The Undertaker's 5 Greatest WrestleMania Matches
For millennials who have grown up following WWE, there is, possibly, no greater figure of reverence than The Undertaker. No other wrestler possesses the great combination of strength, athletic ability, grandness of character and commanding presence as much as The Deadman. Every year, when the biggest event of WWE, and by extension, professional wrestling calendar – WrestleMania – comes around, the name of Undertaker is bound to occupy the minds of WWE fans.
After all, the man who owns the most splendid record at this annual showpiece is none other than The Phenom. However, it seems increasingly likely that last year’s squash match that Undertaker had with John Cena would be his last ever at WrestleMania. It is clear that The Deadman is almost done with his career. His wrestling prowess has declined steeply in the last couple of years and he is now not expected to compete in a long match.
So, as sad as it is, we will now have to be content with watching videos of Undertaker’s matches from the past. This is a moment that every fan dreads but has to face. All we are left with are the innumerable memories of this legend’s career and the great moments he produced. With that spirit of recollection, let us look back at the five best matches which this icon of WWE competed in at WrestleMania – an event that he made his own.
A man, or should I say, deadman, who holds the incredible 24-2 record at the industry’s biggest annual show is bound to have had many great matches and it is very hard to select just five of them. But there have been some which surpassed others in terms of the quality of action and performance by Undertaker and his opponents. Here is a list of the 5 matches which deserve to be counted as the best in the legendary WrestleMania history of The Phenom.
#5 The Undertaker vs Randy Orton - WrestleMania 21 (2005)
In the history of Undertaker’s famous streak, this match is a major turning point. This was the first time that the streak and its defence became the primary focus of The Deadman’s WrestleMania appearance. Randy Orton, at that stage of his career, had already established himself as a leading name and had also claimed his maiden World Heavyweight Championship a few months back. He was also being portrayed as the ‘legend killer’ due to his numerous encounters with greats of the industry and the victories he gained over them.
The story of this match started when Orton decided to challenge The Undertaker to a WrestleMania match with the intention of breaking his streak. He was a face then and the proposal of the match was made respectfully. Then, the WWE decided to cause a heel turn for him by making Orton deliver an RKO to his storyline girlfriend Stacy Kiebler – to send a message to The Undertaker. Hence, Orton entered the match as a conceited man certain to break the streak.
The match was a topsy-turvy affair keeping the fans on the edge of their seats. It ended in dramatic fashion with Orton, frustrated at not having put away his opponent after having tried all his tricks, trying to use Undertaker’s very own Tombstone Piledriver against him. The Phenom turned the move around and delivered his finisher on Orton to end the match as well as keep his streak alive.
It has been subsequently revealed that the plan was for the ‘legend killer’ to win the contest and end the streak, but the wrestler refused to play that part out of respect for The Undertaker. Thank goodness for that! Otherwise, the streak – one of the biggest attractions of WrestleMania – would have ended even before reaching the peak of its importance.