The Streak: Why It Ended for The Undertaker – Secret Details

WrestleMania 30 was a landmark event in WWE history, but nothing sent shockwaves through the wrestling world quite like the end of "The Streak." The Undertakerโ€™s unparalleled 21-0 record at WrestleMania was shattered by Brock Lesnar, a moment that stunned fans and forever changed the landscape of professional wrestling. We dive into the secret details behind that unforgettable night, uncovering how one of wrestlingโ€™s most surprising moments became etched in the memories of fans around the globe.

Undertaker and Brock Lesnar stare each other down just prior to their history-changing match at WrestleMania 30.
Undertaker and Brock Lesnar stare each other down just before their history-changing match at WrestleMania 30.

Brock Lesnar Ends The Undertakerโ€™s Legendary Streak

21-1. Undertaker after Brock Lesnar ended The Streak at WrestleMania 30.
21-1. Undertaker after Brock Lesnar ended The Streak at WrestleMania 30. Photo Credit: WWE.

WrestleMania 30 was significant for several reasons. But for wrestling fans, it is most remembered for what occurred at the end of the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar match.

Here is how one of the most shocking moments in the modern era of wrestling unfolded behind the scenes. It’s a visual that will be etched in the minds of wrestling fans forever.

The Streak Ends: Behind the Scenes of WrestleMania 30

The Night The Streak Ended: Undertaker and Brock Lesnar face off at WrestleMania 30.
The Night The Streak Ended: Undertaker and Brock Lesnar face off at WrestleMania 30. Photo Credit: WWE.

WrestleMania 30 went down on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is arguably the most important pay-per-view broadcast of the modern era due to it being the first show to air on the WWE Network.

The event is widely thought of as the home of two huge moments. There’s “Yes-lemania,” where Daniel Bryan finally overcame the evil top brass trying to hold him down. But before that happened, we saw the end of the undefeated streak of Undertaker at WrestleMania at the hands of Brock Lesnar.

Here is how it all unfolded behind the scenes.

Was Brock Lesnar the Right Choice to End The Streak?

Brock Lesnar pictured as WWE Universal Champion. The question lingers: Was he truly the right choice to end The Streak?
Brock Lesnar pictured as WWE Universal Champion. The question lingers: Was he truly the right choice to end The Streak? Photo Credit: WWE.

It’s a moment that will be debated until the end of time. Was Brock Lesnar really the right man to end the streak?

So many came close before him. Would it have better served a younger talent rising in the ranks? Did Brock Lesnar really need the rub a victory of this magnitude brought? You can ask these questions until you’re blue in the face.

At the end of the day, it was Brock Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate became the 1 in 21-1. He ate, slept, conquered, and then most certainly hit the repeat button. Lesnar has been kicking butt and taking names ever since.

With his victory at WrestleMania 30, Brock became the final boss of WWE. The big bad.

The Streak Ends: What Went Wrong According to The Undertaker?

The Night The Streak Ended: Undertaker and Brock Lesnar face off at WrestleMania 30.
The Night The Streak Ended: Undertaker and Brock Lesnar face off at WrestleMania 30. Photo Credit: WWE.

On The Broken Skull Sessions with Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker revealed:

"Somewhere within the first five minutes of [my match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30], I get concussed. I donโ€™t even remember this night. My last memory I can definitively tell you happened at about 3:30 in the afternoon when my wife came backstage, and we had a conversation. Thatโ€™s the last thing that I remember on my own of that day."

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The Return of Brock Lesnar: A Path to Controversy

Brock Lesnar makes an explosive return to WWE, targeting John Cena on Raw on April 2nd, 2012.
Brock Lesnar makes an explosive return to WWE, targeting John Cena on Raw on April 2nd, 2012. Photo Credit: WWE.

Brock Lesnar made his long-awaited return to the WWE, without Paul Heyman, in 2012. It was the night after WrestleMania 28.

After eight long years away, he came out and dropped John Cena, which immediately set him on a path to wrestle Cena in the main event of Extreme Rules that year.

Brock would lose his first match back, but that’s a subject for another time. Lesnar then floated into a long feud with Triple H.

Feuds with Brock Lesnar on the Road to WrestleMania 30

CM Punk and Brock Lesnar during their feud in 2013.
CM Punk and Brock Lesnar during their feud in 2013. Photo Credit: WWE.

Paul Heyman would return soon after, and the dynamic duo was back together.

The Triple H feud involved matches at SummerSlam 2012, WrestleMania 29, and Extreme Rules 2013.

Next up was a rivalry with Heyman’s other managerial charge, CM Punk, which led to the amazing match between Brock and Punk at SummerSlam 2013.

There was a match at Royal Rumble with The Big Show in there, too.

Brock Lesnar’s Want For a Title Match

Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30.
Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. Photo Credit: WWE.

It then came time for Brock Lesnar and Heyman to demand a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 30.

Only they wouldn’t get that match. They’d get an open contract for any other opponent they wanted.

That’s when The Undertaker attacked, and we were on our way. Going into WrestleMania 30, Undertaker was still scheduled to win.

