10 Times The Undertaker Main Evented A PPV He Shouldn’t Have

Undertaker is a legendary wrestler who is synonymous for his longevity and reliability in WWE. The Undertaker may have not featured in prominent feuds all of the time but his presence was still relevant nevertheless. However, there have been instances where Undertaker has not main evented a pay-per-view he should have, and vice versa.

There’s no questioning that some of the pay-per-view main events that Undertaker participated in were marquee matches. Unfortunately, some of the bouts did not live up to the billing. Whether it was the lack of build, or a more deserving match, there are some main events Undertaker simply should not have been in.

10 .WrestleMania 33 (Vs. Roman Reigns)

At WrestleMania 33, The Undertaker competed in his first WrestleMania main event in seven years against Roman Reigns. The Big Dog was on an upward trajectory and he already had 3 WWE Championship reigns to his name.

Unfortunately, this encounter was incredibly lackluster, and Undertaker was in no condition to be competing in a match of this magnitude. Reigns handed Undertaker his second WrestleMania loss, and he received a chorus of boos. The Phenom teased retirement by leaving his trench coat and hat in the ring. Ultimately, Seth Rollins against Triple H or the Universal Title match between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar would have been better alternatives to headline the show.

9.  Judgment Day 2002 (Vs. Hulk Hogan)

Undertaker and Hulk Hogan were no strangers to each other as The Phenom defeated Hulk Hogan for his first WWE Championship reign at Survivor Series 1991. The Undertaker was hoping that history would repeat itself a decade later at Judgment Day 2002.

The Hulkster’s final batch of matches was a mixed bag, and his match with Undertaker at Judgment Day was utterly atrocious. Undertaker reclaimed the WWE Title with a dreadful Chokeslam, and Triple H and Chris Jericho’s Hell in a Cell match would have been the better option to close out the show.

8. Rock Bottom: In Your House (Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin)

The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin’s rivalry dominated the latter part of 1998, and they took their rivalry to the next level at Rock Bottom: In Your House. Undertaker and Austin headlined the show in the second-ever Buried Alive match.

It wasn’t a bad match but The Rock was the reigning WWE Champion, and he defended the title against Mankind. After all, the pay-per-view was named after The Corporate Champion so it made sense for him to close out the show, and have all of the glory placed on him.

7. Breaking Point 2009 (Vs. CM Punk)

Surprisingly, CM Punk’s World Heavyweight Championship match with The Undertaker got the nod to close out Breaking Point 2009. Punk and Taker collided in a Submission match.

Both are remarkable workers, but the finished ruined this match completely. Undertaker forced Punk to submit to Hell’s Gate but Teddy Long stated that the move was banned by Vickie Guerrero. The match was restarted, but it was a disaster with WWE trying to recreate the Montreal Screwjob once more with Punk retaining with the Anaconda Vise and ‘Taker not tapping out. Randy Orton and John Cena’s matches had been recycled so many times, but their I Quit Match for the WWE Championship was the rightful main event.

6. King Of The Ring 1997 (Vs. Faarooq)

Undertaker was in his second reign as WWE Champion and he had the right to be in the main event at King of the Ring 1997. However, Faarooq was his unlikely challenger, who was bidding to become the first African-American WWE Champion.

The match was underwhelming, and with the Nation of Domination having their differences on the outside, the match suffered. Reigning WWE Tag Team Champions Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels battled in a war of attrition, which easily could have closed out the show in style.

5. WrestleMania 13 (Vs. Sycho Sid)

Shawn Michaels vacating the WWE Championship in February 1997 left a void in the WWE Title picture. So Sycho Sid and The Undertaker emerged as the two left to battle it out for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 13.

WrestleMania 13 was a mediocre show, but Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart’s epic, was one of the greatest matches in the history of the event. Undertaker captured his second WWE Title in a poor main event, and Austin’s ongoing storyline with Bret would have been the perfect choice to close out the show.

4. The Great American Bash 2004 (Vs. Dudley Boyz)

At The Great American Bash 2004, John Bradshaw Layfield ended Eddie Guerrero’s fairytale run as WWE Champion in a Texas Bullrope match. Now fans would think that JBL’s crowning moment would close out the show. But a pointless handicap match between Undertaker and the Dudley Boyz got that honor.

It was a Concrete Crypt match, with Paul Bearer locked in a glass box with cement-filled up to his chest. The Dudley Boyz’s manager Paul Heyman stood next to the lever, ready to bury Bearer, but Undertaker easily dispatched the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions. Afterward, he pulled the lever, which “killed” Bearer in a nonsensical moment, with Bearer surplus to requirements.

3. Survivor Series 1994 (Vs. Yokozuna)

Undertaker and Yokozuna collided in a casket match for the second time in the main event of Survivor Series 1994. This time the WWE Championship was not at stake as Yokozuna was no longer champion. It was marginally better than their original casket match, with Chuck Norris as the special guest enforcer.

Inevitably, Undertaker prevailed despite outside interference in Yokozuna’s favor. The WWE Championship match between Bret Hart and Bob Backlund was magnificent, and with the shocking outcome of Backlund reclaiming the WWE Championship, it would have been the perfect way to end the night.

2. Unforgiven 2007 (Vs. Mark Henry)

Unforgiven 2007 marked The Undertaker’s in-ring return to action after he was laid out by Mark Henry, which allowed Edge to successfully cash in Money in the Bank and capture the World Heavyweight Championship in May. Unforgiven was a lackluster show and a slow methodical match between the two big men wasn’t the way to go for the main event.

The WWE Title match between John Cena and Randy Orton was abrupt with Cena prevailing by disqualification. However, the World Heavyweight Title triple threat match that saw Batista ending Khali’s reign with Rey Mysterio involved should have ended the show, with Batista receiving a thunderous ovation.

1. SummerSlam 1994 (Vs. The Undertaker)

After getting stuffed in a casket at the 1994 Royal Rumble, The Undertaker was out of action for seven months until he returned at SummerSlam. The Deadman reinvented himself for the first time by trading his trademark grey for purple. Undertaker collided with Ted DiBiase’s fake Undertaker in a dreadful main event.

It was illogical for this slow match to headline SummerSlam. Bret Hart’s successful WWE Championship title defense against his brother Owen was the marquee match of the night,. It was the rightful main event, in a steel cage match that encapsulated the greatness of both men.