I would much prefer to see Sting vs. Undertaker, so I took the liberty of fantasy booking the storyline, picking up where last week's episode of RAW (1/30/12) ended ...
RAW
Triple h refuses to face Undertaker at WM28, saying twice is enough. Undertaker says Triple H is afraid of going 0-3 against the Deadman. Triple H downplays it and condescendingly says he's just too busy.
The following week, Undertaker discusses his career, streak, and deep respect for this business and the fans. 19 Wrestlemania matches. Not one loss. There's nothing left to prove.
Triple H runs to the ring and begs Undertaker to reconsider. Undertaker says he's made up his mind. Time to hang up the boots.
Undertaker tries to leave, but Trips ain't havin' it. He YANKS Undertaker back and starts to yell at him -- but the microphones aren't raised, so we can't hear. Triple H wants to say something, but for some reason, he can't. Undertaker turns to leave. Triple H pulls him back again! Undertaker hits Triple H with a farewell Chokeslam, stops o the ramp, does his trademark fist in the air raise. RAW ends.
The week after, Triple H is on the phone and in a panic. He's asking Vince McMahon for advice. Triple H is told to proceed. The ink has dried. The contract has been signed. The money has been spent.
During the main event, there are a series of technical difficulties. At first, Cole blames it on the production crew. But they become more ominous and Lawler realizes what's happening. Undertaker changed his mind! The main event ends, but the mysterious occurrences continue. A spotlight hits the entrance ramp. And then it suddenly moves to the center of the ring. A series of spotlights appear all over the stage, ramp and ring. Electrical sounds ramp up. Lights flicker on and off. Fog appears at the ramp and the crowd goes berserk.
It's gotta be the Undertaker!!
And then, then arena goes totally black!
"NEXT WEEK, HE ARRIVES" appears on the Titan Tron.
Lawler: "Arrives? But Undertaker just left!"
Cole: "What if it's not The Undertaker? What if it's someone else?"
RAW, HE ARRIVES!
RAW opens with a retrospective of the Undertaker, starting at Survivor Series '93 and going all the way to RAW when he chokeslammed Triple H a few weeks ago.
Throughout the night, 10 second videos interrupt every match. They show videos of Undertaker's greatest opponents play: Snuka, Psycho Sid, Kevin Nash, Flair, Triple H, Steve Austin, The Rock, Shawn Michaels. The lights go out, the video plays, and the match resumes.
Everyone knows Undertaker is back, but Cole is suspicious. Why would he be airing "He arrives" videos when he only just left? Lawler says that it's the mystique of the Undertaker and that Cole should shut up.
At 10:55, as RAW comes back from a commercial, the lights go out over the arena. The GONG hits. The Gong hits a second time! And then fog pours out over the entire ramp. Lightening and pyro go off on the ramp. AND THEN ...
A SPOTLIGHT HITS THE RAFTERS. A shadowy figure is being lowered into the ring.
The announcers go silent as a spotlight reveals STING! He holds his trademark baseball bat! The crowd roars. (They'll be in a wrestling town that night).
"All I've ever wanted as a match at Wrestlemania. Over the years, I thought about who I could clash with and what an honor it'd be. The Rock. Steve Austin. Triple H. Shawn Michaels. They've all come ... and they've all gone. But one man has stayed. Well ... until last week. And ladies and gentlemen ... now you know why Triple H turned down the match against Undertaker. Now you know why Triple H didn't want the Undertaker to hang up his boots! And now you know why Vince McMahon told Triple H to proceed. BECAUSE THE STINGER WAS COMIN' for the DEADMAN! ... But ... but then the Undertaker ... quit? The fact is, I don'tneed to wrestle the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 28. I can find someone else to face. But the truth of the matter is ... I've only got eyes for you, Deadman! So whattaya' say? Take those boots off the shelf! Face the Stinger at Wrestlemania. YOU KNOW YOU WANNA, DEADMAN! YOU KNOOOOW YOU WANNA! The Icon. The Deadman. The two most iconic figures in ALL of professional wrestling and yet ... we've never crossed paths. You can right this wrong, Deadman. Next week. You can give me my answer. I'll be waiting."
