The Undertaker's 5 Biggest Career-Defining Matches with WWE
There is no greater phenom in professional wrestling than The Undertaker, a fact the legendary Superstar has supported countless times over his 25 years with World Wrestling Entertainment.
His contributions are numerous, as witnessed in the many matches that have defined him as a performer, as a character and as an icon.
From his endless championship clashes with industry giants such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan to his unforgettable showdowns with Shawn Michaels on the WrestleMania stage, he has risen to heights previously unimaginable.
Even in defeat, The Deadman has captured the attention and imagination of fans both young and old.
As he prepares to take to the grandest stage in sports entertainment once more on April 3, a date with Shane McMahon inside Hell in a Cell awaiting him, let's relive the greatest victories and most horrifying burials with this look back at the five matches that have defined The American Badass.
5. World Heavyweight Title Match: Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle (No Way Out 2006)
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The main event of the No Way Out pay-per-view in 2006 was a World Heavyweight Championship match between SmackDown's two biggest stars. The Undertaker and Kurt Angle waged war over the brand's top prize and the right to enter WrestleMania 22 with the title belt wrapped around their waist.
The result was a match full of counters and reversals that utilized near-falls to create drama and elicit reactions from fans in Baltimore.
After years as The American Badass, a brawler who relied so heavily on strikes, Undertaker proved to the audience that he could mix it up on the mat with a celebrated technician like Angle. He broke out a submission-based attack learned through his fandom of mixed martial arts, counteracting Angle's use of the Ankle Lock.
The match was a brilliant one, an epic encounter overshadowed almost immediately by the hype for WrestleMania.
Now, a decade later, it remains one of the bright spots on Undertaker's resume, a breakout performance of sorts. No longer was The Deadman a "talented big man." From that moment on, he would become recognized as one of the best wrestlers of his generation, with his ability to adapt his in-ring style to the times and his age the sign of a truly great performer.
4. Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XXX)
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No fan will ever forget where they were when the referee's hand slapped the mat for the third time and Brock Lesnar was announced as the winner of his match with Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX.
It was a moment in time, the most shocking outcome to a match in pro wrestling history.
After 21 years and a 21-0 win-loss record, Undertaker had suffered his first defeat on the grandest stage in sports entertainment.
No one ever expected to see him lose. The Streak, like his character, was immortal. It was the last great box-office draw WWE had to offer. He could not have possibly lost it.
But he did, in not-so-dramatic fashion.
Like John Cena and Roman Reigns after him, Undertaker was tossed around the squared circle by Lesnar. He was brutalized by The Beast and for the first time looked his age as he was beaten down and overwhelmed. Of course, he had a very real concussion that affected his individual performance, but the story of the match did not appear to be affected.
Definitive in what it meant for his career going forward, the match is one of the most important in WrestleMania history and represents the moment the childhoods of fans across the globe died forever.
3. The Dream Team vs. The Million Dollar Team (Survivor Series 1990)
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There may be no debut more memorable than The Undertaker's at the 1990 Survivor Series. It was immediately clear to fans that the 6'10" man stalking toward the ring, his ghoulish appearance frightening children, was about to take the wrestling world by storm.
Once inside the squared circle, he intimidated his opponents, no-selling their offense and unloading on them with hard rights. His Tombstone piledriver to Koko B. Ware announced to the world that the most unstoppable force in WWE history had arrived, and no one or thing would ever be the same again.
There was a presence about him that night that helped him stand out and eventually succeed in ways that other gimmicky Superstars did not. The man behind the character clearly believed in it.
It was the start of a magical, mystical and sometimes absurd ride that would eventually see him become the greatest phenomenon to ever set foot in a Vince McMahon-owned ring.
2. Hell in a Cell: Undertaker vs. Mankind (King of the Ring 1998)
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There are few matches that have defined the two competitors involved the way that Hell in a Cell from the 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view has come to define Undertaker and Mankind.
Sure, fans remember every jaw-dropping moment in which the latter was tossed off the top of the cage or through the roof of the structure, but few remember the tremendous pain The Phenom was in as he pummeled his opponent.
Remember the steel mesh that made up the top of the cell, and just how unstable it was?
Undertaker maneuvered his way around the ceiling of the cell with a broken foot, essentially having to base himself on one leg. He had to repeatedly climb up and down the cage, then jump down from the roof to continue the battle inside the squared circle.
The match is a war, an exercise in brutality and violence. Both men put their well-beings on the line for the sake of entertainment and delivered. While it is Mankind whose plight in the match was immortalized in documentaries, Undertaker's presence in the match cannot and should not be forgotten.
To this day, the match is among the most memorable in all of pro wrestling history.
1. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XXV)
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The greatest match in WrestleMania history occurred on April 5, 2009 in Houston's Reliant Stadium when Undertaker battled Shawn Michaels in a battle of the most popular stars of their generation.
For 30 minutes, the iconic Superstars took the audience on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, using dramatic near-falls and signature maneuvers to keep them guessing as to who would leave with his arm raised in victory. The outcome was essentially a foregone conclusion, too, further proof of the ability of the Superstars to manipulate the audience through their actions, facial expressions and body language.
Angry, frustrated, wills broken, the Superstars told a story while putting their bodies through tremendous pain and punishment.
Undertaker was able to catch Michaels coming off the top rope with a moonsault and turn it into a Tombstone Piledriver for the win.
It was the conclusion of a five-star classic that reminded fans that Undertaker and Michaels were undeniably the best in their field.
And more importantly, it gave The Phenom that long-awaited match that would define his career as more than just an indelible persona.
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