The internet has been abuzz today with speculation of Undertaker returning to WWE to mark the 30th anniversary of The Deadman’s debut at Survivor Series. However, while the reports suggest Undertaker won’t wrestle at the event, Inside The Ropes spoke with Ric Flair last month – and the 16-time World Champion thinks we WILL see Undertaker wrestle again.
Speaking exclusively with Inside The Ropes’ Kenny McIntosh for Issue 1 of the Inside The Ropes magazine, Flair paid tribute to a fellow legend of the business, before revealing how he thinks Undertaker “will be back” and believes another, more traditional bout with AJ Styles may persuade The Deadman back in the ring!
AJ Styles, of course, is currently the last man to face The Undertaker in a Boneyard Match at this year’s WrestleMania in a match that, for anyone who has watched WWE Network’s The Last Ride docu-series, was seemingly Undertaker’s farewell match. However, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair told us how he thinks Undertaker “wants” another match, and that the fans deserve to witness that last ride – with The Phenomenal One – live.
The WWE 24 special that came out earlier this year profiled your retirement match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24 in 2008. At the same time, Undertaker announced in The Last Ride documentary series that the Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36 was his last. Do you really think that is it for him?
“I thought The Last Ride was fabulous—there’s not a finer man that has ever been in our business and I’m looking at that from every possible aspect. But I think he will be back. I think he wants it and I think the fans deserve to see him go out in front of 80 or 90,000 people live. I think he needs to wrestle again once we get this COVID under control and I would think it will be at ‘Mania.
“If things work out and the company elects to go to LA if that’s the plan now—which I’m pretty sure it is but that could have changed since I talked to them last—but if WrestleMania 37 is in Los Angeles and they put 80 or 90,000 in that facility, I think he deserves it. I thought the match was great with AJ, but I could see him and AJ going at it again inside the ring. And I’m sure AJ would jump off the top of a building to get back in the ring with him.”
This quote is from our exclusive interview with Ric Flair for Issue 1 of Inside The Ropes Magazine. You can read the entire interview by ordering a physical copy or a digital copy of Issue 1. Issue 2 is also now available for order, and you can subscribe for future issues here.