In honor of the "Road To WrestleMania," I would like to dedicate this "Let's Dance" segment to a man that has become a WrestleMania Dynasty. He took WrestleMania and turned it into a Mansion. This man is none other than the Deadman himself, The Undertaker.
The better your Dance Partners are, the better you look as a performer. It takes two to tango and Taker has danced with partners of different styles. Many of them have faced him at WM while some did not. As I have said before, the better your dance partners are, the better you look yourself. It also helps to have a lot of high-quality partners to dance with as it creates the best chemistry. Just like Batman, Undertaker has an excellent Rogues Gallery of Rivals. Time to examine who are the best:
Shawn Michaels:
Match Quality: 5/5
Storyline Quality: 9/10
Rivalry Rating: 9.5/10
Featured Matches:
In Your House: Ground Zero
Hell In A Cell (Bad Blood 1997)
Casket Match for WWF Title (Royal Rumble 1998)
2007 Royal Rumble
WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXVI (Streak vs. Career)
The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels have been the pillars of WWE from the New Generation Era into the Ruthless Aggression/Early PG Era. They pretty much came up together in the ranks of wrestling from the territories going into the WWE. Both legends had been at the top of the WWE Card since the mid-1990's. HBK and UT did not finally have a program together until 1997 when Shawn cost Taker the WWF/E Title against Bret Hart at Summerslam 1997. Shawn revealed that he cheated Taker on purpose as this led to the epic first ever HIAC Match at Bad Blood 1997. The match was a masterpiece and in my estimation one of the top two matches of the entire year next to Bret vs. Austin at WM 13. This would lead to the introduction of Kane, who helped Shawn win. Taker had two problems on his hands (HBK & Kane). UT would fight Shawn in a Casket Match for the Title at Royal Rumble only for Kane to interfere again. Michaels would prematurely retire for the first time with a 4-year absence. When Shawn returned in 2002, he and Undertaker kept their distance until Royal Rumble 2007 where their rivalry was rekindled. UT & HBK were the last two men standing to go to war for at least 8-10 minutes before The Phenom won the Rumble. Next year, they would be the first two in the Rumble. Finally, their feud would reach its climax going into two epic WrestleMania Matches. The story was centered around who was truly the Greatest WrestleMania performer as they stole the show in each match. Their finale took place at WM XXVI with Shawn's career coming to an end. Both of them were WrestleMania Masters.
Kane:
Match Quality: 3.5/5
Storyline Quality: 10/10
Rivalry Rating: 9/10
The Classic Brother vs. Brother. Arguably the Greatest Storyline ever told. Fire and Brimstone. The Brothers of Destruction have forever been connected from the moment that Kane made his earth-shattering debut at Bad Blood 1997 when he ripped the cell door open during Undertaker's match with Shawn Michaels. Who could ever forget Vince McMahon screaming "That's got to be Kane"? Taker looked in disbelief that his brother was still alive. Kane proceeded to drill his older brother with a Tombstone Piledriver as a bloody HBK picked up the victory. Taker refused to fight his brother at first. Of course, that was until Kane interfered once again in a match involving Undertaker and HBK. At Royal Rumble '98, Undertaker wrestled Shawn Michaels for the WWF Title in a Casket Match. It looked as if the Phenom would seal the win for the Title, but Kane attacked him and locked him in the Casket. After the match was over, Kane burned the Casket with Undertaker trapped inside. When everyone though Undertaker was dead, he made his re-emergence on Monday Night Raw challenging Kane to a match at WrestleMania. This match told a brilliant story and could possibly be the best match of the night. Undertaker and Kane went the distance in their best battle ever. The Deadman defeated The Big Red Machine with 3 Tombstones. Taker would win the rematch at Unforgiven in their Inferno Match. The Brothers of Destruction would wrestle to a no contest at Judgment Day over the WWF Championship. Undertaker would also defeat Kane at Survivor Series in the Quarter Final. As the Biker (ABA) Undertaker would defeat Kane at Summerslam 2000. They would also team up during the Invasion storyline to win the WCW Tag Titles. Their feud would rekindle when Kane helped Vince McMahon defeat Taker in the Buried Alive Match at Survivor Series. Undertaker would return as the Deadman to defeat him at WrestleMania XX. This would be their last encounter for quite some time. This was their next best match to their WM XIV encounter. Later on, Kane would gain the upper hand by defeating his brother at Night Of Champions to retain the WHC as well as HIAC. The feud would come to an end at Bragging Rights with Kane winning in the Buried Alive Match. Even when some of the matches started to fall off, the storyline is what made this dance a dance worth watching.
