WrestleMania 30: Brock Lesnar beats Undertaker, ends 'streak'
SummerSlam rematch: Here, the Undertaker has the upper hand in his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on April 6, 2014. But former UFC heavyweight champion Lesnar, with Paul Heyman in his corner, defeated the Undertaker and ended his 21-0 streak of WrestleMania wins. Undertaker came back to win at SummerSlam in 2015, with Lesnar winning the rubber match later that year at Hell in a Cell. Credit: AP Images for WWE
Hell has frozen over.
Paul Heyman's encouragement finally worked, and Brock Lesnar beat the Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 Sunday night at the Superdome in New Orleans to end the Deadman's seemingly unstoppable streak after 21 wins.
It was the second straight WrestleMania that one of Heyman's charges was looking to make history at the Undertaker's expense. At WrestleMania 29, Heyman shouted encouragement at CM Punk, only for the Undertaker to extend his run of wins at WrestleMania.
For many, that thought of the "streak" ending was laughable. But Heyman's screech-filled encouragement reinforced the possibility of the unthinkable.
"You have him where you want him. Finish him," Heyman screamed after the Undertaker barely kicked out of Lesnar's F-5 finisher.
But before long it was Lesnar who was in peril. His UFC past promised some submission-based drama, and Sunday was no different. Lesnar refused to tap out to both Undertaker's Hell's Gate leg choke and Lesnar's own signature move, a kimura.
"You're Brock Lesnar, you're a conquerer," Heyman yelled as Lesnar regained control.
Undertaker countered with a Last Ride powerbomb, then delivered the Tombstone piledriver. But Lesnar kicked out at two, producing an evil grin from Heyman.
As it turns out, Heyman had every right to feel confident. Moments later Lesnar hit Undertaker with another F-5. This time Undertaker couldn't kick out.
And the crowd at New Orleans' Superdome couldn't stop gasping in disbelief.
They weren't the only ones. Three-time WWE champ and Long Island native Mick Foley, tweeted, "Simply surreal. Goosebumps" on his verifed account.
Foley, who was in New Orleans and participated in the WrestleMania pre-show broadcast, tweeted a picture of a "21-1" graphic on the Superdome scoreboard, adding, "I was there. The end of an era."
The finish was all the more unexpected because Lesnar works a part-time schedule with WWE, having previously left the company for UFC, at least in part, to avoid the grueling travel schedule. The widely held belief was that if the "streak" were to be sacrificed, the purpose would be to launch a rising star who could help carry WWE for years to come.
Fans will watch "Monday Night Raw" tonight from New Orleans wondering if the next shocker will be a retirement announcement from the Undertaker. It's wrestling tradition for a combatant to end his career "on his back," i.e., being pinned.
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'Why am I giving up my Friday night to listen to this?' A Newsday analysis shows the number of referees and umpires has declined 25.2% in Nassau and 18.1% in Suffolk since 2011-12. Officials and administrators say the main reason is spectator behavior. NewsdayTV's Carissa Kellman reports.
