What Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon's Latest Stipulation Means for WrestleMania 32

A bout already replete with narrative trappings, Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon at WWE WrestleMania 32 added another set of bells and whistles. 

The latest stipulation is that a loss for The Deadman will make this his last WrestleMania. Now, this over-the-top feud has even more firepower and depth and is even more convoluted. The newest condition elevates the importance of Undertaker vs. McMahon, making it more highly anticipated than anything else on the card.

The showdown already featured a Hell in a Cell setting. A Shane-O-Mac victory will give him control of his father's company. And on Monday's Raw, WWE proved that it wasn't done tinkering with this tale.

Vince McMahon announced that if Undertaker lost at WrestleMania, it would be his last match at the marquee event—ever.

The effects of that addition will be manifold. It's both a boost to the matchup and a detriment to its logic. It's an easy way to build suspense but also a means to overbook the action come April 3. 

As Justin LaBar of Chair Shot Reality pointed out, the new stipulation helps the audience makes sense of Undertaker's motivation for being in this match:

Why Undertaker would willingly play Vince's pawn has been the biggest unanswered question facing this story. Here was a mythical, fearsome figure allowing his boss to pull his strings like a puppet. But now The Deadman has a reason to fight on Mr. McMahon's behalf.

Then again, as much as the career-on-the-line addition solves that problem, it opens up the feud for more narrative nitpicking. 

The new lingering issue is how the impact of the stipulation can possibly be anything but temporary. TJR Wrestling's John Canton pointed out this newly introduced plot hole:

"

Vince said that if Undertaker loses then it’s his last WrestleMania. But if Shane wins he gets control so yeah makes no sense #Raw

— John Canton (@johnreport) March 22, 2016"

Fans also have one less reason to root for Shane at WrestleMania. The audience is supposed to want to see the returning hero oust his tyrannical old man, but how does WWE expect fans to cheer for a victory that would also end Undertaker's legendary run at WrestleMania?

Rather than the standard hero-versus-villain story, this feud has become a knotty presentation that will leave the crowd conflicted.

The plus side of the complexity of Undertaker and Shane's battle is that it's harder to predict what's ahead. Questions now swirl around the bout. Will WWE really have Shane be the one to retire The Phenom? Will this be the precursor for a post-WrestleMania story where Undertaker earns back his spot at The Showcase of the Immortals?

Or as the folks at Fighting Spirit Magazine predicted, will this lead to betrayal from Undertaker?

More and more, the enjoyment of this feud is dependent on how hard one thinks about it. Examine the narrative, and one finds a number of elements that just don't add up. Choose to sit back instead and appreciate the story on a more superficial level, and Undertaker vs. Shane promises to be more fulfilling.

WWE's mindset behind adding Vince's ultimatum was surely to up the stakes.

And plot holes and all, the stakes are certainly higher. Not only is Undertaker fighting for pride, but control of WWE and whether The Deadman will ever compete at WrestleMania again is on the line. That inherently makes this bout bigger.

Credit: WWE.com

At this point, it begs to be the main event.

This latest layer makes the outcome more significant than whatever happens during the WWE world title match. Roman Reigns vs. Triple H is about revenge and gold, but Undertaker and Shane's collision is WWE's super-drama, where victory will shape the future of the company like nothing else at WrestleMania 32.