Featured Matches:
WrestleMania XIV
Unforgiven 1998 (Inferno Match)
Judgment Day 1998
Survivor Series 1998
Summerslam 2000
WrestleMania XX
Night Of Champions
Summerslam 2010
Mankind
Storyline Quality: 9/10
Rivalry Rating: 9/10
When Mankind made his arrival to the World Wrestling Federation in 1996, he made his biggest statement by attacking The Undertaker. Never before had The Phenom faced an opponent that could shake him psychologically as he is the Master of Mind Games. The night after WrestleMania XII, Taker was attacked by Mankind in a great angle. The biggest plot twist came when Paul Bearer turned betrayed Taker after being The Deadman's confidant for many years. For the first time ever, The Undertaker submitted to Mankind's Mandible Claw. It was a very noteworthy way to put Mankind on the map in the WWF/E. Their feud would include matches that revolutionized wrestling. Mankind gained the upper hand with wins over Taker at KOTR '96 and the Boiler Room Brawl Match at Summerslam that year. Taker would finally turn things around by winning the Buried Alive match at IYH, along with his victory at Survivor Series 1996. UT would successfully defend his WWF Title at the IYH named in his honor "Revenge of the Taker". Their feud would conclude at KOTR 1996 inside of HIAC. This was the Match of the Year and the high point of the feud and it ended on a very high note. This rivalry made one career and revived another. For more than 2 years, Undertaker was forced to dance with useless or washed up big men that could not keep up with him. From Giant Gonzalez (awful), King Kong Bundy (past his prime), Yokozuna (decent), Fake Undertaker, Kama (Taker had to look out for his BSK buddy) and Mabel (injured Taker so bad that he had to wear the Phantom of the Opera Mask). Undertaker finally gets relief in 1996 when WWF/E signs veteran Cactus Jack who becomes Mankind. Taker FINALLY had someone who could bring the best out of him while he made someone else a star.
Featured Matches:
King of the Ring 1996
Summerslam 1996 (Boiler Room Brawl Match)
In Your House: Buried Alive
Survivor Series 1996
In Your House: Revenge of the Taker (WWF Championship)
KOTR 1998 (Hell In A Cell)
Edge:
Storyline Quality: 8/10
Rivalry Rating: 8.5/10
Featured Matches:
Armageddon 2007 (Triple Threat vs. Batista for World Heavyweight Championship)
WrestleMania XXIV (World Heavyweight Championship)
Backlash 2008 (WHC)
Judgment Day 2008 (WHC)
One Night Stand 2008 (TLC Match for WHC)
Summerslam 2008 (HIAC)
This is a feud that will go down as an all-time great for both Undertaker and Edge. It all started in 2007 when Edge cashed in the MITB Briefcase on an injured Undertaker after his battle with Batista. Following the match, Mark Henry attacked the bloodied Taker before Edge cashed in and picked the bones of the Deadman with a Spear to capture the World Heavyweight Title. Like with John Cena, Edge cashed in on a bloodied Champion. Both cash-ins were highly significant and further elevated Edge's status as a conniving heel that would seek any opportunity to win. Edge and Taker would both get hit by the injury bug in between. At Survivor Series, Edge cost Taker the World Title against Batista. Their paths would cross along with Batista's at Armageddon where Edge defeated Taker and The Animal to win back the Title. After three months of ducking Taker, Edge had no choice but to finally face him at WrestleMania XXIV. It was an excellent choice for the Main Event, as Undertaker defeated Edge to not only maintain The Streak but to also recapture the WHC. The Deadman would defeat the Rated R Superstar in the following rematches from Backlash to Judgment Day. Vickie Guerrero would strip Taker of the Title for his use of "Hell's Gate". Edge would finally gain the upper hand in his specialty of TLC as he regained the World Heavyweight Title at One Night Stand. Two months later, Undertaker returns to defeat Edge at Summerslam in the first HIAC match of the PG Era. This was the final chapter in their rivalry. Edge found ways to bring the best out of himself and Taker when they danced together and vice versa. Clearly one of the best feuds towards the end of the Ruthless Aggression Era going into the PG Era.
