Axed WWE WrestleMania Plans For The Undertaker Revealed

The Undertaker is perhaps the WWE star most closely associated with WrestleMania and now one star has revealed scrapped plans for the Phenom back in 2016.

Until 2014 The Undertaker was unbeatable at WrestleMania amassing an undefeated streak that became almost as big as the event itself. That came crashing to a halt at WrestleMania 30 thanks to Brock Lesnar but still the legendary star continued on.

In 2016, The Undertaker battled Shane McMahon in a wild Hell In A Cell match after McMahon made his shock return to the company. But things could have been very different.

Kevin Owens Originally In The Running For The Undertaker At WrestleMania

Speaking to Joe Baiamonte of WrestleSphere, Kevin Owens revealed that he was in contention to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 but he was moved out of the picture when Shane McMahon returned to WWE:

I think things just shifted and that was the year that Shane McMahon returned, so obviously at the time, my standing in the company compared to Shane McMahon coming back after all those years, the thought was probably ‘Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker is a huge match.

I know it was on the table and it was heavily discussed and it would have been amazing. My first WrestleMania, to be in there with The Undertaker, would have been sweet. It didn’t happen, but I’ve been in the ring with him. I was actually in the ring with him in the main event of a Madison Square Garden show, so I got to do that with him which was really cool.

Instead of facing off with The Undertaker in his first WrestleMania match, Kevin Owens went in to the event as Intercontinental Champion. He lost that title in a multi-man ladder match which was won by Zack Ryder.

Owens has gone on to headline WrestleMania on two occasions in 2022 and 2023. At WrestleMania 38, Kevin Owens headlined in an impromptu match against Stone Cold Steve Austin and at WrestleMania 39, Owens teamed with Sami Zayn to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from The Usos.

The Undertaker has recently revealed how tough he is finding retirement from the ring, hanging up his boots for good after his WrestleMania 36 headline match against AJ Styles.