The Undertaker has finally admitted that he should not have competed in his WrestleMania 33 match against Roman Reigns. The legendary wrestler faced off against Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida, in a highly anticipated showdown that stretched for 23 minutes.
Throughout the match, it was clear that The Undertaker was struggling physically, with his body showing signs of wear and tear. In the end, Reigns defeated the Deadman, marking only his second loss at WrestleMania. The decision to have Reigns win was met with a chorus of boos from the live crowd in Orlando, and the backlash continued the following night on Monday Night Raw.
The Undertaker Admits His Body Wasn't Ready for the Match
Reflecting on the match years later, The Undertaker revealed in a candid interview on his Six Feet Under podcast that, despite the loss not being the issue, he felt his body was no longer in the condition it needed to be for a match of that caliber.
“That still bothers me,” Undertaker said. “Not that I lost, but I was just…I stayed a little long. I stayed a little long. I didn’t have enough for him that I would have liked to have given him. At that point, my body was shutting down. Yeah, I shouldn’t have been in that match, but [shrugs], anyway.”
The Undertaker’s words underscore the toll that years of intense in-ring competition had taken on his body, making the 2017 match an unfortunate but unavoidable part of his career.
Roman Reigns Shares His Thoughts on the WrestleMania 33 Bout
Roman Reigns, who was just beginning to solidify himself as the WWE's top star at the time, has also reflected on his match with The Undertaker. Speaking during an interview with Complex Sports in 2020, Reigns acknowledged that the match with The Undertaker wasn’t one of his best, but he still took away invaluable lessons from the experience.
“As far as the match. I’m not going to put it up there as some of my best work,” Reigns admitted. “There were a lot of different things I was able to learn, and a lot of different nuances and details that I was able to catch onto of his, and be able to make my own in different ways. I definitely think it was crucial for me to be able to share the ring with him and go through a WrestleMania with him. I definitely feel like I got better from learning from that experience.”
Despite the criticisms of the match, Reigns viewed the experience as a learning opportunity, one that would contribute to his development as a top WWE talent. Sharing the ring with The Undertaker, a wrestler with unparalleled experience and legacy, was a significant moment in Reigns' career, and it’s clear that he gained valuable insight from their time together.
While The Undertaker’s WrestleMania 33 match against Roman Reigns may not have lived up to the expectations of many fans, it was a defining moment in both men's careers. For The Undertaker, it served as a reminder of the toll that years of wrestling had taken on his body, while for Reigns, it was a chance to learn from one of the greatest to ever step into the ring.
