WWE's The Last Ride initially depicted a worn down Undertaker in the first episode, "The Greatest Fear," as it showed the Phenom struggling against Roman Reigns in WrestleMania 33. The match left a sour taste in his mouth, as well as disappointing fans who expected a better showing from an industry veteran.
However, Episode 2, "The Redemption," spotlights the subsequent year when the Dead Man would train up to fight John Cena at the Show of Shows and redeem himself for his match against Reigns. Despite looking impressive against Cena, the Deadman was far from happy with his performance, as he felt he had a lot more gas in the tank for an extended match.
Undertaker admitted he was old, slow and overweight against Reigns, and after Vince McMahon made an offer to let him battle against Cena to redeem himself, he said he'd give an answer by Elimination Chamber. This allowed him time to boost his physical state as he was coming off hip surgery, and he trained at a gym that had images of WWE's biggest stars to keep motivating him.
Undertaker even had his wife, Michelle McCool, film him running the ropes and taking bumps, letting the camera know: "I ain't good as I once was, but I am as good once as I ever was. See you in New Orleans!" After four intense weeks of prep, he sent the video on the day of Elimination Chamber and McMahon immediately expressed delight that he'd gotten his guy back.
The match began with Cena, who was in the crowd as a fan, jumping into the ring to beat Elias down, only for 'Taker to come out. Cena got pummeled in under three minutes, basically jobbing to the Dead Man, who pulled off all his iconic moves in the brief squash match. It was fun to watch and stoked the fans' desire for nostalgia, but when he was backstage, Undertaker told the medical staff in his locker room that he trained to perform for 45 minutes and only got to wrestle for five. He expressed his disappointment to other athletes backstage too, including Cena himself, but he was still thankful to McMahon and Cena for the chance. It seemed clear that he felt the brief match had been gift-wrapped to make him look good and he felt he should have done more.
Of course, it makes sense why WWE would want to protect its investment in the character, as the writers couldn't risk him gassing out again like he did with Reigns a year before. That would have sullied his persona and done irreparable damage to his character's mystique. While the company got a vintage performance out of 'Taker, he had wanted his performance to be a marathon, whereas McMahon and Co. decided it would be better for him to partake in a sprint.
It's hard to blame WWE for being cautious and playing it safe creatively, but it still could have given him a bit more to do, or at least let two of its most experienced wrestlers improvise a little. It'd have felt a bit more real than the match it ended up with, and 'Taker would have known his limit. He was fitter, after all, and if anyone can change the script or adjust on the fly to extend the match, it'd be Cena.
Still, Undertaker was cool with chalking up another win because it made both him and the fans forget about his dismal display against Reigns. 'Taker got the redemption he sought -- but going up against a fellow legend like Cena, it's easy to understand why he'd want to go a little bit longer, to prove to his doubters he still had it and could still perform with the very best.