Brock Lesnar:
Match Quality: 4/5
Storyline Quality: 8.5/10
Rivalry Rating: 8.5/10
Featured Matches:
Unforgiven 2002 (WWE Championship)
No Mercy 2002 (HIAC for WWE Championship)
No Mercy 2003 (Biker Chain Match for WWE Title)
WrestleMania XXX
Summerslam 2015
HIAC 2015
The feud started in 2002 when Brock was a rookie on an amazing rise to the Top of the WWE. Lesnar defeated The Rock for the WWE Title at Summerslam while demolishing other veterans in his path of destruction. His first challenger is none other than WWE Legend The Undertaker. This took place during Taker's Biker Era as he was the ultimate test for Brock to prove himself as Champion. They could have left Taker's family out of the storyline, but their first match did have a great buildup leading to their battle at Unforgiven. This match is criticized for ending in a no-contest, but it made sense a month later. Brock broke Taker's hand. Smackdown GM Stephanie McMahon declared The Undertaker as the number one contender for Brock's WWE Title at No Mercy. This led to their classic HIAC Match, which will forever go down as one of the best ever. The brutality was the story of the match as it was tailor made for Ruthless Aggression. It was the most gruesome Cell Match I have ever seen because I never saw Undertaker bleed like that before in his career. The story was about Brock being out of his element but digging deep down inside to overcome a Phenom like Taker in a match that UT himself made famous. Lesnar emerged victorious when he reversed Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver into an F-5. This match brought a new meaning to "Crimson Mask". They would have a rematch at No Mercy 2003 in a Biker Chain Match, but it was not on the level of their No Mercy Match from the year prior. Brock would take a long absence from the WWE to make a name for himself in the UFC. Two years after Lesnar's return, their feud would reignite leading up to WrestleMania 30. On the 30th Anniversary of WrestleMania, the world witnessed the BIGGEST Surprise in all of the Wrestling world. Brock Lesnar BROKE THE STREAK. It became not only one of Undertaker's signature moments but a turning point for Brock's WWE Career since his return. This would seem like the final chapter in their saga. However, their feud would resurface again thanks to declining ratings. Undertaker cost Brock the WWE Title match at BattleGround. The next night on RAW, Brock and Taker would have a brawl at the start of the show as it would lead to their next match at Summerslam. The match told a great story but ended with Undertaker winning in controversial fashion. The score would be settled once and for all at HIAC. Brock would defeat Taker after a powerhouse battle inside of the Cell. I believe this is their very final encounter. Brock was a dance partner that humanized Undertaker. Brock and Taker dance do a different beat. This was far from Taker's battles with Shawn Michaels. These dances were filled with blood and war. Brock was never phased by Taker's aura and mind games. This was nothing but Old School brawling and warfare. Two beasts fighting to tear each other apart.
Triple H:
Match Quality: 4/5
Storyline Quality: 8.5/10
Rivalry Rating: 8/10
Featured Matches:
WrestleMania X-7
WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVIII
Part of The Undertaker's legend centers around his longevity, rivalries and consistency as an upper card performer for well over 20 years. When it comes to the "End of An Era" it comes as a form of irony. Taker and Triple H were certainly pillars of the Attitude Era, but UT was already an established star before the Era started along with his previous WM opponent Shawn Michaels. This was not much of a feud in the beginning because when they had their first encounter, Undertaker was much higher in the pecking order as Trips was still Hunter Hearst Helmsley. When Undertaker feuded with Shawn Michaels, Triple H was merely a decoy that was not a real threat. Finally, Hunter would come into his own as the Leader of DX during the Attitude Era. After becoming a multi-time Champion, Triple H becomes a serious challenge for Taker going into WM X-7, in the Deadman's backyard of Houston. UT won in a great match that told it's story with the brawling. Taker goes 9-0 in the Biker Era. The Brothers of Destruction were supposed to have a feud with the Two Man Power Trip, but that was cut short thanks to The Game's injury. In the years to come, Taker and Trips would be the pillars for the Smackdown & RAW brands during the brand split Era. Taker was the anchor for Smackdown while Triple H was the anchor for RAW. Their paths would finally meet again after the retirement of Shawn Michaels following WrestleMania 26. Triple H would emerge as Undertaker's next challenge to Break The Streak. This time, they would be in the roles of part-time legends that would attract a crowd just in time for Mania. Shawn Michaels would also give his view on how he felt about Triple H challenging the Streak. At WrestleMania 27, Taker and Triple H would have the best match of the night, but that is not saying much considering how subpar that show was in WM History. Undertaker emerged victoriously, but had nothing to show for it as he was carried out on a stretcher after the match was over. Taker himself even admitted that his previous matches with Shawn Michaels took a lot out of him. With the way that it ended, it was underwhelming for Taker's standards. As a result, the stakes were raised even higher for their rematch at WrestleMania 28 by calling it the "End of an Era". This time, their match would be inside Hell In A Cell. As another bonus, Hunter's longtime friend Shawn Michaels was the Special Referee. The storytelling and quality were clearly better than their match at WM 27. Undertaker wins as the match has a much better conclusion. It wasn't really the "End of An Era" for their careers, but the last time they would feud together. When you compare these matches to Undertaker's masterpieces with Shawn Michaels, they fall relatively flat but still unique in their own way. The Game is clearly one of the best partners The Deadman has danced with on the Big Stage.
