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week, looking back at WrestleMania 30

0:44

from 10 years ago, this is

0:46

a show chosen by our executive

0:48

producer, Mahmoud Al-Marty, and we're going

0:50

to play you a clip of

0:52

us discussing the infamous end of

0:54

the streak. Brock Lesnar vs The

0:57

Undertaker. If you enjoyed this particular

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1:57

is amazing. So this was Lesnar's... seventh

2:00

match since returning two years ago on

2:03

the night after WrestleMania. So he is

2:05

not even doing house shows this early

2:07

into the WWE return run and

2:10

had only had three matches over the

2:12

past year since the last WrestleMania. And

2:14

this is Undertaker's first match since April

2:16

of last year. So he hasn't worked

2:19

in a year. Lesnar is, he's

2:21

done three matches over the past

2:23

year. So certainly they

2:26

were trying very hard not

2:28

to, they wanted

2:30

to keep Lesnar as a special attraction this early

2:32

in the whole run. Where it was not a

2:35

given that you were gonna be getting this guy

2:37

on any kind of routine basis. And I'm guessing

2:39

Lesnar himself did not want to wrestle much more

2:41

than what he was told to.

2:44

So looking at this, I mean,

2:46

this is always gonna be remembered for the ending

2:49

of the match. But the lead up to this,

2:51

hardly inspiring. And I would state that

2:53

this one, by the time we got

2:56

to WrestleMania, the

2:58

idea that what came out of the UFC

3:00

121 interaction between these two, back

3:03

in 2010, which was the video where Ariel Hawani is

3:05

interviewing the Undertaker

3:09

and Brock walks by and they kind of shoot

3:11

their angle. And the idea

3:13

that they would have a match the

3:16

next year at Mania, but it's not

3:18

allowed. Dana White is not gonna let Brock go

3:20

do WrestleMania that next year. So it's kind of

3:22

held off. But when Brock

3:24

returns to WWE, this match is inevitable. And

3:26

it feels like you've already built this, like

3:28

this is gonna be a big time match.

3:31

And I certainly didn't feel that

3:33

by the time they got to this year's

3:35

WrestleMania. If anything, I thought Lesnar was somewhat

3:38

cooling off by this period. And

3:40

I think a gigantic misstep

3:44

was beating Brock

3:46

in the lead up to this. His

3:48

first big match, which by coincidence is gonna be

3:51

our next review of Extreme

3:53

Rules 2012, he loses to

3:55

Cena. That's his first match back he loses.

3:57

And then at his first

3:59

WrestleMania back. He loses to Triple

4:01

H the year prior think of the

4:03

idea if Lesnar had gone two years

4:05

in WWE without a loss Going

4:08

into this and you've got a like

4:10

you've got the streak versus the

4:13

unbeatable Brock Lesnar I think that

4:15

sells itself easily and you cannot

4:17

tell me that those wins

4:19

were so important that

4:22

Cena could have beaten Brock at a

4:24

later date and hunter beating Brock. I

4:27

I don't think that that Needed

4:30

to be done at all So I was

4:32

very critical of those losses to Lesnar and

4:34

I think it was proven by the fact

4:36

like this was not a hot Undertaker

4:38

match going into WrestleMania. It is

4:40

only significant for what

4:43

the outcome is What's

4:47

What sort of um reasoning and justification?

