Breaking Down The Undertaker's Final Test Before Retiring from WWE

The Undertaker's recent return to Raw led fans to question why WWE bothered to bring him back after such an underwhelming showing at Super ShowDown on June 7.

However, it has been apparent for ages that The Deadman isn't intended to be anything more than a nostalgia act at this stage of his career.

Most of the matches he's had since his storied streak was broken at WrestleMania 30 in 2014 haven't been meaningful or entertaining, yet he continues to rise from the ashes time and time again.

He never ceases to elicit a major reaction from the fans whenever he resurfaces, but any program he's a part of usually leaves a lot to be desired. His latest run can and should stand out from the rest if he's actually used to put over an up-and-coming star, and in this case, that person needs to be Drew McIntyre.

Credit: WWE.com

Roman Reigns is perhaps the most notable example of someone who could have benefited from beating Undertaker when he did so at WrestleMania 33. Their face-off fell well below expectations, but that win for The Big Dog could have catapulted him even farther into superstardom.

After 27 years of service, that really should have been it for The Phenom in WWE. Unfortunately, the company botched the followup by booking Reigns to lose to Braun Strowman at the next pay-per-view ahead of Undertaker's eventual return at WrestleMania 34.

From one-off outings in Saudi Arabia to his failed feud with Triple H, Undertaker has been involved in much of nothing for the past year. Fans have been given zero reason to believe Sunday's tag team match at Extreme Rules will be any different, but there might be more to the matchup than we know.

At the age of 54, The Deadman's sole purpose at this point should be to help elevate younger talent. His entrances are always iconic, but once that bell rings, the mystique is gone and fans quickly realize they are no longer in the presence of the Undertaker of old.

Neither Undertaker nor the fans gain anything from watching him work with Hall of Fame-caliber competitors from his era. Aside from the occasional spike in Raw ratings, his tired formula of coming in, beating a star with real potential and descending into the darkness once more is detrimental to today's roster.

On paper, Undertaker and Reigns vs. McIntyre and Shane McMahon isn't anything special, but the idea that it could set up The Phenom vs. The Scottish Psychopath at SummerSlam is intriguing.

Not only could McIntyre possibly carry 'Taker to one of the best bouts he's had in years, a win for The Scottish Psychopath would take him to another level of super stardom.

McIntyre is every bit as prone to WWE's poor booking decisions as the rest of the roster is. His alliance with McMahon has been more of a hindrance than a help to him, but with a win over Team 'Taker at Extreme Rules and another dominant performance against the former world champion at SummerSlam, he'd be back on track in no time.

The more he needlessly returns, the more damage Undertaker does to his legacy. There's no telling for sure when or even if he will retire given his track record, but it's safe to say it should be sooner rather than later.

If retirement is right around the corner for The Deadman, WWE must make the most of the time he has left by using whatever worth he still has to the advantage of the talent of tomorrow.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.