Randy Orton:
Storyline Quality: 8.5/10
Rivalry Rating: 8/10
Featured Matches:
WrestleMania 21
Summerslam 2005
No Mercy 2005
Armageddon 2005
When Randy Orton was "The Legend Killer" he defeated and attacked a number of legendary stars in wrestling. Orton defeated the likes of Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Sgt. Slaughter and RVD. He also spits in the faces of NWA legend Harley Race and the aforementioned Foley. He even gave Fabulous Moolah the RKO. He also gave Jake Roberts the RKO. If those feats don't qualify you as a Legend Killer, what else will? Finally, Randall received the spark that he needed after losing the WHC to Triple H. "Superstar" Billy Graham told Orton that he needed to find a way to make a bigger name for himself. After the conversation with Graham was over, Orton held a magazine with The Undertaker on the front cover. That was the sign that Randy found the next Legend to target. In 2005, Randy would face the biggest Legend of his career The Undertaker himself. Heading into WM 21, Orton tried to pretend that he was not phased by Taker's mind games. However, The Deadman always found a way to throw him off of his game. The young Orton boldly challenged The Phenom to a match at WrestleMania 21. This was the first time where The Streak was faced with a real threat. Randy was in prime position to break the Streak nearly 10 years earlier. However out of respect, Randy declined. The match itself was easily one of the best on the card and was part of Taker turning the corner with his matches at Mania. When Orton did Taker's throat slash, he signaled the end. When RKO tried the Tombstone, Taker reversed it into his own Tombstone Piledriver for the win. UT & RKO would feud for the rest of the year, including a match at Summerslam where Randy's father helped him win. The feud would conclude at Armageddon when Taker vanquished Orton inside HIAC. This was the perfect example of a younger star going over even in a losing effort. Sometimes it is hard for younger talent to dance with more experienced talent, but Orton proved that he had what it took to dance with The Phenom.
Conclusion:
Shawn Michaels:
If Undertaker is Batman, you can make a strong case and say that Shawn Michaels is The Joker. On the other hand, you can say that HBK is the Luke Skywalker to Taker's Darth Vader. I was close to choosing Kane or Mankind as Undertaker's greatest dance partner. This was a very tough call. However, I believe that Undertaker danced better with Shawn because of how fluid he himself is at 6'10" 300 lbs. Their chemistry together in the ring is incredible when you match a Giant like UT with a smaller more versatile opponent like HBK. They made history with the first ever HIAC Match at Badd Blood. If not for Austin vs. Bret, this match would have been "Match of the Year" for 1997. Then, you factor in the fact that going into their first match at WM, Taker had never defeated Shawn which was another great twist to add with the Streak on the line. Then, you factor in the "Light vs. Darkness, Heaven vs. Hell" theme surrounding the feud and it made this even more of an epic battle. When it comes to WrestleMania, they were Jedi Masters of the Highest Order. Here is the best way to describe their battles. The Badd Blood Match was Episode 4 (A New Hope- Great introduction). WrestleMania XXV was Episode 5 (Empire Strikes Back- The Best of the Series) while WrestleMania 26 was Episode 6 (Return of the Jedi- The Conclusion). WrestleMania was clearly the best way to close the chapter on their feud. Shawn Michaels was Hard Rock, Undertaker was Heavy Metal. Taker and HBK danced to different genres of music, but they created classic hits when they danced together in the squared circle. Their clashes will forever be the stuff of legend.
(Portrait Courtesy of Rob Schamberger. Follow on Twitter: @RobSchamberger, Instagram: @RobSchamberger)
Undertaker's Top 10 Matches:
1. Vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XXV)
2. Vs. Shawn Michaels (Badd Blood 1997- HIAC)
3. Vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XXVI- Career vs. Streak)
4. Vs. Mankind (KOTR 1998)
5. Vs. Triple H (WrestleMania XXVIII- End of an Era Match)
6. Vs. Edge (Summerslam 2008)
7. Vs. Mankind (In Your House: Buried Alive)
8. Vs. Brock Lesnar (No Mercy 2002)
9. Vs. Edge (WrestleMania XXIV)
10. Vs. Kane (WrestleMania XIV)
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