The Undertaker’s Symbolic Exit

The Undertaker has seemingly retired from WWE after leaving his iconic hat, gloves and jacket in the middle of the ring to close WrestleMania 33. The 52 year old ‘passed the torch’ to Roman Reigns in an emotional match that exposed the wrestling legend’s limited physical capabilities – particularly in one ‘spot’ where the pair failed to execute a tombstone maneuver.

Reigns delivered multiple superman punches and spears before finally getting the three-count, proving in storyline that he’s now the ‘big dog’ in WWE and it’s no longer Undertaker’s ‘yard.’

More than 30 minutes after the end of #WrestleMania 33, Undertaker's iconic trench coat and hat remain in the ring.
Photo: Steve Argintaru pic.twitter.com/OEHkYQ2QTp

— Steve Argintaru (@SteveTSN) April 3, 2017

The question of ‘The Deadman’s’ retirement has been looming since Brock Lesnar ended his 21 match WrestleMania winning streak in 2014. While he left his gloves in the ring in a similar fashion after last year’s Hell In A Cell victory over Shane McMahon, the symbolism was much more pronounced on Sunday.

WWE superstars and alumni are all under the impression that – yes – The Undertaker has wrestled his final match. Many took to Twitter simply to say ‘thank you.’

#ThankYouTaker

— Booker T. Huffman (@BookerT5x) April 3, 2017

There will never be another quite like him. Thank you Taker! pic.twitter.com/FFQxvXOuNY

— Jerry Lawler (@JerryLawler) April 3, 2017

The most MAGICAL being in the history of our industry.#ThankYouTaker pic.twitter.com/6mmjatftJ1

— #BROKEN Matt Hardy (@MATTHARDYBRAND) April 3, 2017

#ThankYouUndertaker – my life has been so much better for having known you.#Wrestlemania pic.twitter.com/earZXZ9uYF

— Mick Foley (@RealMickFoley) April 3, 2017

The Hardys ‘Delete’ The Club’s Title Reign

The Hardys are back in WWE and it would appear they will be at least including a few aspects of the popular ‘broken’ gimmick as the new RAW tag-team champions.

Following much speculation WrestleMania hosts New Day introduced them as surprise participants in the ladder match between The Club, Shesaro and Enzo & Cass. They entered with their traditional Hardy Boyz entrance theme, but Matt certainly used the look and mannerisms he created in TNA. During a post-match interview he said they ‘deleted’ Gallows and Anderson’s title reign.

WWE obviously has a lot of stock in the original Hardy personas (particularly for former main eventer Jeff), but there’s no denying it was the buzz surrounding their broken characters that sparked their return.

The question of copyright and trademarks is murky (TNA claiming ownership), but with WWE’s epic legal fund and the fact that wrestlers regularly keep gimmicks when they change companies – it’s likely there will be just enough references to keep fans happy.

Former TNA president Dixie Carter congratulated the brothers on Twitter:

Love this pic! Congrats to @wwe for this great get. Can't say enough about these two @MATTHARDYBRAND @JEFFHARDYBRAND ❤❤ #Wrestlemania https://t.co/g4O2Xa5Ns4

— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) April 3, 2017

On Tonight’s RAW

The Undertaker and Goldberg are not expected at tonight’s RAW. WWE.com is hyping the following 5 points for the show:

– It’s Roman Reigns’ yard now!

– Bow down to “the Kingslayer” Seth Rollins

– Hardy Homecoming.

– The List of Owens, new WWE United States Champion Kevin Owens.

– Champion of the Universe, new WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.

WrestleMania Fallout

WWE announced the following stats and records for WrestleMania, though as always the attendance number is believed to be inflated:

WRESTLEMANIA® BREAKS RECORDS
Five Consecutive Nights of WWE® Sellouts in Orlando

ORLANDO, FL – April 2, 2017 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) announced tonight that WrestleMania 33 became the highest-grossing event in the history of the Orlando Citrus Bowl and broke the stadium’s attendance record with 75,245 fans from all 50 states and 62 countries. WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza grossed $14.5 million, surpassing the previous record set by the Rolling Stones in 2015. The previous Orlando Citrus Bowl attendance record was set by WrestleMania 24 in 2008 with 74,635 fans.

As part of the week-long WrestleMania celebration, WWE will have an unprecedented five consecutive nights of sellouts at the Citrus Bowl and Amway Center.

“WrestleMania Week was a tremendous success for the City of Orlando and it was an honor to host WWE and their fans back in our community,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “This is a testament to the investments we’ve made in our community venues that continue to attract these showcase events and solidify Orlando as the nation’s leading sports and entertainment destination.”

“WrestleMania made a triumphant return to Orlando and again broke multiple records,” said WWE Executive Vice President of Special Events John Saboor. “This success would not have been possible without the tireless support of Mayor Dyer, the Local Organizing Committee and all of the public and private sector partners throughout Central Florida. We now turn our attention to New Orleans for our WrestleMania 34 celebration.”

WrestleMania 34 will take place on Sunday, April 8, 2018 from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Ticket information will be announced later this year.

Top Ten All-Time Attendance Records at WrestleMania:

1.101,763: WrestleMania 32, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, April 3, 2016

2.93,173: WrestleMania 3, Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan, March 29, 1987

3.80,676: WrestleMania 29, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, April 7, 2013

4.80,103: WrestleMania 23, Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan, April 1, 2007

5.78,363: WrestleMania 28, Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida, April 1, 2012

6.76,976: WrestleMania 31, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California, March 29, 2015

7.75,245: WrestleMania 33, Orlando Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida, April 2, 2017

8.75,167: WrestleMania 30, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA, April 6, 2014

9.74,635: WrestleMania 24, Orlando Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida, March 30, 2008

10. 72,744: WrestleMania 25, Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas, April 5, 2009

WWE has also shared numerous post-match videos from WrestleMania. Check them all out below: