot at the Universal Championship against Finn Balor. 

I lose my rematch, however, but that does not mean that I am done with him. To everyone's surprise, Sami Zayn wins the Royal Rumble, giving him the right to either jump to SmackDown Live, challenging AJ Styles for the WWE World Championship, or stay on RAW and challenge Finn for the Universal Championship. 

January 30, 2017, Monday Night RAW

Sami Zayn chooses to stay on RAW and challenge Finn Balor for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. I interrupt Sami Zayn after he makes his decision. 

"Last night at the Royal Rumble, I had Finn Balor beat until..."

"Until you lost."- Sami Zayn replies, then he laughs. 

"You really think that's funny, Sami?" 

"Actually, I do. See, the problem with you is that you think you run everything around here, but when reality hits you, it's really a different story."-Sami Zayn

"You know what? How about you and these imbeciles shut up, and you face me in a match?"

"That's fine with me. Do you guys want to see us in a match?"-Sami Zayn

The crowd cheers. 

Mick Foley makes the match official; it is going to be in the main event. 

Sami Zayn defeats me in the main event to give himself some momentum for his match with Finn Balor at WrestleMania. I am taking one "L" after another. 

February 6, 2017, Monday Night RAW 

Tonight, I'm not on the card, but I get a little retribution against Sami Zayn by attacking him during an interview segment. So far, I don't know what the WrestleMania plans are for me, according to the creative team, but MY plan is to interject myself in the Universal Championship match. My plan, unfortunately, gets rejected by the creative team. I come up with another idea.

February 13, 2017, Monday Night RAW

There are rumors swirling around on social media that The Undertaker will be returning to face someone at WrestleMania, but who? Tonight, I call out the Undertaker to challenge him at WrestleMania, because I want to be the "1" in 24-1. Nothing happens. 

March 6, 2017, Monday Night RAW

Everyone wants to know why I called out the Undertaker three weeks ago. Ever since then, the lights have been going out in my matches and weird things kept happening to me. 

March 13, 2017, Monday Night RAW

Tonight, I go one-on-one with Kevin Owens. After I defeat Kevin, the lights go out. A man appears when the lights come back on. That man is none other than the legendary Phenom, The Undertaker, who hasn't been seen since the 900th episode of SmackDown. My eyes widen with my mouth agape as I turn around and see Undertaker standing right in front of me when the lights come back on after a period of darkness in the arena. 

He gives me a stare that sends chills down my spine, grabs my throat, and lifts me up in the air for a Chokeslam. 

The crowd chants his name and the show ends. 

April 2, 2017, WrestleMania 33

After weeks of Chokeslams, Tombstones, Dangerous Drivers, and backstage brawls, the time has arrived. If Undertaker wins or loses tonight, he will retire, no matter the outcome, because his body is deteriorating. Also, this match is a Buried Alive Match, which is perfect because I will lay to rest the legendary career of the Undertaker permanently. Tons of respect for him (he was the reason I became a wrestling fan), but his time has come. 

As The Undertaker makes his way down that aisle, I start to get nervous, but I try to hide it. He is one of the only ones in WWE, past or present, that has an entrance that sends chills down your spine. The lights come back on when Undertaker rolls his eyes to the back of his head. Being the relentless heel that I am, I attack him as he is trying to take his coat and hat off, but he grabs me by the throat with both hands, and tosses me into the corner. He then unleashes a combo of fast-paced strikes, hitting me in the body. He follows it up with an Irish Whip to the opposite corner, a running clothesline, and then Snake Eyes with a running big boot while I am dazed. While I am down, the crowd erupts with cheers as Undertaker does his throat-slash taunt. 

Then, he goes for his signature leg drop, but misses. I roll out of the way just in the nick of time. I sell the beating he dished out earlier as I am still on the ground. Undertaker picks me up by my head, but I unleash a surprise low blow that has him on his knees, in an act of desperation to get the momentum on my side in this match. While the deadman is on his knees, I go outside of the ring to grab a chair. Bad move, in my case. Undertaker gets back to his feet and as I am searching for a chair, he no-sells it ("Vintage Undertaker") and launches himself in the air for a Tope Suicida over the top rope, which has both Taker and I laid out ringside. For the next few minutes, we are fighting in the crowd after I clothesline the Undertaker over the barricade. 

When Undertaker and I finally make it to the gravesite area close to the entrance ramp, battered and bruised, we are trading back and forth shots.

I notice a shovel nearby and attempt to whack Undertaker in the head with it, but he grabs me by the throat, trying to Chokeslam me into the grave, but I escape as he lifts me up. I superkick him and he falls into the grave. I grab the shovel and successfully bury him. 

"R.I.P. Deadman!" I say to him. 

I stand on the ramp by the gravesite area while an explosion of fireworks go off. 

Now he is officially retired and his record is 24-1. I am the one who has the honor of breaking the streak and putting an end to the legendary career of one of the best wrestlers of all time, The Undertaker, even though many wanted to see him retire undefeated at WrestleMania. 

April 3, 2017, Monday Night RAW

Tonight on RAW, it's all about The Undertaker. This episode is dedicated to him. Later on tonight, he will do his official retirement speech. 

I come out to a distasteful reaction from the crowd, and I understand why. I am totally out of character when I say the following:

"Look, I know I'm the last person that should be out here, but I have something to say. Last night, I had the honor of facing a man that I considered as a hero growing up. Nothing lasts forever, and I had to prove to myself and the boys in the back that I was capable of being in the ring with a man of his caliber. Like most of you all here tonight, I grew up watching this man do things that no human being should be able to do. He gave his all, night in and night out, all for us. Undertaker had the power to capture your attention in a way that no other WWE Superstar, past or present, could. I could talk all night about the countless 5-star matches that he had, or his scariest moments, but that's not why I'm here. I am here to say: Thank You, Undertaker."

After The Undertaker does his retirement speech, the whole WWE roster comes out and gives him a well-deserved standing ovation. He does one final taunt, leaves his hat, coat, and gloves in the ring, the arena darkens, and the show ends. 

#ThankYouUndertaker is the #1 trend on Twitter for weeks.