WWE announces ‘Final Farewell’ for The Undertaker on Survivor Series
For 30 years, The Undertaker has given us some of the most unforgettable moments in the squared circle, but it looks like it’s time for him to rest in peace.
WWE has announced that this year’s Survivor Series will be the “Final Farewell” to The Undertaker. While no in-ring segment or match has been announced for “The Deadman,” WWE has confirmed that their award-winning WWE Network will be home to a number of specials dedicated to the veteran.
It sounds more like a marketing ploy than a proper retirement for one of their long-tenured employees, but this is the WWE and fans aren’t exactly surprised by that fact. Remember how many times we said goodbye to The Shield? Yeah, too many.
Aside from the incredible (and depressing) mini-series Undertaker: The Last Ride, which basically confirmed that he was retired after his acclaimed Boneyard Match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36, WWE is also hyping up recent documentaries like Meeting The Undertaker and WWE Untold: The Phenom and The Legend Killer, the latter of which focuses on his 2005 rivalry with current WWE Champion Randy Orton (also one of my favorite WWE rivalries as a teenager).
The network is also hyping up The Mortician: The Story of Paul Bearer, which premieres this Sunday, and Brothers of Destruction, which was first shown last month at the Austin Film Festival and will stream this Sunday as well.
Paul Bearer was The Undertaker’s late manager who added an extra aura of creepiness to the character during his early years. The Brothers of Destruction was the team name of Undertaker and Kane on the few occasions they would stop beating the crap out of each other and team up.
Despite all this love being shown to The Undertaker, the 2020 iteration of Survivor Series is still focused on brand warfare between Raw and SmackDown Live, which became a yearly tradition after the 2016 installment of this long-running event. This, despite the WWE Draft taking place mere weeks ago, making it impossible for wrestlers to be loyal to their new homes. Add the fact that both brands are under WWE anyway, with no particular stakes or rewards for the winning and losing teams, and you have the most pointless pay-per-view of the calendar year.
Still, we’re sure they’ll add some sort of neat moment for The Undertaker during the event, and Sasha Banks vs. Asuka should be one banger of a match. There are also plans for him to appear as a guest for Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions right after the event and we’re sure he’ll have a fun time talking about his career.
WWE Survivor Series takes place on Nov. 22 and can be viewed on the WWE Network. Filipinos have had access to the WWE Network for a good number of years now, at only $9.99 (P480) a month.
(Images via WWE)