4:49

Do we know that they they might

4:52

have had at the time for

4:54

beating Brock Lesnar for those two matches? I think

4:57

the Cena one was I Can't

5:00

come up with a great reason beyond was

5:02

he committed to like a longer-term deal by

5:04

that point He was under a contract, but

5:06

they might have thought that you know, this

5:08

guy might not even stick around so maybe

5:10

we just beat him while we have the

5:12

chance which to me is kind of Self-defeating

5:15

in that we're gonna beat him right

5:17

away instead of maximizing the value of

5:19

a loss for him Like fine have

5:22

seen a beat him but not immediately

5:25

And the hunter one it was clearly they

5:27

just want to do a three match program and feel hunter

5:29

needed a win over him But

5:32

I think I think it did water down

5:34

Lesnar a bit when he was coming in

5:36

he was red-hot off the UFC run He

5:38

had a different aura than anyone. They booked

5:40

him differently than anyone and I

5:42

just think that this undertaker match was one

5:44

of the big Matt It was maybe the

5:46

biggest match you could book with Lesnar on

5:48

this comeback run and look how long he

5:50

he lasts on this Come back like he's

5:52

he's fully committed. Yeah by the time that

5:54

this match was announced I mean, I don't

5:57

think I even in my mind associated really

6:00

sort of the hype from

6:02

that UFC interaction because

6:04

I don't think they even incorporated

6:06

it into the lead up. I don't think they ever...

6:08

Well how could you? You're talking about

6:11

a guy who's playing full character here

6:13

in The Undertaker, this undead God

6:17

versus a guy who I

6:19

guess still had some semblance of a

6:21

UFC character in him in A

6:23

Brock Lesnar but they were

6:26

really kind of so far removed from

6:28

that very real feeling of like a

6:30

taker versus Brock interaction at a UFC

6:32

event that it almost I don't think

6:34

mattered at all heading into this. Well

6:37

Lesnar did manage one

6:40

of them stabbed the other with a pen. I think

6:42

it was Brock stabbing him in the hand. I think

6:44

it was a taker stabbing Brock. Taker stabbed Brock with

6:46

a pen? Okay. I do remember that

6:48

angle. You know how contract signings go. Yeah you could

6:51

get stabbed. The Undertaker's

6:53

entrance features a shot of all

6:55

22 caskets

6:58

with names on them, few duplicates including CM

7:00

Punk. CM Punk did get his own casket

7:02

here. So that was our

7:05

lone reference to CM Punk on the whole show. Yeah.

7:08

Really cool entrance man. When

7:11

you see the production of

7:13

an Undertaker Russell Maniac entrance that to me

7:15

is like the WWE flexing

7:18

their production muscles to like their the

7:21

biggest that they could possibly be. Like this

7:23

is where you feel like the WWE is

7:25

kind of at its best when it can

7:27

show you like when it could

7:29

create this sort of vibe and make this sort of

7:31

like once a year

7:33

occurrence at this point feel that special

7:36

look this cool. I think the

7:38

whole thing was like what I don't know seven minutes

7:40

or something like that but this is

7:42

part of the draw of a Russell Maniac here

7:44

is to just simply see this guy walk out

7:46

to the song with this

7:48

special lighting and try eyes and

7:50

everything. And For

7:52

all that we've said about like the lead up

7:55

to the show, let's remember the other streak is

7:57

taker having like a near match of the year.

8:00

On all these manias the last couple

8:02

of years going back to the Edge

8:04

match that we reviewed not all that

8:06

long ago and then the Michael series,

8:08

the Hunter series and Punk the Your

8:10

Be Before which was tremendous. So you're

8:12

having them, it's you have a high

8:14

expectation for the match. on top of

8:16

it. So great entrance here for taker

8:18

and we get right into things and.

8:21

Dude. Right away lesser hits this

8:23

belly to belly and manned as

8:25

undertaker calm down like on his

8:27

neck. That's like

8:29

the first spot here. Lesser is rammed

8:31

into the post and then we see

8:33

a Snake Eyes by Taker and a

8:35

chill playing with avoided by Lesnar and

8:37

Lesser teases the F five and is

8:39

blocked so we're getting into a big

8:41

spots right away. Take er Mrs a

8:44

running boot in the corner and his

8:46

leg is swung into the post and

8:48

then. Lesnar. Grabs

8:50

the leg of Undertaker on the floor

8:52

and just like elevates the leg so

8:55

take our falls back. Who does a

8:57

foot trip? And this is

8:59

the spot that they believe is where he

9:01

gets can cost an arm taker. Not one

9:03

hundred percent sure where he got can cost

9:05

but the seems to be be be thought

9:07

that this could have been the spot where

9:10

he does come down like really hard and

9:12

probably just banged his head on the back.

