By Mat Elfring on Mar 31, 2017 07:14 pm
Wrestlemania is right around the corner, coming to PPV and the WWE Network on Sunday, April 2. One aspect of the yearly show that is more often than not a constant is the Undertaker. His Wrestlemania debut was back in 1991, and since then, his winning record of 23-1 is an achievement no one else will top. We're taking a look at the history of Undertaker at Wrestlemania and ranking every single one of his matches from worst to best.
24. WrestleMania 9: Giant Gonzalaz
In 1993, the Undertaker took on the Giant Gonzalaz in a battle that was quite boring and uninteresting. The only notable aspect about it was the finish, when Gonzalaz knocked out Undertaker with a rag covered in chloroform. He was disqualified for his actions.
23. Wrestlemania 11: King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy fought the Undertaker in 1995. This was the first time it was mentioned Undertaker was undefeated at Wrestlemania, with a 4-0 record. It was a silly match, featuring a comically oversized urn, which Kama, the Supreme Fighting Machine, stole during the fight.
22. Wrestlemania 7: Jimmy Snuka
Undertaker's first match happened back in 1991, when he took on Jimmy Snuka. What was cool about this match was that Undertaker was still mysterious. However, there was a lot of overselling on Snuka's part, and Taker felt a bit green. There was little to no drama in the match.
21. Wrestlemania 22: Mark Henry (Casket Match)
One of the cooler matches the Undertaker had been involved with throughout his career was the Casket Match, where you got the win by putting your opponent in a casket. In 2006, Undertaker took on Mark Henry in said match, but it was pretty lackluster. It was just another "big guy vs. big guy" match and failed to hit its mark.
20. Wrestlemania 13: Sycho Sid (No DQ for the WWF Championship)
The Undertaker had a few matches for a championship belt, and the first came back in 1997, for the WWF Championship in a "No Disqualification" match against Sycho Sid. The "No DQ" aspect of the match wasn't really utilized and so many spots were used in the Diesel match the year prior. It was not very memorable.
19. Wrestlemania 8: Jake Roberts
One thing that was cool about Undertaker's 1992 match against Jake Roberts was that it sets up Undertaker as an unstoppable force. It built on the mythos of the Undertaker. However, this match does get a bit bogged down by a whole lot of work in the corner and lots of chokeholds.
18. Wrestlemania 20: Kane
2004's Wrestlemania 20 marked the return of the dark and evil Undertaker, after years of being an "American Badass." The build-up and hype were phenomenal for the event, but all-in-all, it didn't live up to it.
17. Wrestlemania 15: Big Boss Man (Hell in a Cell)
Out of every single Undertaker match at Wrestlemania, 1999's match against Big Bossman was without a doubt the most bizarre. This Hell in a Cell match had the weirdest finish from the Attitude Era. After Undertaker won, he put a noose around Bossman's neck and had him hang from the cell. Many people thought they witnessed a murder.
16. Wrestlemania 19: Big Show & A-Train (Handicap Match)
Undertaker's 2003 match was the only time he faced two opponents: Big Show and A-Train. Taker was up against impossible odds for the match, which was a nice spin. Right away, it felt like this wasn't a match that he could win. The downside of this match was the sidestory featuring Nathan Jones showing up late as his partner. It felt like too little, too late.
15. Wrestlemania 18: Ric Flair (No DQ)
Ric Flair took on The Undertaker in one brutal and bloody No DQ match back in 2002, which got Taker his 10th Wrestlemania win. There were plenty of great spots here, including Undertaker turning a Figure Four Leglock into a Chokeslam.
14. Wrestlemania 32: Shane McMahon (Hell in a Cell)
While the 2016 Hell in a Cell match between Shane McMahon and the Undertaker was filled with a ton of fantastic high spots, like McMahon attempting an elbow drop onto Taker from the top of the cell, the storytelling--for the fight--wasn't there. The match entertains but felt a little empty overall.
13. Wrestlemania 14: Kane
This match defined what a Wrestlemania match against the Undertaker should be. The story between Kane and Taker really helped build this match, which had some great back and forth moments. It all built to Taker squeaking out a victory.
