WWE: The Undertaker Return Isn’t Just Bad Booking, It’s Offensive To Your Intelligence

“Undertaker returns” was trending online this morning, and if you had the chance to watch WWE Battleground, then you know exactly why.

But while the decision to bring the Deadman back was met with a loud pop during the main event of Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins, the way it was done is a booking decision that borders on incoherent.

Forgive the kayfabe here. Let’s say you’re looking for revenge on the guy, who beat you at WrestleMania and robbed you of a historic streak.

What’s a really good way to get back at him?

Well, you could show up unannounced at a blow-off pay-per-view and cost him a chance to win the title — which is what happened Sunday night — or you could wait three seconds for the guy to pin the champ and then decide to decimate him the way the Undertaker did to Brock Lesnar.

The Brock “shock” would have been just as powerful had the lights gone off three seconds later, allowing you to still get in a chokeslam and two tombstone piledrivers, and instead of facing him in a simple grudge match at SummerSlam, you could be facing him in a grudge match-title match combo at SummerSlam.

And don’t attempt the “title doesn’t matter to ‘Taker, he just wants revenge” ignorance. What better revenge than to not only beat Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam but to be the guy that strips him of the title in his first defense? That sends a much more profound statement than simply winning a one-off grudge match as the Undertaker will surely do when he returns, if this CBS Sports report is to be believed.

Aside from this bit of incoherence, the decision to bring Undertaker back now and put him in with the Beast Incarnate is an ill-advised one.

‘Taker is no longer in good enough shape to come in and wrestle one or two matches a year and look good doing it. His streak-ending affair with Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 was one of the most boring matches of the night because he simply didn’t have the cardio to keep up. Remove the shock of the Deadman losing from the equation, and you have a match tailor-made for a trip to the icebox.

There have been multiple reports since that time of health problems for the WWE Legend, and judging from his appearance at WWE Battleground, he’s no longer a believable pick to pin Lesnar, which I fear is where this is heading.

‘Taker still has height, but his physique is now noticeably sagging, and he looks like a 70-year-old Johnny Cash in the face.

(No offense to the Man in Black at 70, but others wouldn’t have picked him in a fight against Lesnar, either.)

What’s sad about the ending of WWE Battleground is that it followed a string of incoherent booking decisions that marred otherwise solid in-ring action. (Cena over Owens in the rubber match; Stephanie McMahon a face?)

And what’s even more unfortunate is that when the Undertaker returns to in-ring action himself, you’re going to see why he no longer has any business being there.

What about you, readers? Did you agree with the booking behind the Undertaker return? Sound off in the comments section.

[Image via Between the Ropes]