Brock Lesnar reflects on breaking Undertaker’s WWE WrestleMania streak
Brock Lesnar had mixed emotions when he broke The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak in 2014.
At WrestleMania 30, Lesnar defeated Undertaker to end his Mania streak after 21 straight victories. It was a controversial decision and remains one of the biggest moments in WWE history. Lesnar reflected on the night during an appearance on Barstool Sports’ Spittin Chiclets podcast.
“For me, guys, it’s really simple. Like, this is a business. It’s a business,” Lesnar said about the decision for him to win. “And I think a lot of guys live and breathe the lifestyle of it. And for Taker — obviously it wasn’t my call to make. At the time, Vince McMahon, if there was a person that could take the streak away with a legitimate background and people could believe it, I guess it was me. There’s a lot of people that are pissed that it’s me, but it’s not my call. And so my hats off to Undertaker, Mark, he’s a great guy. And at the end, it’s a business. It’s a give and take. And it was time for Taker to give — and it was a time for Brock Lesnar to take it.”
Lesnar said he was excited when he found out he was going to win, but he also felt bad for Undertaker. They’ve always had a good relationship. And after Undertaker suffered a concussion during the match, Lesnar made sure to go to the hospital with him.
“He was a mentor of mine. Like, I worked with Taker for many years,” Lesnar said. “And so now we’re out in this match and Taker got hit left field day of. He’s coming to his [22nd] WrestleMania thinking that he’s going to win and then two hours before we go on, the rug gets pulled on him. And so a lot of different emotions there, I’m sure. I was excited, but I also felt bad too. Like, I’m the guy and I get to be the guy.
“So we’re out in the match and next thing I know Taker is not being Taker. It’s a dance out there and you just got to do your best to get through it. And we did. And, yeah, out of respect — because I spent a lot of time with Taker and I wanted to make sure that he was all right. And that’s part of the deal, you know? I did go to the hospital to make sure he was okay. That’s just part of the respect thing.”
Undertaker ended up continuing his in-ring career through WrestleMania 36, where he defeated AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match. He finished with a WrestleMania record of 25-2.
At WrestleMania 42 this year, Lesnar is set to face up-and-coming WWE star Oba Femi. The two-night event is being held in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.