34th Annual Survivor Series – An occasion to commemorate 30 years of the Undertaker

Sunday, 22^nd November 2020, will be a day that will forever be remembered in World Wrestling Entertainment history.

Yesterday the world witnessed the 34^th Annual Survivor Series, the one night of the year where wrestlers from the top 2 brands in WWE, Monday Night Raw, the red brand and Friday Night Smackdown, the blue brand compete to determine who is the best of the best.

The in-ring action was excellent with Raw and Smackdown sharing the spoils at 3 apiece.

The traditional 5 on 5 men’s Survivor series match was won by team RAW when they defeated team Smackdown with all 5 men from the red brand as the survivors.

Team Smackdown got one back, when their tag team champions, the Street Profits got the better of their Raw compatriots, the New Day.

The blue brand then took the lead, with the Smackdown Women’s champion Sasha Banks pinning the Raw Women’s champion,Asuka.

Raw brought the score back to 2 apiece with U.S. Champion, the mighty Bobby Lashley slaying Intercontinental Champion, Sami Zayn.

Next up was the Traditional Women’s Survivor Series match, where Raw took the lead when Raw’s Lana was declared the sole survivor giving the red brand the advantage at 3-2.

The blue brand wasn’t going to take this lying down and came back to finally even the score when the Universal Champion, the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns defeated the WWE champion, the Scottish Superstar Drew Mcintyre albeit through a little assistance by Reign’s cousin Jey Uso.

Having said this, the clash of the super heavyweights was epic with no clear winner coming strong till the end of the bout.

Truth be told, Roman Reign’s recent heel turn has made even him more lethal as compared to when he was a babyface making this match even more intriguing.

Also Read: Roman Reigns: A Conqueror Inside and Outside the Ring

The cherry on the cake for this event was yet to come!

As the promos leading upto this pay per view showed, the 34^th Annual Survivor Series apart from in-ring competition, also was touted to be the occasion that celebrated 30 long years of the Phenom a.k.a the Deadman a.k.a the Reaper a.k.a the American Badass, the different names of the legend known as The Undertaker.

Yes, it was 30 years to this month in 1990, the world for the first time witnessed the man from Death Valley led to the ring by his manager Brother Love as the 4^th member of Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar team.

His impact in this traditional 4 on 4 Survivor Series was immediate when he eliminated Koko B Ware and the WWE Legend, the American Dream, late Dusty Rhodes as members of the Dream Team.

Undertaker’s black dress with grey gloves and a stone-dead face was so intimidating that till date it sends chills down my spine.

And from then till now, the man from the dark side has been taking souls and digging holes!

Imagine, in a total of 34 years since the inception of Survivor Series, the Phenom has been around for 30 of those!

If this is not testament to his longevity and relevance as the immortal character, then I don’t know what is?

What’s more, apart from the character, the man Mark Calaway needs to be commended as being so humble to put his body on the line day in, day out for 3 decades to entertain billions of fans worldwide, needless to say, generations who have come and gone in this icon’s in-ring tenure.

And for the last time yesterday, the lights went out, the gongs rang again, lightning struck and out walked the Phenom dressed in his black overcoat and the black hat amid a sea of fans present virtually in the innovation known as the Thunderdome.

Once again, the world witnessed the slow walk to the squared circle, the hands went up in the air and the man, the legend said ‘I have been laying people to rest in peace for the last 30 years and now my time has come.’

Tears flowed down my eyes, likewise may be for many others around the world, on hearing these words for possibly the last time in the ring and then Undertaker went down on his knees to strike his signature pose as a hologram of the late Paul Bearer appeared holding the urn.

This was surreal and I was so awestruck like I have been for the last 30 years!

As I end this chapter, with the Undertaker walking into the sunset, I would like to mention a quote that this icon said after his defeat to Roman Reigns at Wrestle Mania before eying redemption for one more match ‘I am not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.’

And so true were his words, when Undertaker came back to beat the cenation leader, John Cena next year at the show of the immortals.

Also Read: The Legend of The Undertaker Will Never Rest in Peace

So, may be, just may be there could be one more redemption?

Whether you come back or you don’t, I just want to say ‘Thank You Taker’

Always a fan!