RAW
RAW builds to the main event: The supposed confrontation between Sting and The Undertaker. We await the arrival of The Deadman. Even Vince shows up and tells Triple H that there is BIG money to be made off this match, and that is why Triple H must make CERTAIN that the Deadman shows. Triple H says Undertaker doesn't care about the money. Undertaker cares about the Streak. He cares about the challenge. The reason Undertaker wanted to face The Game at WM28 is because no one has ever pushed Undertaker that far. Taker accepted the third challenge because he wanted to prove that he could still deliver the big victory.
TripleH: "Undertaker will show tonight. I guaran-damn-tee it."
At 10:59pm, Sting comes to the ring. He says not a single word. All he does is wait.
11pm.
11:01pm.
The lights flicker.
The lights go out.
The gong hits.
The gong hits again.
The lights come on.
Undertaker is in the ring, FACE TO FACE with Sting!
The Undertaker is wearing his American Badass attire. He looks to the WM28 sign. He looks at Sting. He trembles with furious anger and then rips his thumb across his neck. Sting smiles ear to ear.
RAW goes off the air.
Road to WM28
Sting speaks highly of the Undertaker. But he's surprised to see him in his casual get up. "I want to face The Undertaker. Not some old biker. Deadman! Put on your purple gloves. Put on your trench coat. Put on your little hat that you borrowed from Good ol' JR. Do your special effects. Let's see if your voodoo magic can work on me!"
Undertaker comes out in his biker gear. No music. "That Undertaker is gone. You wanted a match against the Deadman, you've got it, but you get what you see standing before you."
Sting is disappointed. He tries to taunt the Undertaker. He moves his hands up and down but grows frustrated when the lights don't turn off. "If you're not gonna do your voodoo magic, at least show ME how to do it. I want this match to be SPECIAL, Deadman! C'mon!"
Undertaker says, "It'll be plenty special. 20 and 0 special."
The following week, RAW opens with the Undertaker's old entrance music. The Deadman, in his full attire, comes to the ring. Trench coat, purple gloves, and hat. When he stands on the steps and moves his hands up, the lights don't come on. Instead, a spotlight hits. It's STING!
Sting laughs and proceeds to recount his career and why he's the one who will be able to beat the Deadman. As he talks, he strips out of the Undertaker's costume and says he knows why Undertaker has chosen not to wear all that stuff. It's a lot of gear!
The lights turn off. 10 seconds later, they turn back on.
Sting looks perplexed.
The lights turn off. Five seconds later, they turn back on.
Sting looks confused!
The lights turn off. One second later, they turn back on.
"Real funny, Undertaker! REAL FUNNY!"
Sting asks Justin Roberts what the hell happened. Roberts tells Sting Undertaker isn't here tonight. Sting says, "Then what the hell was that?" Roberts says, "Technical difficulties?" Sting yells, "Don't give me that BS!"
The following week, Josh Matthews interviews Sting. It's clear Undertaker's mind games are already working. He seemed flustered last week. Sting says that's not true and he'll beat 'Taker at 'Mania.
He retreats to his locker room. Throughout the night, familiar faces visit. Arn Anderson, Booker T, Big Show all discuss The Undertaker, which clearly gets to Sting. Triple H comes in and says that Sting doesn't have to worry about any mysterious events since 'Taker isn't here tonight. Sting relaxes. Triple H jokes that Sting is really getting wound up over this stuff and if it keeps up, he'll NEVER survive.
Later, Sting goes to use the bathroom. When he turns on the light, he sees a reflection of The Undertaker in the mirror. He screams and when he turns around, no one is there. Sting leaves in a panic.
The next week, Sting cuts a promo about how he's not really afraid and how he'll beat 'Taker at WM28. The lights go out. The gong hits.
The druids come to the ring with flaming torches. A casket is wheeled onto the stage. Sting watches in terror. Inside the casket, Sting's baseball bat. A lighting bolt hits the casket, setting it on fire.
Undertaker's appears on the Titan Tron. He's in a dessert at night, holding a dead scorpion by the tail. "Nothing can save you now. You're alone. And at Wrestlemania, just like this scorpion ... Sting ... you will ... REST. IN. PEACE."
RAW goes off the air.
The following week, Josh Matthews points out that it was Sting's idea to goad the Undertaker into returning as the Deadman. And it's backfired.
