Wrestlemania 28: Undertaker Ends Perfect Era with Resilient Win over Triple H

All the boo-birds who canned the rapid transfer of the world heavyweight championship from Daniel Bryan to Sheamus were just as quick to retreat after The Undertaker took down Triple H in a slow-burning instant classic at WWE WrestleMania XXVIII.

These two superstars of yesteryear took their sweet time bringing their era to an end, going back and forth for more than half an hour while adding truth to the notion that a "Hell in the Cell" match is, indeed, hell in a cell.

That is, as much hell for fans to watch as for The Undertaker and Triple H to fight through.

Time after time after time, these aging icons doled out devastation to one another—the sort that left both writhing in pain on the mat for what seemed like an eternity.

The new-look Undertaker took control early, but was anything but swift to send Triple H down and out. Both combatants used the steel steps to damage the other, while (surprise surprise) it was Triple H—ever the prop master—who came after The Undertaker with chairs and sledgehammers.

While mere mortals would normally be crushed, The Undertaker kept rising as if from the dead, much to the dismay of his two old rivals.

Triple H certainly had his fair share of opportunities to end The Undertaker's unbeaten streak at WrestleMania, but was as much held up by his own inaction as by Michaels' insistence that he not crack his opponent with a sledgehammer.

The match itself was held up by The Undertaker's attacks on Michaels and a second referee, which left the showdown without someone to call it for a time.

It was no surprise to see The Undertaker emerge from the ring with a 20-0 mark in 20 career appearances at WrestleMania.

With the way it ended—with all three men carrying each other off the stage, winded as much from Sunday's competition as from decades in the realm of pro wrestling—it was only fitting that The Undertaker and his two chief rivals would leave without further incident. Rather, they left with only supreme respect for one another after years of intense animosity.

Whether any of these three men ever climb into a ring again to fight remains to be seen. If they don't, few would be disappointed after the stunning display they put on for millions of fans in their finale.

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