In the history of professional wrestling, few men have encompassed what it means to be a sports entertainer more than The Undertaker.
For the better part of 30 years, “The Deadman” was a big-match grappler, a certified fan favorite thanks to his gimmick, and the sort of reliable performer that Vince McMahon could put in a WWF/WWE ring and know that his match would go off without a hitch.
Is there a performer in 2023 who checks those impressive boxes? In the opinion of future WWE Hall of Famer Matt Hardy there is, and he's coming to fans “Freshly Squeezed” each week on Dynamite.
“I'm gonna make a very strange connection, but I do think there's some truth to this,” Hardy said. “In some ways, right now, if you notice this, Orange Cassidy opens up Dynamite all the time; I feel like Orange Cassidy to Tony at this stage right now, with they're currently at these last few months, in some ways reminds me of the relationship between Vince McMahon and The Undertaker. He was like his go-to guy, a guy that he knew could go out and get the job he wanted done, and on top of that, those guys were both really good wrestlers, but they played these outlandish and outrageous over-the-top gimmicks, so there's a crazy similarity there. Imagine that, hearing Orange Cassidy compared to The Undertaker at any point in your podcast.”
When Hardy's co-host John Alba pointed out that fans were going to immediately aggregate “Broken Matt's” comments on “Orange Taker” – to be fair, the duo did call their own YouTube video “Did Matt Hardy call Orange Cassidy the NEW Undertaker?!” – Hardy doubled down on his take, explaining his feeling further to eliminate any confusion.
“Just think about this,” Hardy said. “Tony put him in that battle royal where he was going to go in as the champion and retain. I mean, that speaks volumes, right there. And then how many times on Dynamite do you see him kick off the show to have a great wrestling match? That's Orange Cassidy. I mean, that shows Tony has great faith in him, you know? Not only does he enjoy and like him as a person but he's a big fan of his wrestling style and he also feels like he does numbers, he feels like he retains an audience. So he's a young guy and it's his first time ever being a national, global star, you know? And Tony's running with him and I respect him for that.”
Is OC about to go on a streak in AEW? Will the notoriously work-adverse Superstar continue to work his tail off and build on his current win streak, which currently sits at 21 singles wins in a row? Or are his days numbered, with a performer like Swerve Strickland coming for his strap? Fans will find out soon enough.
The Undertaker shouts out one of his favorite WWE performers.
Speaking of performers who work like The Undertaker, the actual Undertaker is still very much alive and kicking, and even an avid watcher of WWE programming, suggesting that he really wanted to get in the ring at WrestleMania 39 while stuck in a SoFi Stadium luxury suite.
Sitting down for an interview with The Independent in England to promote his next round of 1 deadMan Shows, Taker was asked about which performers he likes the most in WWE right now and gave massive props to none other than the “Tribal Chief,” Roman Reigns, who just added a shiny new gold belt to his resume.
“He's doing a phenomenal job. His character, his talent, and everything has grown exponentially through this run. It's arguably one of the greatest runs ever. I like it because it's such an old-school move, to have the title that long,” Taker said.
“He's got to be in the conversation. But do you put him in the same boat as Stone Cold Steve Austin, or Hulk Hogan? I don't know. Everything's so subjective when it comes to that.
“Reigns has the claim to fame now. He's the man. I mean, it's not even close, really. He's had the title for a thousand days. Business is incredible. He picks his own schedule. He's got a claim, he's got an argument. I'm really proud of him for how he's come. It really has been impressive.”
In his day, few Superstars had the same level of excitement, prestige, and appreciation as The Undertaker. In 2023, few Superstars, even OC himself, can reach Reigns' level, making Taker's statement right on the money.
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