12. Wrestlemania 27: Triple H (No DQ)
Triple H and Undertaker faced each other at Wrestlemania on three separate occasions. While this was the weakest of the three, it was still a great match. Triple H tried everything within his power to defeat Taker, and he couldn't. The only real downside to this match was that while it was "No DQ," it didn't really scratch the surface of that type of match.
11. Wrestlemania 31: Bray Wyatt
Many wrestling fans felt that the 2015 match against Bray Wyatt would be a passing of the torch, from Undertaker to Wyatt. While the overall match was pretty good, it was more of a showcase for Wyatt. We really got to see how fantastic and haunting Wyatt can be in the ring but nothing new from Taker.
10. Wrestlemania 23: Batista (For the World Heavyweight Championship)
Undertaker took on Batista at the 2007 event, and it was an incredible back and forth battle. There were some great moments during the match, including a slam through the announcer's table. There were a few times here where it felt like Batista had this match, but once again, Taker came out on top.
9. Wrestlemania 12: Diesel
Many of Undertaker's early Wrestlemania matches were busts. However, in 1996, Diesel put up one heck of a fight. We saw some great moments, like both men knocking each other out--at the same time--with big boots. Diesel's cockiness got the best of him, and he underestimated Undertaker's power, which led to Diesel losing.
8. Wrestlemania 30: Brock Lesnar
The only loss in Undertaker's career came in 2014 when he faced Brock Lesnar. This was a slow, brutal match between these two beasts. The match did have a few problems, mainly because Taker got a concussion early on, but what makes this match great is the finish, the crowd reaction, and the aftermath.
7. Wrestlemania 29: CM Punk
The year prior to Undertaker's first loss, he faced CM Punk. The storyline building up to this match was pretty crazy, as Punk used former Undertaker manager Paul Bearer's death--which happened a month prior--to get under Taker's skin. The highlight of the match came from Punk jumping off the top rope onto Taker, who was laying on the announcer's table.
6. Wrestlemania 17: Triple H
2001's match against Triple H is pure Attitude Era. The match had a slow start that builds into a war. There were some really innovative reversals like Triple H trying to give Taker a Tombstone Piledriver and reversing it to one of his own.
5. Wrestlemania 24: Edge (For the World Heavyweight Championship)
In 2008, Undertaker took on Edge, and this match redefined what Wrestlemania matches should be. Everything about it felt so big and over-the-top. There were a lot of moments where it seemed like Edge had the win, but Taker ended up submitting his opponent for the first time in his Wrestlemania career.
4. Wrestlemania 26: Shawn Michaels (Streak vs. Career)
When Undertaker and Shawn Michaels were in the ring together, it was magical. Their second meeting in 2010 felt like a shadow of their match at Wrestlemania 25, but it was beautiful nonetheless. These two performers put on a wonderful show, with highlights like Michaels doing a moonsault onto Taker outside of the ring.
3. Wrestlemania 21: Randy Orton
Randy "The Legend Killer" Orton set his sights on taking down one of the WWE's biggest names at the company's biggest PPV. This match had one of the most entertaining storylines behind it, and the battle was great for all it's back and forth moments.
2. Wrestlemania 28: Triple H with Shawn Michaels as Referee (Hell in a Cell)
While the 2012 match featuring Triple H and Undertaker locked in the Hell in a Cell had a slow start, it slowly built into something amazing. The addition of Shawn Michaels as the guest referee really pushed it over the top, as he stepped in a few times to stop Triple H from beating down Taker with a chair. It was an extremely brutal match to watch for all the right reasons.
1. Wrestlemania 25: Shawn Michaels
Finally, the best Undertaker Wrestlemania match of all time is a no-brainer. In 2009--at Wrestlemania 25--Shawn Michaels and Undertaker had an all-out-war for 30 minutes that is one of the best Wrestlemania matches of all time. There were some great moments here, like when Undertaker dived outside of the ring and almost broke his neck after colliding with a cameraman.
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