Legends like Undertaker, Stone Cold, Ric Flair, or The Rock are not just created based on one or two big wins; their records define who they are. There’s a good old saying that “Records are meant to be broken,” but some are more difficult to break than others.
In terms of WWE’s television streaming, ratings play a significant role. One such record is held by two of the biggest legends of WWE, The Undertaker and Stone Cold. To bump up the excitement, this record has remained intact for almost 25 years, which is quite remarkable.
What’s the record set up by Undertaker and Stone Cold?
Two of the greatest stars in the industry, Undertaker and Stone Cold, have set multiple individual records, but the 25-year-old record does seem like a hard nut to crack. During the episode of Monday Night Raw that aired on June 28, 1999, Stone Cold Steve Austin had a match with The Undertaker and won the championship.
To this day, that segment remains the highest-rated Raw segment ever. Just to talk about the numbers, it had a rating of 9.5, and in terms of viewership, there were 10.72 million viewers watching it at the same time..
What makes the match between Undertaker and Stone Cold so special?
Talking about big marquee matches, WWE has a habit of saving them for pay-per-views (PPVs) or special episodes. However, during the 2000s, WWE occasionally featured major matchups on their weekly shows. The WWF Championship match between Undertaker and Stone Cold was already iconic, especially with the added spice of the championship on the line.
The main event lasted for 12 minutes and 2 seconds, full of adrenaline as Stone Cold defeated Undertaker to capture the belt. Despite being a clash of two icons, the commentary made the whole experience even better. It was the era of Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler who made it more iconic, as viewers enjoyed their commentary which practically elevated the show.
Will this Stone Cold and Undertaker record ever be broken?
Realistically speaking, WWE is gaining more global exposure, but it has fallen flat in one aspect: the show has lost the edge it once had. Despite an increase in the viewer pool, the numbers have drastically declined. The PG-13 era and the Reality Era have contributed to fans losing interest in the product.
There is potential to regain the numbers, but WWE themselves have hindered it. With subpar products and boring fans with mediocre shows, the viewership graph has plummeted to a point where boosting it is challenging. However, Triple H is making efforts to improve the product and clean up the mess left by Vince McMahon.
We can’t expect a rise anytime soon, as WWE typically saves big matches for special occasions. Therefore, it’s unlikely to see numbers close to that 10.72 million viewership mark on their regular shows. Even approaching that figure would be a memorable event. Until then, WWE needs to be patient with their product, as the record set by Undertaker and Stone Cold will likely remain intact for years to come.