The main event: The Undertaker comes to the ring in his full Deadman attire.
The transformation is complete. His outfit is more terrifying and impressive than anything we've ever seen. The trench coat has been replaced with a restyled robe and hood. In the ring, he removes the hood and the robe to reveal a very sleek new design incorporating Undertaker's cross on the front.
It's a reenvisioning of the Undertaker.
A Sting Retrospective video plays, starting in his early days with the blonde hair and the colors and working his way all the way to the end of WCW.
Undertaker says, "Wrestlemania 28. The Deadman goes 20-0."
The lights go out. When they come back on, Sting is BEHIND the Undertaker! Sting has redone his classic white face paint. His face is now painted black ... and the Undertaker's cross is painted in white over the front of his face. Undertaker's eyes grow wide. Sting chokeslams the Undertaker!
Turns out Sting was never afraid of the Undertaker after all! Running scared and living in fear was Sting's own mind game!
THE WEEK BEFORE WRESTLEMANIA 28
RAW ends with Sting cutting a promo on ending the streak. "Triple H couldn't do it. Shawn Michaels couldn't do it. Batista couldn't do it. Randy Orton couldn't do it. Edge couldn't do it. The list goes on and on. But it stops this Sunday. I am is the one. The "1." This Sunday, the streak ends. "This Sunday, The Undertaker's record will spot the most unsightly of blemishes. The number 1. As in, 19-1."
Undertaker enters. He looks at the Wrestlemania logo over the ring. He looks at Sting. He looks at the Titan Tron, which sports "19-1." He actually looks nervous. Lawler says Sting has gotten into the head of the Undertaker. Sting's own mind game of playing into the fear has unnerved The Undertaker. That could be the upper hand Sting needs to do the unthinkable.
Undertaker rolls his eyes into the back of his head as RAW goes off the air.
Wrestlemania 28
The match is a classic from the entrance to the finish. Undertaker goes all out with one of the most elaborate and horrifying entrances of all time. Sting matches Undertaker with an equally impressive entrance. Sting continues to paint the Undertaker's cross onto his face. As the match comes to a close, it's clear that Undertaker has the upper hand and will seal this victory.
Sting rebounds and delivers a Stinger Splash. Undertaker stumbles into a chokeslam! Sting is exhausted. He tries to get the pin on the Deadman, but the Deadman sits up, classic Undertaker style! Sting backs off quickly and then drags his thumb over his neck! STING calls for the TOMBSTONE!
Undertaker gets up. Sting grabs 'Taker and positions him for the Tombstone Piledriver! Sting Tombstones the Undertaker!
Sting goes for the classic Undetaker pin - hands over the chest.
The ref counts!
1
2
3!
There is a collective gasp over the crowd. Not even the referee can believe it. Sting's music doesn't even play, because the guys in the gorilla position are too shocked to hit the music. Lillian Garcia hesitates. She stutters and stammers. She can't believe it.
And then Lawler notices the Undertaker's foot ... it's under the bottom rope! The referee notices! He doesn't know what to do. The ending is replayed we see the Undertaker barely manage to put his foot under the bottom rope on the second count.
Teddy Long rushes to the stage and says, "REFEREE ... RESTART THIS MATCH!"
The crowd roars. Sting can't believe it! Undertaker struggles to his feet, but Sting is on the attack, delivering a second Stinger Splash. Sting drags the Deadman to the center of the ring. Sting is exhausted. He struggles to Undertaker onto his back, hooks the leg.
1
2
UNDERTAKER KICKS!
Undertaker struggles to his feet and manages to deliver a sickening chokeslam! Undertaker pins Sting.
1
2
STING KICKS!
Undertaker calls for the Tombstone, but Sting slides off his shoulder and reverses into the Scorpion Death Drop!
Sting pins 'Taker!
1
2
TAKER KICKS!
Sting stumbles back in exhaustion. He can't believe it. Undertaker struggles to sit up but cannot. He collapses back to the mat. Sting rushes in for a second cover.
1
2
UNDERTAKER KICKS!
Sting grabs Undertaker and calls for the Tombstone and sets Undertaker onto his shoulder. But Undertaker counters and delivers the TOMBSTONE TO STING!
1
2
3
20-0. Undertaker wins!