9:14

The energy of the bats completely sis after

9:16

this so I would probably suggest had this

9:18

was the public places will take her has

9:20

had the like it's within the first five

9:23

minutes mom deceived like baby. The most likely

9:25

place just given how. Different.

9:27

Take a look after this

9:29

period yet? Lol There's even

9:31

reflecting that. They're. Feels

9:33

like there's a sense of dread here

9:35

in the Superdome, which was a very.

9:38

Kind. Way of stating the audience would

9:40

not into this match. Taker catches on

9:42

what the hell's gate and lesser slams

9:44

himself free than reapplied on. slams him

9:46

again and is less are applying the

9:49

camorra which Taker manages the past and

9:51

gets his own camorra apply before they

9:53

get to the rope and then taker

9:55

and again you and I are watching

9:57

us now with the knowledge of this.

10:00

Caution and Taker goes for old school and

10:02

I have never watch this match back since

10:04

that night in two thousand and fourteen and

10:06

man I'm just watching it. He's wobbly on

10:09

this top rope and other of lesser sense

10:11

that but he just a beat it. We

10:13

put them on to his shoulders and hips

10:15

and F five because Taker was not gonna

10:18

go far on this rope because he was

10:20

ah about the crash and let Undertaker kicks

10:22

out of the F five and when they

10:25

would do a big move and kick out

10:27

the audience did react. This was not a

10:29

case of this. Crowd was tough, they wanted

10:31

to be engaged in this match men they

10:34

did when ever they did a your fall.

10:37

Lesnar is getting yelled out as Heyman

10:39

is encouraging him that this is his

10:41

destiny and he starts delivering the punches

10:44

in the corner, setting up Takers Last

10:46

ride and take her. Staggers to his

10:48

feet, hits the tombstone Lesnar kicks out

10:50

and Undertaker sits up. He calls for

10:53

another tombstone. Lesnar counters have them in

10:55

the tombstone position, but then elevates them

10:57

onto the shoulders and hit a third.

11:00

F five per inning the Undertaker

11:02

in twenty five minutes and eleven

11:04

seconds which cold yells the streak.

11:08

Is. Over and the audience is

11:10

in total shock. This is

11:12

a reaction to a match

11:14

that you just. Had

11:16

to be there to fully

11:18

comprehend. And it was like

11:20

this audience. It's almost. It's.

11:24

Almost more are engaging that this

11:26

crowd was subdued have so much

11:28

as mad because when the finish

11:30

and to they have every single

11:32

person's attention. After the spanish and

11:34

eyes I love the fact that

11:36

Lessors music does not play here.

11:38

It's like this moment of. Is.

11:41

This real did this get screwed

11:43

up in some ways and then

11:45

I remember this from our ceiling

11:47

is that. There's all this

11:49

confusion and then the graphic of

11:51

Twenty One and One pops up

11:53

on the screen and they gasp.

11:55

It's like a second release here.

11:57

And then finally, Lesnar his music

11:59

plays. And hey I'm it is

12:01

celebrating this as though they have

12:03

just pulled off the most incredible

12:05

when ever and Taker is left

12:07

laying here underneath the graphic. There

12:10

were some great shots here from

12:12

the production of this of Taker

12:14

underneath here and they stay on

12:16

him for a long time. He's

12:18

getting a standing ovation as is

12:20

exiting. I'm Michael Cole just as

12:22

always has to just go that

12:24

one step further. Calling this the

12:26

Greatest Streak. In all of

12:28

history, not of entertainment, not of sports,

12:30

ever any street anything that anyone has

12:32

ever done in consecutive border this has

12:35

been taught by the Undertaker and done

12:37

yet and famously. Taker spoke a lot

12:39

about this. In the lead up to

12:41

is a documentary series coming out, No

12:44

memory at all from this match. This

12:46

would be a critical point in his

12:48

career of just a real low point

12:50

of his performance and of course the

12:53

debate that came out after this of

12:55

whether they should have ended the streak.

