WrestleMania XXVI: Should Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels Go on Last?

Welcome to the third and final part of my three-part series, examining which main event of WrestleMania XXVI should go on last.

I’ve already taken a look at the first and second; now let’s look at the third, The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels in a “Streak vs. Career” match.

 

Why It Should Go On Last

Aside from maybe The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan and last year’s match between Undertaker and Michaels, this very well may be the most anticipated match in WrestleMania history.

This feud has been building since December, and dates back to WrestleMania last year, making it easily the longest buildup of any potential main event.

At WrestleMania XXV, these two performed so well that they completely deflated the crowd for not just one, but both world title matches (granted, the first had a terrible buildup, and the second was just about a terrible match).

And title matches come and go. There are always rematches.

But if Michaels loses, a 25-year career is over. If Undertaker loses, a 19-year winning streak is over. There has never been so much history in one match, let alone a WrestleMania main event.

It’s all but a guarantee that after the match, no one will care about the rest of the show.

 

Why It Shouldn’t Go On Last

Is it right for WWE to send the message that, in 2010, the two performers most worthy of closing WrestleMania are still The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels?

The winner of the main event at WrestleMania used to be a statement about the future of the company.

But for the last two years, that hasn’t been the case. Triple H won the main event last year and The Undertaker won the year before it.

For all of the griping people do about old-timers main-eventing in TNA, WWE isn’t all that different. Three of the biggest stars are still Undertaker, Michaels, and Triple H.

The big difference, of course, is that these three perform on the level with, if not better than, most of their youthful counterparts.

Also, the stipulation for the match kind of reminds me of the tagline for the movie, Alien vs. Predator: “whoever wins, we lose.”

If Undertaker wins, then Michaels retires. If Michaels wins, then the streak is over.

Can you imagine if Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair had closed out WrestleMania XXIV? Sure, it was a classic, but it was also a downer.

Now imagine that feeling at the end of the show.

 

Bottom Line

Sometimes you can’t appreciate the magnitude of a match until you realize that it’s the main event. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels going on last adds a level of suspense that you wouldn’t get if it went on any earlier.

And based on all the promos WWE is playing for the match, the more I think about it, the more I realize that it should and will be the main event of WrestleMania XXVI.

 

Do you think The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels should go on last at WrestleMania XXVI? Let me know.