The Undertaker WWE Return: Royal Rumble Match Appears Likely Before Facing John Cena At WrestleMania 33

When The Undertaker appeared on “SmackDown” this past Tuesday, it was more than just to celebrate the show’s 900th episode. Making an appearance on the program for the first time in over three years, The Deadman indicated that WWE fans will be seeing a lot more of him in the coming months.

Over the past six years, The Undertaker has been a part-time performer in WWE. He usually returns just in time to promote his WrestleMania match, but his other appearances have been few and far between.

WrestleMania 33 isn’t scheduled until April 2, 2017 in Orlando, Florida, but it looks like The Undertaker will be seen more than usual over the next five months. He warned the wrestlers on “SmackDown” that he is back, and they should be wary of him if they can’t defeat Team Raw at Survivor Series on Sunday.

“WrestleMania will no longer define who I am. I’m back, taking souls and digging holes!” The Undertaker said. “Survivor Series was where The Undertaker was born, and SmackDown has always been my home.

“There’s no reason to fear failure. But if you fail, you will have reason to fear The Deadman. Team Raw better Rest In Peace.”

The Undertaker made his WWE debut at Survivor Series 1990, and he’s been with the company ever since. SmackDown first aired in 1999, and he became a staple of the show for the better part of a decade.

The Undertaker’s threat is likely an indication that Team Raw will win at Sunday’s pay-per-view, leading to at least one match between The Deadman and a member of Team SmackDown. When looking at the five-man group, it isn’t difficult to narrow down a potential opponent for the former world champion.

It’s almost certain that The Undertaker won’t have an upcoming match against either Shane McMahon or Bray Wyatt, who are both on the team. The Undertaker just faced Shane at WrestleMania 32 in April, and it would make little sense for him to feud with Bray, whom he defeated twice in 2015.

Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose could potentially take on The Undertaker, but a match with WWE World Champion AJ Styles is the most likely option. He’s the only wrestler on the team that’s never squared off with The Undertaker, and doing so could allow The Deadman to hold WWE’s top title one final time.

There’s a lot of speculation that The Undertaker will retire after his WrestleMania 33 match, which could come against John Cena. Cena and The Undertaker were expected to meet at WrestleMania 32 but that no longer became an option when Cena suffered an injury. The Undertaker will turn 52 years old a week prior to WrestleMania 33, and there might be no better way for him to call it a career than with a match against the face of the company.

Perhaps Team SmackDown will be victorious at Survivor Series and The Undertaker won’t appear for another few months, but a WWE World Championship match between The Deadman and Styles at Royal Rumble 2017 is looking like a distinct possibility.