12:57

Or not, I'm. I. Will

12:59

say I. Watching the fact is

13:01

it a great match know it is not. I

13:05

get active a lot of leeway given the

13:07

concussion and what they were still able to

13:09

like that this guy managed to do on

13:12

autopilot that he has no memory of. That.

13:15

Is not to excuse the fact that I. I.

13:17

Hate the idea that someone went through like

13:20

twenty minutes. Can. Cost and the potential

13:22

damage that he did after the fact.

13:24

It's the secondary blows that are the

13:26

most concerning. and it's not like he

13:28

didn't take a lot of high impact

13:30

stuff in like. The. The

13:33

twenty minutes that followed that can cause.

13:36

Yeah, yeah, certainly am. I.

13:40

I don't know if I had much to

13:42

say about like the match itself. I'm because

13:45

I think so much of the story of

13:47

this entire thing is just more so dictated

13:49

by. I think I'm that that final moment

13:51

I'm and I just kind of take myself

13:54

back to that moment we're. I.

13:57

Was like everybody else I think on this planet.

14:00

We consider this one of the

14:02

most shocking results in wrestling history

14:04

certainly in my fandom, you know,

14:06

and so much of that I

14:08

think it's because I'm the build

14:10

up to this result. Celts so

14:12

typical their word, the we seem

14:15

like throughout the entire history of

14:17

the streak, especially towards you know,

14:19

the the latter portion of it.

14:21

So many. Bigger.

14:23

Pieces of near falls in prior matches.

14:26

word you could buy to suspend your

14:28

disbelief enough he noted of really by

14:30

on a finesse and Dispatch had none

14:32

of those. Yeah, there were near falls.

14:34

yeah there were like you know kick

14:36

outta after finishes but like none of

14:38

them Salt Lake they were. I'm. Truly.

14:41

Believe more, not in the way that

14:43

you know I some of them did,

14:45

some of the ones you might have

14:47

had a in the in the song

14:49

or hundred matches might might have given

14:51

you. i'm in the moment that it

14:53

actually did. And it it all ended

14:55

on like a relatively mundane sequence, without

14:57

really that much drama achieved. And whether

15:00

or not that student you know, taker

15:02

being can. It made

15:04

the result that much more shocking because none

15:06

of us were ready for numbers, were prepared

15:08

for this match to be over. So at

15:10

the moment. The referee candid to three it

15:12

just like a made it that much more

15:15

shocking. I'm. An. At.

15:17

That point I think all bus were wondering

15:19

did somebody screw up to the referee screw

15:21

up to somebody get hurt or the planning

15:24

a dusty finish in which everything to be

15:26

able to say like to make sense of

15:28

it in our minds because none of us

15:30

I think ever even if you thought the

15:32

taker streak was going to end at some

15:34

point I don't have any was of us

15:36

pictured it ending this way on for this

15:39

opponent who at the question at that point

15:41

was what did Brock Lesnar have to gain

15:43

from supplement this we all thought if the

15:45

t for was the ever ever loses streak.

