What Is The Undertaker Standing Behind AJ Styles Meme? Origin, Meaning & Why It’s Everywhere
The Undertaker Standing Behind AJ Styles meme, born from a dramatic moment in WWE’s 2020 WrestleMania 36 Boneyard Match, captures the Undertaker looming ominously behind an oblivious AJ Styles.
This viral image, spreading rapidly on Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok, symbolizes shock, impending doom, or unexpected challenges, resonating with internet users through its versatility in object-labeling formats and its reflection of life’s sudden twists.
1. What Is the Undertaker Standing Behind AJ Styles Meme?
What Does the Meme Depict?
The Undertaker Standing Behind AJ Styles is a meme created off of a cinematic moment from the 2020 WrestleMania 36 Boneyard Match.
The meme shows WWE legend Undertaker (Mark Calaway) in his “American Badass” character standing tall behind a smiling AJ Styles, who has no idea he is in danger.
The difference in Styles’ bravado and the imposing presence of Undertaker makes it the perfect reaction image that depicts surprise, treachery, or an unexpected challenge; this works especially well when used in an object-labeling format.
Undertaker is the looming problem (e.g., “Monday morning”), and Styles is the unsuspecting target (e.g., “Me on Sunday night”).
Is It WWE’s Most Relatable Meme?
Maybe. While the other popular memes from WWE, like John Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” or Vince McMahon Crying, capture a particular feeling, the Undertaker Standing Behind AJ Styles meme is effective due to its ability to extend application.
The meme depicts a person who is oblivious to a looming threat, and this can be applicable to many contexts from workplace anxiety to inadequacies in a video game, which makes it unique within wrestling memes.
2. Where Did the Meme Come From?
The WrestleMania 36 Boneyard Match
This meme originates from the Boneyard Match, which took place at WrestleMania 36 in 2020, a cinematic format match in a dark graveyard-like location to comply with COVID-19 restrictions.
During this match, AJ Styles is in the foreground with confidence and cockiness, while Undertaker rises from the shadows behind Styles, preparing to strike.
The outlining of and dramatic lighting, and Undertaker’s tall, intimidating stature, all contributed to the starting point of this meme’s potential.
The Boneyard Match aired on April 4, 2020, and screenshots of wrestling fans quickly started to circulate online.
How It Took Over the Internet
Within days of WrestleMania 36, fans were flooding Twitter and the r/memes and r/WWE subreddits with the image, adding captions to emphasize its humor.
By mid-2020, the meme exploded with edits using “2020” for Undertaker character and “Me planning out my year” for AJ Styles.
The viral growth of the meme can be attributed to the enormous visibility of the match, along with the image being clean and simple to represent as a meme.
3. Why the Meme Resonates with the Internet
Symbolism of Impending Doom
The meme’s strength comes from its relation to an oblivious person reluctantly encountering impending harm.
Undertaker’s emotionless, menacing demeanor represents the unexpected onslaughts of life, including deadlines, terrible news, and sudden downfall, while Styles’ smugness embodies overconfidence, innocence, or oblivion.
This strengthens the relatability of the format and makes it infinitely relatable, particularly in chaotic years like 2020.
Emotional Relatability – Humor in Hindsight
The meme relies on its ability to mix humor with dread.
Captions like “When you think you are winning but life says no” or “Me vs my responsibilities” tap into a common human experience of getting blindsided.
The exponential act of dread derived from the exaggerated performance of Undertaker’s iconic style increases the appeal of this meme.
4. Popular Meme Formats and Uses
Object-Labeling Macros
The most common format is the object-labeled image, where Undertaker and Styles are tagged with opposing forces. Examples include:
- Undertaker as “Bills” and Styles as “My bank account.”
- Undertaker as “Me” and Styles as “People who stand on moving walkways at the airport.”
These macros dominate Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit, with millions of shares and likes.
GIFs and Video Edits
GIFs of the moment, often slowed down for emphasis, are commonplace in reaction threads or TikTok skits.
Editors have complemented them with music or sound effects (especially horror stings) to reflect tension.
Some editors will employ Undertaker’s famous gong sound effect to really drive home his “introduction” to the space.
These memes are common in gaming communities, and signify sudden losses or plot device.
5. Cultural Significance of the Meme
A Mirror of 2020’s Chaos
When the meme peaked in 2020, we were all in a global state of uncertainty that made it the right visual for unexpected disruptions.
It became the shorthand for all of life’s unexpected challenges, from pandemics to personal challenges, connecting humor with existential dread.
Is It a Nostalgia-Driven Meme?
Somewhat. Undertaker’s legacy of 30 years of WWE makes it a significant nostalgic meme during the era of the Attitude Era.
Its actual significance comes in relation to the way it portrays universal emotions at a time of relevance, making it more available to audiences who have never been wrestling fans.
6. Will the Undertaker Standing Behind AJ Styles Meme Endure?
Its Place in Meme Culture
The simple composition and emotional range of the meme will allow it to shift back into popularity, typically during periods of wrestling nostalgia or WWE events.
Its usage in various styles of reaction content on TikTok and Twitter also suggests that it will continue to have relevance.
Legacy Among Wrestling Memes
It is up there with the classics, such as the “Distracted Boyfriend” meme, because it has a simple setup and ample potential for repurposing.
Although it has its tie to the legacy of Undertaker, its universal themes will allow it to go above wrestling and add it to the meme history books.
Conclusion
The Undertaker Standing Behind AJ Styles meme, born from a dramatic WrestleMania 36 moment, captures the shock and humor of life’s unexpected challenges.
Its viral spread across Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok, fueled by Undertaker’s iconic persona and the image’s memeable clarity, has made it a cultural touchstone.
Whether you’re a wrestling fan or just someone blindsided by life, this meme’s looming presence is here to stay, just like Undertaker himself.