That is, until Vince McMahon changed his mind.

Undertaker on Why Brock Lesnar Didn’t Need the Win

Paul Heyman shockingly looks on moments after Brock Lesnar ended the streak of The Undertaker.
Paul Heyman shockingly looks on moments after Brock Lesnar ended the streak of The Undertaker. Photo Credit: WWE.

“Obviously, in Vinceโ€™s mindset, if itโ€™s not Brock, then who?” Undertaker began in an interview with CBS Sports in 2020. “My biggest concern was I just wanted to make sure that [McMahon] was sure, and thatโ€™s what he wanted to do.

“I didnโ€™t feel like Brock needed it. Brock was already a huge star, and it wasnโ€™t going to help him one way or another. My only concern was there might have been someone down the line that could have benefited from it more, and that probably wouldโ€™ve been Roman later on.

"Thatโ€™s with hindsight being 20/20. But if I was going to get beat by someone, Brock was a guy who had the credentials, I think, to do it, and people would be like, โ€˜Um, okay, ****, thatโ€™s Brock Lesnar.โ€™ That was my biggest deal. I just wanted to make sure thatโ€™s really what [McMahon] had wanted to do."

Paul Heymanโ€™s Spin: The Myth and Reality of WrestleMania 30

Paul Heyman raises Brock Lesnarโ€™s hand after he put an end to The Undertakerโ€™s legendary 21-0 WrestleMania streak at WrestleMania 30.
Paul Heyman raises Brock Lesnarโ€™s hand after he put an end to The Undertakerโ€™s legendary 21-0 WrestleMania streak at WrestleMania 30. Photo Credit: WWE.

The match itself is not much to bite into. The Undertaker gets concussed early into it and has to be carried through the rest.

It’s a rough end to over two decades worth of a winning streak. So much so, Paul Heyman tried to take what really happened and flip it for his benefit.

At an Inside the Ropes event in 2016, Heyman cut a promo where he heavily implied that Brock Lesnar went into business for himself and stole the streak, saying, "Thereโ€™s only a very select people that understand what happened that night. The referee is not one of them. The music guy is not one of them."

I know, I know. Paul Heyman is very convincing, but there’s no way that Lesnar went into business for himself and stole the win by legitimately beating up Undertaker. With the amount of gossip in wrestling, you think Heyman’s the only one who would spill? It’s nothing more than fiction, but it’s important to take note of.

It is important because the fiction clearly illustrates one thing: the legacy of Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania.

The Day Vince McMahon Changed WrestleMania History

The Undertaker and Vince McMahon.
The Undertaker and Vince McMahon. Photo Credit: WWE.

According to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, Vince McMahon decided to end the streak on the day of WrestleMania 30. The reasoning? McMahon thought Undertakerโ€™s career was coming to a close.

“Vince McMahon was going on the assumption that this was Undertakerโ€™s last hurrah, and he could either win or lose,” Meltzer revealed. “McMahon chose the idea that it was better to lose on your way out. One person close to the situation said McMahon talked Undertaker into doing it.”

Meltzer continued, “Another, who would also know, described it as McMahon making the call and Undertaker agreeing and that he wasnโ€™t talked into doing something he didnโ€™t want to do. It was not his original call, but he was in on it and never protested the call.”

Brock Lesnarโ€™s Reluctance: The Real Story Behind The Streak

Was Brock Lesnar the right person to end The Streak?
Was Brock Lesnar the right person to end The Streak? Photo Credit: UFC.

In the time that has since passed, it is rumored that Lesnar wasnโ€™t actually a fan of the idea of breaking the streak. He wanted to lose to Undertaker and was legitimately unhappy to see The Deadman have to go to the hospital due to the severe concussion caused minutes into their match.

During an interview with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on his podcast on the WWE Network, Austin asked Vince McMahon about the decision. McMahon asserted Undertaker wanted to give back and Lesnar made the most sense on the roster as the best person to break the streak.

“Nobody wants to give back to the business more than the Undertaker, more than Mark Callaway,” McMahon began. “He knew it was important to give back to the business. He knew there comes a time when itโ€™s time to do that. So why not then [at WrestleMania 30]?”

McMahon continued, “When you consider, looking down the line when you look at the talent roster, who else could Undertaker possibly work with and at that time, give back in the biggest possible way he could to help them be the biggest possible star?

“When you look down the roster, who else was it going to be? No one on the roster, potentially. And the following year, year after that โ€“ it was timing. The one person whose time was there at that moment who Mark thought, โ€˜Okay, this is itโ€™ — it was Brock. I made the decision," McMahon affirmed.

The Legacy of The Undertakerโ€™s WrestleMania Streak

The Streak: 21-0 (but not for long). The Undertaker pauses in the ring, moments before facing Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. Photo Credit: WWE.
The Streak: 21-0 (but not for long). The Undertaker pauses in the ring, moments before facing Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. Photo Credit: WWE.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Randy Orton reflected on Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak:

“I think Undertaker and WrestleMania go hand in hand. Itโ€™s unfortunate that he picked up a loss a few years back.

