One of the most questionable story arcs in the world of professional wrestling at the moment is happening right at the forefront of the WWE. Shane McMahon, having lost to The Undertaker at WrestleMania in an incredibly valiant effort, has been gifted with the opportunity he was promised he would if he won the match. He’s yet to be named the full-time runner of Monday Night Raw, but he’s managed to secure both of the episodes following WrestleMania, and it’s brought on one resounding question amongst the WWE Universe; why didn’t Shane win?
Let’s look at the facts. As stated, Shane was told that he would get full ownership over Monday Night Raw if he were to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 inside Hell in a Cell. He lost the match, but he’s still been given temporary control by his maniacal father in an unexpected turn of events.
At the same time, in the days following WWE’s thirty-second annual extravaganza, it was heavily rumoured that we may have seen The Undertaker’s last match. It’s up to you whether you want to believe that or not, but if it’s true, it begs the question of why he went over in his final outing as opposed to giving Shane the rub, leading to a much more logical manner in which Shane-O-Mac could be given the power he has been.
But what people need to realise is Shane did exactly what he set out to do when he walked to the ring that night. The stipulation may have dictated that McMahon had to walk out the victor in order to earn the rights to WWE’s flagship show, but in reality, this changed as soon as he showed just what he was willing to do to get it.
After an already hard-fought battle containing some fairly risky spots, Shane McMahon scaled the 20+ foot high Hell in a Cell structure and put his entire livelihood on the line by diving off, landing spine-first on the announce table when The Undertaker escaped just in the nick of time by rolling out of harm’s way.
This moment, which had 100,000 strong standing with their jaws wide open in AT&T Stadium, signifies to me the exact second in which Shane McMahon earned his spot as the brand new authority on Monday Night Raw.
From the perspective of the smarks who were unsure of whether or not to root for McMahon in his first match in six years, this moment pinpointed the fact that Shane still had what it takes. It wasn’t until he leapt off that the majority of people watching around the globe started thinking “holy hell, this guy deserves the win after that”.
He put his body and soul on the chopping block all for the entertainment of millions of fans worldwide, and that’s no small feat. Sure he’s taken bigger bumps in his career, but none with as much ring rust as he was sure to have that night, especially at that age. The fact alone that he had people in awe of what he’d do to make WrestleMania 32 special gave him the credibility he needed in order to win the match, even if he couldn’t accomplish that.
From the standpoint of the actual storyline, there’s no doubt that Vince McMahon was taken aback by the lengths that Shane would go to in order for things to go his way. From the chairman’s viewpoint, his own son was so obsessed with preserving the company for future generations to come, that he was willing to risk death in order to make it happen. Hell, even a legend like The Undertaker looked in amazement and disbelief as Shane’s body came crashing through the announce table after that monumental leap of faith.
The pat on the side of Shane’s head at the end of the match prior to one final Tombstone Piledriver was The Undertaker’s way of telling Shane McMahon “hey, kid, you proved me wrong, but I’ve still gotta put you down”. If you can impress The Phenom, then it doesn’t matter what the result was on paper. Shane brought new meaning to the phrase “win or die trying” and it opened the eyes of both The Undertaker and Vince McMahon himself that if a man is this passionate about doing something, then he may very well deserve it.
The Undertaker uttered a phrase just months before his inaugural WrestleMania encounter with Shawn Michaels back in 2009, and I think it rings true far more prominently now than it ever did; “sometimes it is hell, trying to get to heaven”. Well, Shane McMahon walked into hell’s gates on April 3rd, faced the biggest, baddest demon he could lay his eyes upon, and lived to tell the tale. It’s because of this that he earned his spot inside those pearly gates, in this scenario being the head office at Monday Night Raw, calling the shots and running things the way he wants to.
I could say more about the journey being far more important than the destination but I feel like you get the picture by now. Point is, Shane McMahon’s name may not be listed in the record books as the winner that night, but he won the respect of everyone watching, and it led to him becoming what will hopefully be a mainstay attraction.
He’s adding something fresh every week with the introduction of new stars and the pushing of more deserving ones, and it’s already speaking volumes with regards to how Raw and Smackdown have been received as of late. Yes, we know in real life it’s still that same guy backstage saying what goes, but you have to believe some of the decisions are being swayed by the prodigal son himself, as well as the innovator of NXT, Triple H.
In hindsight, particularly because I’ve always been a big fan of The Undertaker, I think the right call was made when Shane succumbed to the clutches of The Demon from Death Valley at WrestleMania, because in a sense, it allowed both men to emerge victorious. And despite the rumours, when The Undertaker says “WrestleMania 32 will not be my last” and then wins his match, I think I’m going to take his word for it.
That’ll do it from me this week, folks. I do appreciate you all stopping by and having a look at what I have to say, so thanks a lot for that. If you happened to enjoy what you read, you can do me a solid and share this article across Facebook and Twitter and comment below to let me know what you think.
You can also get in contact with me about wrestling, my work or anything at all by following me on Twitter @AdamOB_UTS. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out all of the other great content on SLTD Wrestling as we draw closer and closer to what I hope to be the site’s best summer yet. Until next time!
Self-Professed Conversational Wizard.
Admin, Editor and Writer for SLTD Wrestling.
Creator of 'Under the Spotlight'.
Studying Computing in Games Development.
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