15:47

It would be to somebody who be

15:49

up and coming who could benefit from

15:51

it to to have to have it

15:53

and know if Brock Lesnar on such

15:55

a mundane sequence on it wasn't until

15:57

the confirmation sunken with the debate of

16:00

his own twenty one when graphic that

16:02

I think a created by this sort

16:04

of finality to to to this and

16:06

eighty eight just left with the crowd

16:08

that was completely sought deflated like they'd

16:10

just seen some sort of like violent

16:12

religion of those beasts be i'm I

16:14

don't know debunked in and they'd they'd

16:16

be just saw like a Dd just

16:18

collapse here on it was like one

16:20

of the most unique feelings I've ever

16:23

had coming out of the professional wrestling

16:25

of that. Yeah

16:27

I. Because.

16:29

Of just the reaction to it and just

16:32

being like I just thought it was such

16:34

a cool reaction that I can't imagine I'll

16:36

get to see in in a live setting

16:39

again like a comparison was to like I've

16:41

been coal ah finally beating Bruno San Martino

16:43

in Nineteen Seventy One. but I mean most

16:45

people were and not around for it for

16:48

that the some kind of your modern equivalent

16:50

of just an ending that had so much

16:52

more weight than just a title loss or

16:55

like to me like the closest we probably

16:57

seen as like Roman going on the big.

16:59

Run and then losing That that the title

17:01

after years of being championed see I'm but

17:03

the Roman one was so built up and

17:06

I think so expected by the time that

17:08

it actually happened as it was going to

17:10

happen, it was just a question of when

17:12

the right. But we all knew that it

17:14

was probably going to be Korea was probably

17:16

going to be at Wrestlemania, was probably going

17:18

to be at night to. In this particular

17:21

match. I don't think anybody was prepared for

17:23

the Undertaker to lose the Brock Lesnar. I'm.

17:25

At Wrestlemania thirty on this particular night. Given

17:28

the reaction that a got an end and

17:30

let's let's remember this is night or at.

17:33

This is the first major show on the

17:35

Wb We Network and I think this was

17:37

as much a commercial for the Wb We

17:39

Network of this holy shit moment that you

17:41

have to go back and watch like this

17:43

is not a. This is one

17:46

that you can read the results but you

17:48

need to see it. You want to see

17:50

this. This clip. And

17:52

again it was. Like. Me

17:55

personally like I thought brock he was not

17:57

harmed but I would say he had cooled

17:59

a bit. Go. Into this it's and

18:01

this idea that Brock was just this

18:03

does made guy. To. A

18:05

degree? Yes. Did this help? I'm I totally

18:08

believe it helped him. And

18:10

of and the fact was that in Twenty

18:12

fourteen every year it was the question are

18:14

you going to get another match added the

18:17

Undertaker and they did not know, so he

18:19

was. It was a calculated decision about. His.

18:21

Are we going to get him next year? If

18:24

you knew you were going to get all these

18:26

years out of take her baby the decision is

18:28

different but I'm that this is one that like

18:30

ah I don't. I don't look

18:33

at outcomes as. That

18:35

like this outcome at least where it's it's

18:37

one that I really do understand why they

18:39

went with it and I don't have this

18:41

aversion to the way they opted to go

18:43

with this and and it's am I. I

18:46

felt way more are passionate about a beating

18:48

Brock Lesnar right away when he came back

18:50

as we will discuss on the next rewind

18:52

awaits than I did this outcome. Yeah,

18:55

I personally think that like, like history

18:57

will will have proven Vince right in

18:59

making this decision here. Like let's say,

19:01

even I don't know if the Undertaker

19:03

was supposed to win this. Once he

19:05

got concussed and dispatch and they're gonna,

19:07

they would have had to a fumble

19:09

their way into some sort of finish

19:11

somehow. easy hazard, a bit of a

19:13

city match on that. he ends up

19:15

winning, but. Is. Does

19:18

that affect the streak is a streak

19:20

in the Undertaker Wrestlemania met still as

19:22

a hot commodity the year after. When

19:24

I think you know so clearly on

19:26

it would have been obvious that they

19:28

just kind of. Had

19:30

to struggle their way to to keeping

19:32

this thing alive at that point on.

