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Undertaker Talks WWE Future, Kenny Omega on AEW Status, Charlotte on NXT vs AEW
May 8, 2020
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Undertaker Addresses Retirement Talk
The Undertaker is coming off one of the most memorable matches of his career, but at 55 years of age, retirement is a constant topic of conversation among fans.
That may continue in the coming weeks with the arrival of The Undertaker: The Last Ride on WWE Network. The five-part series, which will debut Sunday after Money in the Bank, follows Taker's career over the past few years and could answer the question of when he intends to step away from pro wrestling.
In an interview with TV Guide's Keisha Hatchett, The Phenom said the following about when fans can expect him to call it quits: "I just don't know. I want people to watch [The Last Ride] and kind of come away with their own conclusions of where I'm at. But I have to go into each and every match looking at it that way at this point."
Taker can't perform at the same level as he used to under normal circumstances, but he was in arguably the best match at WrestleMania 36, as he beat AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match.
The match was filmed in a cinematic way and took place in a graveyard, making it unlike anything ever seen before at WrestleMania. While it was more of a fight scene in a movie than a match, the success of it may have breathed new life into The Undertaker's career.
Taker suggested that he was comfortable with the thought of retiring after not being part of WrestleMania 35 last year, but jumped at the opportunity to face Styles this year:
"At that point, I was pretty content. I'd already kind of come to grips with the fact that my days, especially with WrestleMania, it was time to move on. And then, the match with AJ presents itself. We've both been in the business for a while and our paths had never crossed. That's very unusual to never have a match with [someone of that stature] and I really hold him in very high regard as an in-ring performer and as a human being."
Considering how well his match with Styles went, there may be some meat left on the bone for The Deadman as far as his wrestling career is concerned.
If WWE can continue to put him in similar situations moving forward, Taker may have several more matches left in him. Perhaps The Undertaker: The Last Ride will shed some light on whether that truly is the case.
Omega Discusses His Standing in AEW
Many have questioned the way Kenny Omega has been positioned in AEW thus far, but the former IWGP Heavyweight champion is happy with how things have gone for him.
Omega was undoubtedly among AEW's biggest stars when the company started, but after losing to Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing, Pac at All Out and Jon Moxley at Full Gear, it became clear that he wasn't getting pushed into the top spot initially.
In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Omega expressed his belief that the current path he is on is the best thing for his character:
"Not everyone who watches AEW is familiar with my work in Japan. I'm not sure everyone knows 'The Best Bout Machine.' So the question was asked, is the best way to introduce this character by giving him the world right off the bat? Maybe that could have worked. To me, I would rather take more unknown names, guys that don't have that big reputation yet, and show there is something special about them. I want to be a force to help introduce new stars to the world and magnify the work of those around me."
Omega is one-half of the AEW world tag team champions with Adam "Hangman" Page, and while he has had some great matches in AEW, he is nowhere near the AEW World Championship scene.
That figures to change at some point, but Omega seems content shining in his current role and helping to bring the best out of other rising stars.
Omega assured fans that it is only a matter of time before his meteoric rise begins: "When it's time, which is sooner than people think, I'll remind people why I'm the best in the world. And it's coming. It's not a matter of if it's going to happen, it's just a matter of when."
AEW is primarily focused on building Moxley as the babyface world champion, so perhaps the door will open for Omega whenever Moxley drops that title to a heel.
Omega was one of the biggest wrestling stars in the world when he was part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and he undoubtedly has the potential to reach that level in AEW eventually.
Charlotte Gives Thoughts on NXT vs. AEW
Charlotte Flair has become a pivotal part of NXT since beating Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania, making her a central figure in the Wednesday Night War between AEW and NXT.
Both AEW and NXT air every Wednesday night in the same time slot, which has led to many wrestling fans picking sides, making it something of a smaller-scale version of the Monday Night War between WWE and WCW in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Barrasso asked Flair for her thoughts on being part of the battle, but she suggested that it isn't something she allows herself to get distracted by: "I try not to get caught up in the business side. When I have that opportunity to highlight my opponent and myself, that's what we're here to do. Going into this match, we're trying to raise the bar."
Charlotte has impressed on NXT over the past couple of weeks in matches against Mia Yim and Io Shirai. She lost to Shirai by disqualification on Wednesday, which led to Ripley making her return. That means Charlotte could have her hands full against two of the best female wrestlers NXT has to offer moving forward.
On top of her NXT responsibilities, Charlotte is still part of Raw as well, and she had a highly entertaining match against Liv Morgan on Monday's episode of Raw.
Flair is arguably the best all-around female Superstar WWE has, and there is no question that the company is getting the most out of her right now.
She also helps give NXT arguably the best women's division in all of wrestling, which is something that could give the black and yellow brand a leg up in the Wednesday Night War moving forward.
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