Why Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon Feud Has Failed to Live Up to Expectations

After the buzz of Shane McMahon's return to WWE subsided, it's easy to hear how discordant and off-rhythm of a song his feud with Undertaker is right now.

Star power and spectacle won't be an issue with this bout once WrestleMania arrives, but story, chemistry and ill-fitting roles continue to be a hindrance leading up to it. What was an emergency plan to save a WrestleMania card upended by injury is unsurprisingly looking distinctly thrown together. 

Shane-O-Mac is out of his element. Undertaker is mired in a threadbare narrative.

On Monday's Raw, the two rivals met for the first time since Vince McMahon announced their WrestleMania showdown. Here was WWE's chance to address the story's unanswered questions and better establish the two men's roles.

Their meeting failed to do either.

Vince once again billed Undertaker as his "instrument of destruction." He painted him as a sadistic predator who wouldn't mind decimating Shane. When Shane pointed out that Undertaker was serving as a puppet for the chairman, it looked as if we would finally understand what The Phenom's reasons are for taking part in this family squabble.

Instead, he got angry with Shane and chokeslammed him to the mat.

Even after this latest chapter, the biggest holes in the tale remain unfilled. The A.V. Club's Kyle Fowle pointed that out when he wrote, "What's his motivation? What's his end goal? These are questions that don't need thorough answers, but they need answers nonetheless."

WWE glossed over the issue.

Undertaker said that no one controlled him despite him fighting Vince's battle. Vince himself mentioned a hollow explanation, as former member of WWE Creative Andrew Goldstein noted:

But even if the audience had more insight into Undertaker's mindset, there would still be a major disconnect. A babyface is acting as a proxy for a heel. The Deadman is the major blockade to a hero's quest to better the company.

Shane is fighting to save WWE from a tyrant, to save a sinking ship. Why would Undertaker be against that? And WWE has given us little reason to root against him specifically while he takes part in a Vince-run plot. 

Credit: WWE.com

Undertaker is a fan favorite pushed into the role of monster.

Shane-O-Mac, meanwhile, is uncomfortable where he stands as well. He has long been a star and a fun addition to the product, but never a central figure in a marquee match at WrestleMania. It showed on Monday night.

His speech was no belly-flop, but it was far from inspired. He stumbled through his delivery at a few points. He was offbeat overall. 

Greg Parks of PWTorch was among those unimpressed by the performance:

It didn't help that even while standing within inches of the towering figure that is Undertaker, Shane did his trademark shuffling in between punches. The dancing didn't fit the mood. Scampering around on the entrance ramp is one thing, but doing it in the middle of a heated brawl made it feel like he didn't take the threat of The Deadman seriously.

Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net summed it up perfectly when he wrote, "This wasn't a good night for Shane."

It wasn't a good night for the feud in general. WWE again failed to make this story click. It again left those watching unsatisfied.

In the weeks ahead, WWE can easily tweak all of this to turn it around.

Portray Undertaker as more of a clear villain. Offer a clear explanation of why he's fighting to keep Vince in power. Let Vince do more talking than Shane.

This rivalry can be far more than the current narrative wreck that it is at this point. With a clearer story, it will be an invaluable, captivating piece of the WrestleMania puzzle.