19:35

Anyway, I a you also ask like

19:37

if is at that point Roman let's

19:40

say for instance was supposed to be

19:42

the person to ultimately beat this. Take

19:44

her for the street I'm would would

19:46

he have benefited from it as much

19:49

as Brock Lesnar did in this fashion

19:51

were the streak was still probably at

19:53

it's most valuable. I'm so I think

19:55

given everything you know especially if it

19:58

being treated was sort of the. Comey

20:00

don't have would. Not knowing whether or not take

20:02

was going to come back next year, I feel

20:04

Vince made the right call. From.

20:06

The Observer that week. There are conflicting reports and

20:08

messages on how many people knew what was going

20:11

to happen when Undertaker gotten a ring, possibly for

20:13

the last time. It was reported here that a

20:15

few years back when Undertaker unless or first talked

20:17

about do any angle for this match at Wrestlemania

20:19

Twenty Seven. So this would have been after the

20:21

Us that be your see running that Undertaker has

20:23

said he would want to put Lesnar over that

20:25

was likely to build for a rematch. It wasn't

20:28

set in stone with knowledge of that which we

20:30

reported during the build up Many figured it was

20:32

Undertaker who made the call. That was not the

20:34

case from the day the match was announced until.

20:36

March thirty first at least the finish everyone thought

20:38

would happen was what was going to happen. What

20:41

happened after was fuzzy. only a few people knew

20:43

before sunday if the referee himself wasn't told before

20:45

the match that tells you was probably been sick

20:47

man who made the call which we know it

20:50

with sense of man made the call. A.

20:53

Day. Goes on at some point the match mark

20:55

how we suffered a severe concussion. The match wasn't

20:58

very heated and it was worse because he went

21:00

blank and was having to be lead through. Nobody

21:02

knows the exact spot because when it was over

21:04

towel we didn't remember or have any memory and

21:06

most of the match but he did know enough

21:08

to not kick out at the key time. At

21:10

first the announcers the know what to do. The

21:12

graphic wasn't ready right away nor was the music

21:15

ready. The delay made fans think that maybe it

21:17

was a mistake. The announcers were then given the

21:19

cube I Mcmahon to talk about him as if

21:21

this was the legendary gunfighters last fight and talk

21:23

a bit. Like we've seen Undertaker for the final

21:25

time, the he got hurt in may have been

21:28

when lesser use the high single like take down

21:30

outside the ring and Undertaker fell backward on the

21:32

floor hitting the back of his head. But that's

21:34

just speculation. The only thing for sure is it

21:36

happened. Calloway legitimately was rushed to the hospital Vincent

21:39

man. even though there were two matches, what in

21:41

the show including the main event left with him

21:43

to the Austin Or Medical center. We had a

21:45

cat scan. it was diagnosed with severe concussion and

21:48

kept overnight. The story the Paul him told on

21:50

Raw about coming close to a broken neck was

21:52

just for drama, but the. Rest of what he

21:54

said was legitimate. He was released Monday morning and was at

21:56

Robert. The decision was made not to use him. He was

21:59

said to be limping back the and in rough shape. And.

22:03

Father did The sort of detail of

22:05

Vince going to the on a hospital

22:08

with him is is an interesting one

22:10

I guess. Ah so you may be

22:12

just said that that level of loyalties

22:15

are concern on. Yeah.

22:17

So Vince was not a

22:19

rented produce The Divas Invitational.

22:22

Know. Know, nor nor the main event. I mean

22:24

it was probably up until this year, probably the first

22:26

time he was not there for the main event of

22:28

Wrestlemania. Then.

22:30

They make the announcement of Wrestlemania Thirty one

22:33

the next year and a silicone valley and

22:35

Michael Cole thanks the Undertaker and honor it

22:37

at a was an honor to call so

22:39

many of his matches at Wrestlemania. So that's

22:41

another part of this is like they are

22:43

treating this as like the Undertakers unofficial retirement

22:46

as well. with and gotta be these the

22:48

subtle message at the end of this and

22:50

then the the toughest. Position.

22:52

On this whole card, it's the

22:54

Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational. Were

22:57

aging li.