The Undertaker could have been a part of a very different match in 2016.
WrestleMania 32 saw the Hall of Famer compete in a Hell in a Cell match against Shane McMahon inside a packed AT&T Stadium in Dallas Texas. The 30-minute match is not regarded as one of the better bouts in The Deadman’s legendary WrestleMania career and is best known for McMahon’s dive from the top of the cage and onto the announce desk below.
With plans constantly changing in WWE, especially around WrestleMania, one former World Champion has detailed plans that would have seen him face The Deadman in his WrestleMania debut.
During an interview with WrestleSphere, Kevin Owens revealed that a match between himself and Undertaker was “heavily discussed” but the company ultimately went with McMahon as it was a bigger match at that time:
“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 versus 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,”
Owens, who was Intercontinental Champion heading into Mania 32, lost the title to Zack Ryder in a multi-person ladder match that opened the main card.
Speaking on his podcast, The Undertaker praised a “smart” AEW booking decision.
The Undertaker Regrets Executing Big Move So Frequently
One of the most iconic performers in WWE history, The Phenom competed in the promotion for 30 years before retiring from the ring in 2020. Not looking to take it easy, some of Undertaker’s signature moves would become a lot more painful to execute in the latter years of his career. During an episode of his podcast, The Undertaker revealed which move caused him the most pain in the final years of his in-ring career.