Some of the most famous sports talkers on the radio and TV declared the Deadman’s alleged retirement news a bigger story than the retirement of Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Tony Romo today.
ESPN Radio’s Mike Golic and MIke Greenberg debated the biggest sports story of the week on their show. Golic argued that the Undertaker’s retirement after his WrestleMania 34 loss to Roman Reigns on Sunday might be considered by many as the top story in sports overall and more newsworthy than Romo leaving the NFL to become a broadcaster.
Golic said he believed the popularity of wrestling would make the Undertaker’s retirement in the eyes of some fans potentially a bigger story than even the start of the Major League baseball season, North Carolina winning the NCAA men’s national basketball title and South Carolina winning the the NCAA women’s basketball title in the wake of Connecticut’s historic loss to Mississippi State in the semifinals.
None can argue the Undertaker’s impact over the course of his career which began with his appearance in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984. He moved on to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1989 to 1990, wrestling under the name “Mean Mark” Callous. He signed with then World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now the WWE, in 1990, and is most famous for his 21-match win streak at WrestleMania.
The Undertaker left his gloves, coat and hat in the middle of the ring, and in a rare break from his in-ring character kissed his wife Michelle McCool after his loss to Reigns on Sunday, leading many to believe it is his last match.