WWE News: Abyss Vs Undertaker Was Scheduled For ‘Wrestlemania’

In one of the more fascinating WWE news bit this week, Abyss revealed to Jim Ross that he turned down a great opportunity with the Undertaker.

According to a report from Wrestling Inc, Abyss was offered a contract from WWE back in 2006. The deal was something that he heavily contemplated because it was his big chance to finally work for the biggest and most well-known professional wrestling company in the world. This was something that every performer on the independent wrestling circuit dreamed of at one point in time during their career. Abyss came close, but at the last minute, he decided to decline.

WWE really wanted to sign Abyss. During negotiations, he was promised an immediate push, which doesn’t always happen because management wants the performers to move their way up the ladder. Had he signed the deal, then Abyss would have been thrust into the main event scene, a level where most performers never even get to come close to. He would have been guaranteed weekly television segments and spots on the pay-per-view events.

The reason why Abyss opted to stay in TNA was because of loyalty. He had been with the company from the very beginning. Abyss was quite grateful that the promotion gave him his first big chance in the industry. The man legally known as Christopher Parks also opted to remain in TNA because he felt like it would be better to build something special as opposed to being just another number in a big corporation.

History would have been quite different had Abyss signed with WWE. Management had offered him a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with the Undertaker. Through the years, performers have angled themselves backstage to get the chance to work against the legendary performer at Wrestlemania. It was viewed as one of the highest honors in the entire industry. Abyss was supposed to have been given that honor at Wrestlemania 23.

Instead of having Abyss vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania 23, we got a much different scenario. Undertaker ended up winning the World Heavyweight Championship from Batista. While it was a good match, it was not as appealing as seeing a brand new monster coming into WWE and challenging Undertaker. That was the formula that the company used over the years because the Undertaker character was so intriguing that it immediately elevated newer guys.

There are going to be plenty of people who will second guess the business decision made by Abyss. On the surface, TNA appears to be struggling a bit. The company is trying to rebuild itself to the level that it used to be. Management had to halt the live events portion of their business because it was simply not generating enough revenue. Their television deal with Destination America appears to be in peril. Abyss sees all of that.

Abyss does not appear to regret his decision. He took a gamble because he wanted to be a permanent part of TNA. Management has long wanted him to take a front office position once he is done as an in-ring performer. Abyss has already taken on some of the backstage duties while still working matches as well. The 42-year-old is holding that the company can turn things around so that he can still have a job in the industry.

As far as receiving another opportunity with WWE, the odds of that are pretty slim for Abyss. Though management is now open to the idea of signing former TNA stars, Vince McMahon has a tendency to hold a grudge against those that turn him down.

Abyss and WWE were never meant to be.