The Undertaker has had a magnificent career in the WWE. The Phenom still holds the record for the most WrestleMania wins in WWE history (21 straight wins). The aura of the Undertaker and the fear he instills in his opponents made him a mythical figure and Mark Calaway made sure WWE fans never got tired of his character.
The Undertaker had many iconic matches in his career including with Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Mankind, and his highly satisfying boneyard match with A.J Styles. However, he did not get to have the much-anticipated match with Sting. The surprising reason behind this was Vince McMahon not approving the matcha as he felt it was not worth it.
Vince McMahon Didn’t Approve Much-Hyped Match between The Undertaker and Sting
The Undertaker has cemented his legacy in the WWE as one of the best professional wrestlers to have ever performed in the ring. The Phenom has faced the best of the best in the industry and many consider him a highly inspirational figure in the WWE world. Many of his matches have become iconic due to their narrative stakes and satisfying payoffs.
However, one potential match between him and Sting did not materialize despite fan anticipation. In an appearance on the WWE Network show Legends with JBL in 2016 (via 411 Mania), Sting expressed his desire to face the Undertaker before his official retirement. Unfortunately, the match never happened, and recently, The Undertaker opened up about the reason behind it.
During his Six Feet Under podcast, Mark Calaway stated that Vince McMahon was against the match between him and Sting. While fans were campaigning for the match to happen, McMahon simply felt it was not worth it. Calaway also pointed out that the match would never have lived up to fans’ expectations because he was already past his prime by that point. He said,
“It just didn’t work out. He had a short run in WWE and Vince didn’t want it. For whatever reason, I don’t know what it was. He didn’t feel it. Everybody else was clamoring for this match for quite a few years.
It just never worked out. The match would have been good, but I don’t think it would have lived up to the expectations that people have for it. I think they thought in their mind of Undertaker, 2007 or 2008 versus Sting. It was later on than that. I can say I was way on the backside of what I was going to do when he got there.”
As The Undertaker mentioned, it would have been great if Sting had debuted in the WWE during 2007-08 when he was in peak form. In that situation, the match would have definitely happened. Calaway also seems glad that the potential match did not happen as he knows that he wouldn’t perform as well as he used to by the time 2016 came around.
The Undertaker is All Praise for Shawn Michaels And His Dedication
The two WrestleMania matches (25 and 26) between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels proved to be among the greatest matches in the WWE in which Michaels challenged Undertaker’s streak over his career. The Undertaker managed to win both matches and it led to a satisfying end for Michaels’ WWE career.
The Undertaker had nothing but great words for Michaels and his ability to not be intimidated by his opponent. He knew his capabilities as a wrestler and Undertaker did not have to worry about anything during their matches. He said on the The Ed Mylett Show,
“Shawn Michaels can have a great match with a broom, that’s just how great he is. It’s fun to be able to work with guys like that because I don’t have to worry about them. He’s not intimidated, because he’s in the ring with The Undertaker. So, I don’t have to worry about what Shawn Michaels is going to do because I know he’s going to do Shawn Michaels, and that allows Undertaker to do Undertaker.”
After 30 successful years in the industry, The Undertaker retired from WWE in 2020. His contribution to the industry has been unprecedented and his WrestleMania record is unlikely to be surpassed by anyone. Fans can watch his fascinating documentary Undertaker: The Last Ride, on the WWE Network.
