WWE legend The Undertaker made a surprise appearance at Elimination Chamber earlier this month and helped Aleister Black score a win over “The Phenomenal One,” A.J. Styles. The run-in immediately sparked talks of a new unholy alliance — one that would be similar to the iconic Brothers of Destruction team-up between Undertaker and Kane.
Could Black — who is not currently scheduled for a match at WrestleMania — play a role in Taker’s escalating feud with Styles, and officially form the alliance? Or will the Deadman be one and done at the Showcase of the Immortals?
Styles and Undertaker were rumored to face off at WrestleMania 36 for several weeks before his appearance at Elimination Chamber. Taker intervened during Styles’ Super ShowDown match last month for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy and wound up pinning him for the win.
The bout between Styles and Black at Elimination Chamber was a brutal one, and served as a perfect example of what we could see at Mania between Styles and Undertaker. The Deadman is known for his high-powered offense and advanced striking game, much like Black. Even if Taker and Black weren’t to team up, there would still be a natural comparison between the two.
Since his days in NXT, Black has been getting pushed by fans as the next great “Phenom” in wrestling - someone who could not only take up the mantle as the darkest character in WWE, but also become a more evolved version of the Deadman. Both men have eerie entrances that transfix the WWE Universe, they don’t talk much, and they have both built up supernatural auras for their characters. An alliance between them could serve as the perfect passing of the torch from Taker to Black.
WWE could very well do nothing with the Elimination Chamber run-in, though, and opt to leave the Styles and Undertaker feud as it is — with the Phenom possibly retiring after Mania. Styles has been taking an “over-the-hill” approach to his trash talk with Taker, telling him on Raw: “You are a shell of your former self. That flame you once had is totally gone.”
While Undertaker has enjoyed a longtime run as the Deadman, he’s gotten criticized in recent years for not being able to perform as well as he used to. Many fans want him to return to his former “Big Evil/American Badass” character one last time, and a team-up with Black could be the spark that brings that version of the character back.
Talks of a Big Evil return swelled on Monday night after Taker ditched his legendary entrance and stormed down to the ring — no hat, no jacket, no slow walk — with a beanie on his head and his hair in a ponytail. Could WWE be preparing to bring the character back? If so, the OC vs Undertaker and Black would be a great way to get Big Evil over with the WWE Universe again. The four men could face off later in the year, much like Taker did in 2019 at Extreme Rules. The Deadman flourished in a tag match at the event, teaming with Roman Reigns in a well-received match against Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon.
The talent around Undertaker during an OC feud and Black alliance could help keep Taker’s aura and legacy intact, rather than risking it with a series of potentially sloppy one-on-one bouts. Protecting the Phenom at all costs is what’s most important for him at this point for WWE, and putting him with Black would likely do just that.