Armchair Booking: The Undertaker Vs Sting At WrestleMania 36

Rumours are starting to surface regarding the status of a dream match decades in the making. The hotly-anticipated showdown between iconic wrestling legends The Undertaker and Sting has been speculated and fantasised over since the two titans first reached their respective peaks in the early 90s. Even after WCW’s flag-bearer finally debuted as part of WWE in late 2014, the two stars never happened to be in the right place at the right time for the dreamiest of dream matches to take place.

As we approach WrestleMania 36 in Tampa, the two legends are in talks with WWE for one last comeback, one final dual on the grandest stage of them all to finally answer the question of who would come out on top; ‘The Deadman’ or ‘The Stinger’.

For this huge attraction to happen, it of course requires both men to be in a healthy state. The last we saw of Sting, his championship match with Seth Rollins had to be called off due to an unfortunate neck injury that has since kept ‘The Icon’ from competing in a wrestling ring. Sting was forced into an indefinite retirement, but with the likes of Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle and Edge proving that neck injuries aren’t the be-all-end-all of a pro-wrestlers career, there’s a slight chance that Sting could finally tie up some loose ends as part of his final chapter in WWE.

Likewise, The Undertaker has slowly been winding down in the twilight of his in-ring career. Occasionally brought out for a cameo appearance on RAW or a brief dance in Saudi Arabia, ‘Taker picks his performances scarcely, obviously taking heed to his physical abilities as the wear and tear of a 25+ year career start to get the better of him. As much as it pains to see The Undertaker fumble his way through encounters with the likes of Bill Goldberg and Shane McMahon, it’s still a pleasure to see the grandeur that comes with an Undertaker main event.

Finally getting to witness the pageantry that would be the fantasy clash between Undertaker and Sting would be the cherry on top of a universally respected career for both performers. So, even if it’s just a five minute spectacle, I’d be more than happy to see this come together for WrestleMania 36. But how exactly could WWE pull off this blockbuster match on such short notice? Well, lets run down some armchair booking scenarios.

As WWE have proven on many occasions, they have no qualms with bringing back blasts from the past for the sake of a cheap pop on a random episode of RAW or SmackDown. What with it being WrestleMania season and all, it should be an easy sell to have Undertaker schedule an appearance to generate some buzz heading into Tampa. But instead of him delivering his typical promo drawl where he bigs himself up as the most impressive WrestleMania headliner of all time, why not let ‘The Deadman’ reflect on his career in more of a solemn manner, dwelling on all the ‘what ifs’ rather than his long list of accomplishments?

Undertaker has racked up wins over a who’s who of sports entertainment. From Triple H to John Cena to Hulk Hogan, ‘Taker has done it all several times over, but he’s yet to come face-to-face with Sting. Surely this has grinded on ‘Taker over the years and caused quite the ire for the grizzled veteran. A bitter Undertaker would curse the fact that he had that dream match robbed from him; the chance to settle those nagging, paranoid thoughts of whether he was the better man in between the ropes.

So the challenge is issued, should Sting be half the superstar he was during the Monday Night Wars, he’d meet Undertaker in the ring and either lace up the boots one last time or admit that Undertaker was the true icon of the Attitude Era.

For weeks, Sting no-shows RAW and SmackDown Live, leaving an enraged and disrespected Undertaker alone to stew, much like the mind games that ‘Taker would often play on his prospective WrestleMania opponents. In fact, this would go on for the best part of WrestleMania season, leaving the WWE Universe in constant anticipation of whether or not ‘The Icon’ would show his face.

It isn’t until the go-home show itself when Sting makes his presence felt. Undertaker is once again fuming in the middle of the ring, pacing across his yard without saying a word. Although this time, should Sting stand up ‘Taker once again, it would officially be known that Sting was the lesser of the two phenoms. Just as Undertaker starts tearing off his fighting gloves, coming to terms with the fact that he, as well as millions of wrestling fans worldwide, would never get to see the fantasy come to life, the lights drop.

The familiar iconography of Sting’s WWE entrance video plays on the titantron and fans realise that they’re about to witness wrestling history. Although as per the majority of his dramatics, Sting wouldn’t just walk out on stage to confirm his WrestleMania intentions, instead he’ll be lurking in his typical abode: the rafters high above the ring.

A spotlight is pointed at the fully black-and-white clad Stinger, who is ominously staring down upon the man that many wrestling fans have considered his equal. Undertaker glares up to the top of the arena, signals that the battle is on with his signature throat-slash, Sting raises his baseball bat and points it directly at the WrestleMania sign. The go-home show fades to black.

So there you have it, a simple yet monumental build to what’s quite possibly the most sought after dream match in history. The match itself doesn’t necessarily have to outstay its welcome, so long as both men get a chance to deliver their typical spots and the fans get enough to whet their nostalgic appetite, the match will go down as a WrestleMania highlight. The fact is, this match needs to happen, for better or worse. It’s the last remnant of a bygone era — the feud between WWE and WCW can finally be put to rest after The Undertaker and Sting settle the score.

Whether or not ‘Taker and Sting are both cleared to compete in just under two months time is down to a matter of chance. Sting was pretty badly hurt in his last match and runs a significant risk of doing some more serious damage if something went wrong in a prospective match with Undertaker. There’s a lot on the line here, but with great risk comes great reward and I’m certain that neither man nor Vince would pass up on the chance to book this match for WrestleMania. In all honesty, WrestleMania needs this match to happen right now.

Whoever walks away with the win is down to a matter of debate. Personally I see this being the final nail in the proverbial coffin of WCW, with Undertaker scoring the final victory over WCW’s mainstay. Undertaker can use this as his final swansong to professional wrestling, giving the gift of the dream match fans have begged for for almost 20 years.

Will we finally see The Undertaker vs. Sting in Tampa this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.