Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon Feud Needs Major Work Ahead of WWE WrestleMania 32

The story of Undertaker and Shane McMahon's collision at WWE WrestleMania 32 is a cockeyed, flimsy one built atop a feeble foundation.

As the match approaches, WWE has its work cut out in order to help the audience make sense of it. For now, the narrative feels jammed together, a puzzle with bent and missing pieces. Issues with motivation and character plague the nebulous storyline in its early stages. 

Former WWE Creative member Andrew Goldstein is among those critical of the nonsensical nature of this rivalry:

It's hard to blame him, especially after Monday's Raw.

With Undertaker advertised to appear, the general assumption was that he would explain his part in this feud with Shane. He would clarify his relationship with Vince McMahon. WWE would tighten the story in general. 

That didn't happen.

Vince ranted about his relationship with his son before summoning Undertaker, who he called his "instrument of destruction." The Deadman didn't refute that. Undertaker simply warned Mr. McMahon that anything he did to his son was on the chairman's hands.

Undertaker was soon marching back toward the locker room. Fans had reason to scratch their heads. Nothing had been cleared up. Kyle Fowle of the A.V. Club called it "a wildly misguided, inexplicable segment that does absolutely nothing to explain or build up the Wrestlemania match."

And as Kevin Berge of Questionable Critics pointed out, the key question of this story is still unanswered:

Why is Undertaker OK with being a pawn here? What's his stake in all of this?

Last week, WWE set up Shane-O-Mac as the babyface returning to rid the company of a corrupt entity in the form of his own family. To then put Undertaker on Vince's side is to make him the villain.

The Authority is a cold-hearted, tyrannical faction, and fans saw that on full display Monday night. Triple H beat down the beloved Dean Ambrose. Stephanie McMahon derided the audience in a scathing promo.

The fact that Undertaker is supposed to be a part of this alliance is hard to comprehend.

The last time we saw him, he was the conquering hero felling The Wyatt Family. Now he is suddenly OK with having strings tied to his limbs as the evil Mr. McMahon pulls him around.

That unexplained shift in character has to be explained. 

In addition to offering insight into Undertaker's mindset, WWE has to establish why fans would root against The Deadman. Undertaker winning means that The Authority remains in power and the evil empire lives on. What about him specifically should compel the crowd to want to see him lose?

Everyone around him is begging for jeers through their actions and by standing in opposition to the hugely popular Shane-O-Mac. How Undertaker fits into that picture has to be first on WWE's list of things to accomplish with this story in the coming weeks.

Otherwise, we are in for a long build marked by confusion and a climax that fails to satisfy.

Shane vs. Undertaker won't be built around the match's quality. Aside from the usual jaw-dropping bumps Shane is famous for, this bout will have to depend on its story considering it pits a 46-year-old nonwrestler against Undertaker in the late stages of his long career.

Their meeting inside the Hell in a Cell will depend on a variety of bells and whistles. But those won't have the impact WWE is looking for unless it gets this narrative in order in the next few weeks. 

A culmination is dependent on the rise beforehand. A battle like this one is reliant on the backstory. So far, those elements aren't cutting it.