I think that was wrong, and I think everyone would agree with me for the most part, with the exception of maybe Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. I donโ€™t believe that that loss tarnished his career. I just hate that his streak was tarnished.”

The Undertaker’s streak had been active as long as a lot of the audience had been alive. Even longer for plenty of them. It’s not often fully appreciated how long twenty-three years is (Undertaker’s first WrestleMania win was over Jimmy Snuka at WrestleMania 7 in 1991, and he would lose to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 in 2014).

Undertakerโ€™s Early Streak Matches: The Forgotten Battles

Giant Gonzalez faces The Undertaker at WrestleMania 9.
Giant Gonzalez faces The Undertaker at WrestleMania 9. Photo Credit: WWE.

The streak went long enough that most of the audience forgot how bad Taker’s early streak matches were.

Matches with King Kong Bundy when he was way past his prime, Giant Gonzalez when he was Giant Gonzalez (that says enough), and even up until WrestleMania 15 with Big Boss Man in the Hell in a Cell and that ridiculous hanging finish they had worked up all come to mind.

The Big Boss Man Hanging: A Low Point in The Streak

Undertaker slams The Big Boss Man into the steel cage at WrestleMania 15.
Undertaker slams The Big Boss Man into the steel cage at WrestleMania 15. Photo Credit: WWE.

On the topic of Undertaker’s match with Big Boss Man at WrestleMania 15, Senior Vice President of WWE Bruce Prichard admitted, “It was terrible. It just was absolutely terrible. The payoff to the whole thing was to hang a man in the Hell in a Cell.

“For people that have seen it, it’s a visual that will be etched in your mind forever. At the end of the match, Taker goes over, and now let’s hang Boss Man to the Heavens. It was a debacle in every sense of the word.”

There was a lot of rough stuff in the early years of the streak.

The Evolution of The Streak: From Gimmick to Legend

The Undertaker, alongside manager Paul Bearer, prepares for his match at WrestleMania 7, where Jimmy โ€˜Superflyโ€™ Snuka would become the first victim of The Streak. Photo Credit: WWE.
The Undertaker, alongside manager Paul Bearer, prepares for his match at WrestleMania 7, where Jimmy โ€˜Superflyโ€™ Snuka would become the first victim of The Streak. Photo Credit: WWE.

It wasn’t until WrestleMania 25 with Shawn Michaels that “The Streak” became this mythological source of greatness at the Showcase of the Immortals.

Not all of them were disasters. Batista, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair all had solid matches with Undertaker at WrestleMania, all of which helped build the streak up. By the time the twenty-fifth installment came, there was a lot put into the idea of beating the streak, and Shawn was a very credible threat.

“I look back at things, and I can be really critical of myself,” Shawn once said in a reflective moment.

“There arenโ€™t many times Iโ€™ve come out of the ring when I havenโ€™t felt like, Oh, you know, I could have done something better, I could have changed this or changed that. But that match [with Undertaker at WrestleMania 25], thatโ€™s one that I donโ€™t know I can say that with.”

Shawn Michaels wound up losing at 25 but also permanently changed the psychology around having a match with The Undertaker at ‘Mania.

Shawn Michaelsโ€™ Relentless Pursuit of The Streak

The Undertaker shakes hands with Shawn Michaels following their unforgettable rematch at WrestleMania 26.
The Undertaker shakes hand with Shawn Michaels after the incredible rematch match at WrestleMania 26. Photo Credit: WWE.

After falling to The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels became consumed with the idea of ending the streak. His obsession was so intense that he put his career on the line the following year, just for another shot at The Deadman.

HBK fought valiantly through that yearโ€™s Royal Rumble with one goal in mind: to challenge The Undertaker, then the World Heavyweight Champion, at WrestleMania. The pursuit of breaking the undefeated streak became as significant as headlining the event itself, culminating in their unforgettable clash at WrestleMania 26.

The two matches between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker elevated Taker’s streak into the benchmark.

The two matches between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker redefined the significance of the streak, elevating it to legendary status.

The Streak and Its Ultimate End

Nine years before the undefeated WrestleMania streak of the Undertaker was broken, a young, arrogant foe was booked to end it. However, rumors of partying the night before resulted in a change of direction the morning of the big event.
The Undetaker. Photo Credit: WWE.

Following these bouts, Triple H stepped in for two more classic encounters at WrestleMania 27 and 28, further solidifying the mythos. CM Punk then delivered a memorable performance at WrestleMania 29.

By the time WrestleMania 30 approached, The Undertakerโ€™s WrestleMania matches were the stuff of legend. Many fans hoped that he would retire undefeated, leaving his legacy unblemished.

But instead, Brock Lesnar shattered that hope, conquering The Undertaker and ending the streak in New Orleans, etching his own name into wrestling history.

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Joseph Finnegan, a longtime contributor to Pro Wrestling Stories, is a published author and produced screenwriter with a BFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University. Recently, he starred in, co-directed, and co-wrote a feature film called Interstate that is coming to Red Bank, New Jersey on November 16th, 2024, at 2 PM. Get your tickets via the link above and support a talented independent filmmaker.