When Did WWE Start Making A Big Deal Of Undertaker’s Undefeated Streak?
The Undertaker is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time, and whilst he wasn’t defined by his undefeated WrestleMania streak, it was something that added to his legacy in a major way. For over two decades, The Undertaker won every single match he had at WWE’s biggest yearly show, in a run which many thought would never end.
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When it came to WrestleMania, The Undertaker retained his mystique and felt unbeatable, which made it all the more stunning when he finally lost after 21 straight victories, falling to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. The reason why it was such a huge moment was because the streak had been turned into something legendary - but it wasn’t always something that was recognised.
The Undertaker Was 10-0 Before The Streak Was First Mentioned
Back when The Undertaker debuted in WWE and went on to have his first match at WrestleMania 7 against Jimmy Snuka, there were no plans from WWE to develop what would become an iconic part of WrestleMania for decades to come. It was just happenstance that The Undertaker progressed over the years defeating the likes of Jake Roberts, Diesel, King Kong Bundy, Sysco Sid, Kane, and more, and by a lucky coincidence of his strong booking, it emerged that he had developed quite the track record at WrestleMania.
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It took until WrestleMania 18 for The Undertaker’s streak to be recognised by WWE. After his brutal No Disqualification match against Ric Flair, The Undertaker counted on his fingers how many wins he had at WrestleMania - which was 10. Jerry Lawler on commentary pointed out that he was 10-0, which was the first real time it was mentioned so outwardly. However, when it comes to people trying to end the streak, it still wasn’t made into a huge thing for another couple of years, as his handicap match against A-Train and Big Show, and his singles match against Kane didn’t have anything to do with intending on ending the streak.
Randy Orton Was The First Man To Specifically Go After Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak
Ahead of WrestleMania 21, Randy Orton decided to target The Undertaker and set his goal on ending The Undertaker’s undefeated streak, and from this point on, it became a yearly goal of wrestlers to go after this. Orton wanted to be the first to do it to cement his legacy in WWE, and it became his target to try and end the streak, with fans holding their breath as he came inches away with a stunning RKO. However, Undertaker would win, and it was highlighted that he was now 13-0. From there, every year the number tallied up, and many men lined up to take him on including Mark Henry, Batista, Edge, and CM Punk.
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The streak was a huge deal already, but it was propelled into even bigger heights when Undertaker feuded with Shawn Michaels and Triple H over a four-year stretch. Michaels came painfully close to winning at WrestleMania 25, and his loss affected him to the point where he became obsessed with ending the streak, going to extreme lengths to get a match. This made the streak feel as important as any title, with Michaels putting his career on the line against it. Triple H would then become yet another name who was intent on doing the impossible, but no matter what, The Undertaker found a way to kick out of huge moves and survive, even if he didn’t walk out on his own two feet. It would have been mind-boggling had WWE set out for the streak to become a huge thing early on, but thankfully their consistently strong booking of The Undertaker allowed this phenomenon to come into existence, and when it was noticed, it was built upon in a major way, becoming one of the biggest drawing points of WrestleMania.
