Vince McMahon’s decision to end The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak has fueled debate for over a decade, with many — Taker included — believing it should never have happened.
This week on their
podcast, Six Feet Under , Taker and his wife, Michelle McCool, answered fan questions. One fan suggested the “Deadman” should have gone 25-0 at WrestleMania, marking a quarter-century of dominance.
“It could have been a record that would have lasted forever. I mean, 21-0 may last forever. But I think the general consensus — nobody wanted it,” said Taker.
At WrestleMania XXX in 2014, Taker faced Brock Lesnar — a familiar rival from WWE’s Ruthless Aggression era. Between 2002 and 2003, Lesnar had repeatedly defeated Taker to retain the WWE Title. After leaving WWE, Lesnar transitioned to MMA and won the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
On paper, Lesnar posed a legitimate threat to Taker’s dominance. Still, most believed he would be just another name added to the legendary streak.
Then came the unthinkable: after a third F-5, Lesnar pinned Taker.
The crowd inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans fell into stunned silence. Mouths dropped. Fans clutched their heads in disbelief. In that moment, it felt as if an era of wrestling — and the childhoods of countless fans — had died in a single three count.
Taker said fans often ask why he agreed to have his streak end. While he initially felt he had no choice, he admitted he technically did — but didn’t want to risk a real conflict with Lesnar by pushing back.
“I didn’t have to do it. And then what happens? Me and Brock are having to shoot at WrestleMania, and then it wouldn’t have been good. I mean, I’d have took it easy on him,” Taker joked.
Looking back, Taker chose to see the situation through a business-first lens. He acknowledged that throughout his career, others had helped elevate him by putting him over — and now, it was his turn to return the favor.
“You have to look at this business in a sense of there’s a lot of people that probably didn’t maybe didn’t want to put me over to get me into that position, and they did it, and it’s just kind of the way it works,” said Taker.
Still, many fans questioned whether Lesnar — already a multi-time WWE Champion, former UFC Heavyweight Champion, and NCAA Champion — needed the win. Some argued that if the streak had to end, it should’ve gone to an emerging star like Roman Reigns or Bray Wyatt.
But many overlook Lesnar’s booking leading into WrestleMania XXX. After returning in 2012, despite dominating the match, Lesnar lost to John Cena at Extreme Rules. The result left fans puzzled, given Lesnar’s real-world legitimacy.
Next came an underwhelming feud with Triple H, where Lesnar went 2-1 against “The Game,” losing at WrestleMania 29. With the series tied 1-1, Lesnar won their rubber match in a steel cage at Extreme Rules in 2013 — but only after a low blow and sledgehammer shot, a booking decision designed to protect Triple H in defeat.
That year, Lesnar defeated CM Punk in a thrilling match at SummerSlam. He returned months later to beat Big Show at the Royal Rumble — a far cry from their hard-hitting battles in the early 2000s.
Heading into WrestleMania XXX, Lesnar still wasn’t lighting the world on fire. But beating Taker changed everything.
He crushed Cena at SummerSlam in 2014 to win the WWE Championship, cementing his status as “The Conqueror.” That, and his Mania victory, were seemingly meant to help Lesnar elevate Reigns by beating the man who had defeated Taker.
However, WWE surprised fans at WrestleMania 31 when Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract mid-match, stealing the title from both Lesnar and Reigns.
Years later, at WrestleMania 33, Reigns finally defeated Taker — handing him his second loss at Mania — but by then, the prestige of beating Taker had diminished.
Regardless of WWE’s reasoning, no explanation will likely ever satisfy fans who believe Taker’s streak shouldn’t have ended. To them, that loss marked the end of something sacred.
As for Taker, he’s made peace with a moment he didn’t want — and couldn’t change.
“I had to make the best of the hand that was dealt me,” said Taker.
