My All Time Fave Undertaker Wrestlemania Matches

Anyone who tuned into the WWE Network special The Undertaker: The last ride will know that the final episode of the five-part serious basically revealed the WWE and professional wrestling legend that is the Undertaker has hung up his boots and looks to have concluded his in ring career. Growing up watching Taker he Is a man I idolized as a fan and respect so much as does every single member of the WWE Universe and so over the coming week I want to use my blog to celebrate the phenomenal career that is the Undertaker and we kick start things off today by looking at some of the best Wrestlemania performances from the dead man. Mania is where this future hall of Famer made history and truly cemented his legacy as having the best Wrestlemania history and so today I’m diving into my favourite performances from Taker at the biggest wrestling event of the year.

 

Vs Triple H (Wrestlemania 28)

I have gone on record before saying that The Undertaker vs Triple H at Wrestlemania twenty-eight is one of my all-time favourite WWE matches and I whole heartily stick by that! Growing up, I loved watching both superstars and was such a huge fan with the pair playing a big part in why I was major pro wrestling fan. Prior to this Mania match the two superstars had collided at the grandest stage of them all only the year before and paired with the history between them and Shawn Michaels this match truly had everything and as touched on in the Last Ride Network series could have concluded Takers career then and there perfectly. With the Undertaker ending Michaels career only a couple of years before this match and HBK being one of Triple H’s closest friends both in and outside of the ring the story work within this match was unlike no other. Michaels role as the special guest referee, the backstory and the Hell in a Cell element was all so fitting and captivating it made for the perfect Wrestlemania match up and a true classic! The intensity and brutality between Triple H and Taker mixed with the theatrical facial expressions and actions of Shawn tied together so perfectly it created something so special we may never see anything like it again.

Vs Randy Orton (Wrestlemania 21)

Now, I believe there may be a lot of fans who probably would not include this match in their all-time favourite Undertaker Wrestlemania matches but upon reaching this recently I just had to include it in this list today. Storytelling I so important in the world of pro wrestling and can impact the feel of a match so easily and what we got between Taker and Orton was simply fantastic yet basic storytelling. In the Undertaker we had the legend and in Orton, we had the Legend killer. It was a classic tale of veteran vs cocky up and comer and when including Orton's Hall of Famer father and the character work from both men we had something so special and entertaining. Both men despite being so different bounced off each other very well and at this time Taker looked in such great shape as did a fresh Orton showing us more and more depths of his move set. We had already seen within the year before that Randy was going to be a megastar but stepping in the ring with someone at Takers level really showcased the faith the WWE had in Orton and his potential. This was a physical match that told a story and worked as an important and memorable step in Ortons wrestling career. On a stacked card this stood out and remains one of my favourite Randy Orton match ups to this day!

 

Vs Kane (Wrestlemania 14)

Another personal favourite Mania for me has got to be fourteen! The night saw Kane make his Wrestlemania debut in what Is one of the best matches of his entire career! This storyline remains a classic in the industry and an all-time fave for so many and heading into Wrestlemania fourteen had arguable the best angle of the evening. The build to this match was incredible with the in-depth storytelling and intense drama so fitting of this time in the WWE. The match itself put Kane on the map with his dominant performance against the Undertake, unlike anything we had seen from another superstar when in the ring with the dead man. This was a physical encounter with so much story and provided fans with a genuine strong wrestling match up between two big men talents. Despite the loss to Taker Kane still left Mania 14 a huge star and his attack after meant things were far from over and fan will forever remember this career cementing match for Kane.

 

Vs Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 26)

Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker have always torn the house down when they have met in the ring. From their first-ever hell in a cell collision to their memorable Mania matchups, the two pro wrestling legends have created so many iconic performances alongside one another, but it was at Wrestlemania twenty-six where the two delivered to a new level. With Michaels career and Takers streak on the line, there was everything to lose for both men and what we saw go down as an instant classic and all-time great at Wrestlemania. The emotion, the energy from the crowd and the wrestling performances from both superstars were just so incredibly special! We had already seen these two kill it at Mania the year before and so the pressure to deliver again was so high but when they stood in that ring in the main event of Wrestlemania thirty-six both men put it all on the line and fans were left hooked and completely glued to the action and emotionally invested. We saw vintage spots from both superstars and the determination to not give in so strong on each side. This match was about heart and passion and the wrestling we witnessed proved the pair could still work an incredible wrestling match with epic spot and the bout was the perfect fit to conclude the career of Michaels.

 

Vs Batista (Wrestlemania 23)

In two thousand and seven, Batista was truly at the top of his game. A multi-time champion and a key figure on Smackdown the Animal was a fan favourite and had come a long way from his Legacy days. At Wrestlemania of that year the WWE Universe witnessed Batista out gold on the line when he competed against the dead man at the grandest stage of them all in what would arguably be one of Takers most physical Wrestlemania match ups of all time. With both standing as such physically dominant performers yet rather different in styles it was an interesting clash and the Animal brought his A-game looking to not only end the streak but walk out still champion. Okay, so retraining the world championship wasn’t something Batista was able to do here but the pair would so incredibly well together, and this has always gone down as a career highlight for Batista and Taker. The action outside the ring added to the physical intensity and the power of Batista left many wondering if this star of the now and the future was about to make history on the big stage. Of course, Taker did score the win, but this match was a standout of Mania twenty-three.

 

Vs AJ Styles (Wrestlemania 36)

I had to include this one, didn’t I? In what Is looking to have been the Undertakers final Match fans were treated to something new yet classic. Heading back to the Biker Taker days this gave me chills! The old look, the bike and that edgy version of Taker so many of us loved it was a nostalgic and stratifying moment to see and when combined with the new idea of a Barn Yard match history was cemented and wrestling fans were witnessing something very different and exciting. Cinematic matches are something that divide fan all the time but this is one that I think the majority can agree was just spectacular. After a few years of Taker not looking his best (which kills me to admit) he entered this collision with Styles looking strong, healthy, and the best he had done in years! This Was wrestling entertainment at its finest and overall worked as a fitting and incredibly strong way to conclude what has been a legendary and epic career. This match showed us what the Undertaker is all about and reminded fans across the world why he truly is an all-time great.

While it may be the end of the Undertakers in-ring career, we will forever be discussing his character, work and impact he had on the industry. Takers history at Wrestlemania is unlike any other and we may never see a superstar have such a Mania resume like the dead man. There were of course other matches I could have spoken about today which I will be mentioning in just a minute but for now, I would love to know what your all-time favourite Undertaker Mania match is, so feel to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TezangiVictoria.

Taker VS Shawn Michaels at mania 25 was not included simply because I’ve spoken about it so much on my blog and I wanted to shake things up and only include one of their Mania collisions.