WWE Must Avoid Undertaker vs. John Cena Feud to End Deadman's Career

The Undertaker vs. John Cena could be the last great main event that WWE can offer fans at WrestleMania 33. Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg is a possibility, but it would be their third match. Seth Rollins vs. Triple H is also possible, but the two have mixed it up in the ring before.

But Taker vs. Cena would be the ultimate clash of two WWE legends on The Grandest Stage of Them All. However, that doesn't mean it should happen.

The biggest issue at stake would be The Phenom's potential retirement.

Watching The Undertaker walk away from the company that he carried for so long is a moment that many fans want no part of. He's been such a fixture of WWE—and has always delivered on the big stage—that saying goodbye would be hard.

Taker is the last of the icons, and though he's a part-timer, he's still important to the company.

His presence at WrestleMania is a tradition, and fans have come to expect his show-stealing performances. Guessing The Deadman's WrestleMania opponent is part of the fun for fans, but the payoff is the actual match. 

From CM Punk to Shawn Michaels to Triple H, one Superstar after another has stepped up and given Taker some memorable matches. Making magic with The Phenom at WrestleMania has been on the wish list of every Superstar who has come through WWE, but when Taker retires, it will be the end of an era.

That end should not come because of Cena.

If WWE books that match for WrestleMania, we should not blame Cena. Hating him has become a favorite hobby of many fans, but to hold him responsible for Undertaker's departure would be pointless.

In the end, Taker would have to sign off on his last opponent, so The Phenom would be the man responsible.

But Cena has a future Hall of Fame career fully built and ready to go. All he needs is the ring and the acceptance speech. What he doesn't need is yet another career-defining accolade to bolster his legacy. 

The widely accepted notion among fans is that WWE veterans should pass the torch to younger talents. When the time comes to hang up the boots, it's the right idea to give back so that the next generation can get the rub and carry it forward. It's a solid idea and one that could apply to The Undertaker.

But Cena is not part of the next generation.

Working Taker in his last match would not benefit Cena in terms of future momentum. Cena is likely nearing the end of his full-time run in WWE, and at some point he, too, will work his last match. Cena vs. Undertaker in a retirement match at WrestleMania would happen merely to sell tickets.

The match would be booked for the sake of watching it happen, and perhaps that's just not good enough.

Many fans will likely never recover from Undertaker's shocking loss to Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. Nearly three years after the fact, Lesnar is arguably just as big now as he would have been had he lost to The Deadman. Undertaker is still working WrestleMania matches and giving back to WWE, which was what he was doing before his undefeated streak came to an end.

Maybe that loss didn't have to happen. The same would be said of Cena going over Taker at WrestleMania.

However, an Undertaker win could change everything.

If Cena lost to The Phenom in a match that had been announced as his last, regardless of the outcome, then perhaps fans would be OK with it. The two could have a monster main event, and Cena could get within a heartbeat of taking The Deadman down but just not finish the job.

Taker would go out on his feet, and Cena's legacy wouldn't suffer a scratch.

But The Phenom is an old pro and knows how the business works. Asking him to go out with a win could be the exact opposite of what he expects. Going out on his back would not be done so that Cena could benefit; rather, so that WWE could benefit.

WWE fans may not see it that way, though.

Cena is as hated today as he's ever been, and to give him the win in Undertaker's last match is to add more hate than is deserved. If the match does happen, then Taker should go over and live to fight another day. 

Cena vs. Undertaker may be WWE's last great main event, but it shouldn't be the last main event of The Deadman's career.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.