The Undertaker and Kane: Leading the Way for WWE Part-Timer Resurgence

The Undertaker and Kane are back together again and it’s led many WWE fans to begin speculating on the company’s future. It’s not necessarily because of the impact that The Brothers of Destruction could potentially have together. It has more to do with the company’s penchant for featuring part-time Superstars as main event attractions. 

(Editor’s Note: This article was written before WWE presented Super Showdown, where The Undertaker battled Triple H in Australia.)

It’s an old argument and one that has been happening quite a lot over the past few years. That’s due to the presence of Brock Lesnar of course, who basically held the WWE Universal Championship hostage for 504 days. That situation was caused by the company itself however, meaning that WWE is very high on the idea of utilizing part-time stars at the top.

Evidently that trend is continuing now. Many WWE fans have a great deal of respect for The Undertaker and he is very worthy of that respect. If anyone in WWE has the right to call his own shot, it’s The Deadman. He’s fought many wars in the past and he’s always stepped up when he was needed the most.

Indeed the aura surrounding The Undertaker is still alive and well. For every fan that complains about Taker’s slowed steps in the ring, there are many more that accept his pace because of The Phenom’s contributions to the WWE product. It’s not that he gets a pass for his age, rather he gets the benefit of the doubt because he’s deserving of it.

So every time he comes back, The Undertaker sees criticism from some and adulation from many. This has been the ebb and flow of his WWE career from the moment he was pinned  by Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. But while Taker continues on and fans debate it, Kane is back and the same conversation is taking place.

Without The Undertaker, there is no Kane. Destiny dictates that their careers always cross and indeed they always will. That’s just how it is. So now that The Big Red Machine is back, it’s only logical that he’s back at the side of his storyline brother. Of course Kane may not draw the criticism that The Undertaker does, but there are still many fans that question the move.

Does WWE really need Kane back in the fold? For that matter, does the company really need The Deadman either? Those questions, while valid, may be unnecessary at this point. Whether or not the audience wants something tends to be irrelevant in the world of WWE. Oftentimes, Vince McMahon’s company delivers what it wants when it wants and there’s just no way to fight it.

WWE wants The Brothers of Destruction back on the roster so that’s exactly what happened. WWE continues to blur the line between expectation and reality, just as it alway does. So even though fans are getting another flashback, it remains unknown if the majority of them actually wanted to time travel.

On the flip side of this coin are Triple H and Shawn Michaels. The Game is always around of course, though he’s not often in the ring anymore. He has his hands full with corporate responsibilities, both on the main roster and in NXT. Triple H is a huge asset behind the scenes and it’s safe to assume that one day, he will either be the man calling the shots for WWE or he will be just to the left of that spot.

Fans seem to have less of a problem with The King of Kings getting back in the ring than the other veterans of WWE. Hunter is at a very interesting point in his career in which he has a great deal of respect for his work with NXT yet some fans still question his motives.

However those questions are whispers these days. They are no longer broadcast for the whole world to hear. The chorus that heralded the unjust rule of the man with the magic shovel has been somewhat quietened over the past few years. Is Triple H truly responsible for “burying” one talent after another during his WWE career? Does it even matter now? As with The Undertaker, it seems some fans are quick to overlook any faults in favor of respecting achievements. 

But the real story here is Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid has spent the past eight years of his life graciously refusing any offers to return to the ring and politely denying any rumors to the contrary. He’s fielded thousands of questions concerning his possible future between the ropes and he’s done it all with a smile on his face. In a company full of uncertainty, Shawn Michaels was the one constant. But not anymore.

Will he lace up the boots again in 2018? This is the discussion that’s now taking place and this time, the discussion has some real legs under it. It’s no longer a question of whether or not he will at this point. Now the question has become why? Why would the man that had no reason to turn back the clock and proclaimed he never wanted to, actually do it now?

WWE doesn’t need Shawn Michaels back in the ring. The same is true of Triple H, Kane and The Undertaker. These four giants of professional wrestling have accomplished things that other stars, past and present, could only dream of. WWE as a company is still thriving without the quartet on the roster. SmackDown Live’s move to the Fox Network in 2019 didn’t happen thanks to The Brothers of Destruction or DX. WWE as a company is full of talent and every brand brings something different to the table each and every week.

But if this is what the company wants, then there may be no stopping it now. Of every part-timer currently booked, or will be booked in the future, it’s The Undertaker that made it fashionable. He called his own shots a long time ago and he continues to do so now. He has that right and there is no denying that. How long this trend will last is unknown. Whether or not fans want to see it keep happening is a debate that will surely continue for a long time to come.