Undertaker: Greatest Hits

Undertaker: Greatest Hits


This one seemed very appropriate now that we're very close to Wrestlemania, and in my opinion this man is Wrestlemania. The Phenom, The Last Outlaw, The Demon of Death Valley. He has many names and will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time. Here is the Deadman's Greatest Hits.



Yes I know Undertaker hasn't had many classic matches during his career, but he's had many classic moments that make up for it.



Mean Mark vs Johnny Ace
From Capital Combat 1990. This is the first time I've seen Mark Callaway without the Undertaker gimmick and it is freaking surreal. It feels wrong just looking at him. He looks like Trevor Murdoch. He did show signs of athleticism for a big guy. The match lasted ten minutes and was pretty solid throughout. Mark was still a bit green but he'd get there. **



Bret Hart / Jim Neidhart / Koko B. Ware / Dusty Rhodes vs Ted Dibiase / Greg Valentine / Honky Tonk Man / The Undertaker
From Survivor Series 1990. Dibiase had a mystery partner and it ended up being the Undertaker who was making his WWF debut here. Taker looked like a force of nature here. No wonder he rose to stardom so quickly. He was counted out in this one for his elimination. The match never really got going until it came down to Dibiase and Bret Hart, as they had a great little back and forth contest with a few nearfalls. Solid overall. **1/2



Undertaker vs Jimmy Snuka
From Wrestlemania VII. The first of 21 other victories for the Deadman at Wrestlemania and poor Snuka was the first victim. The match wasn't very good and only lasted around four minutes, but I think it gets a pass for being historical. Taker looked very dominant. *1/2



Undertaker vs Hulk Hogan
From Survivor Series 1991 and the WWF Title is on the line. They really must have had faith in the Undertaker to give him the World Title only a year into his run. The match was slow and plodding because Taker was still in his zombie stage where he did very little in the ring apart from choking people and the tombstone. Still it's a big moment for Taker as he wins his first Championship in the WWF. *


Taker would lose that Title only a week later to Hogan at This Tuesday in Texas.



Undertaker vs Jake Roberts
From Wrestlemania VIII. Taker and Roberts were allies for a while until Taker stopped Roberts from hurting Miss Elizabeth, and so that led to this match. Roberts was about to leave for WCW, so his parting gift to the WWF was to make Taker look like a badass, as he managed to get up after two DDTs which was unheard of at the time. Entertaining little match. **


We're gonna skip forward a few years as the Deadman didn't do much after this apart from facing Giant Gonzales. I was gonna put the casket match with Yokozuna at the Royal Rumble, but that one was just awful, and I don't think anyone wants to hear about the Undertaker vs Undertaker match again.



Undertaker vs Diesel 
From Wrestlemania XII. It took five years but Undertaker was finally able to have a good match at Wrestlemania. This looked like it would be a slow and plodding match on paper, but in reality these guys managed to put on a very entertaining big man contest. Good stuff that made Taker look great. Taker hits the tombstone to go 5-0. ***



Undertaker vs Mankind : Boiler Room Brawl
From Summerslam 1996. The first person to get to the ring and take the urn from Paul Bearer is the winner. The start of this was quite creepy with Taker searching for Mankind. Like a horror movie scene. I'm not the biggest fan of this match and it went too long for my liking, but it was pretty entertaining. Bearer betrays Taker and hits him with the urn to end the match in a shocking moment. **1/2



Undertaker vs Mankind
From Survivor Series 1996. Paul Bearer is suspended in a shark cage hanging over the ring. I didn't realise that this feud went on for so long as it started at KOTR 96, but I don't think they ever had a bad match together. Another good match here even if the crowd didn't seem all that interested in it. The finish came out of nowhere with Taker hitting a quick tombstone for the win. **3/4



Undertaker vs Sycho Sid
From Wrestlemania 13 and the WWF Title is on the line. I didn't really wanna put this match here but it was a big moment for Taker as he main evented Mania for the first time and won the World Title for the first time in almost six years. The match is slow and goes on way too long at 22 minutes. Sid may have soiled himself at some point too. Mediocre match. **



Undertaker vs Mankind 
From Revenge of the Taker IYH and the WWF Title is on the line. Yes they started this feud up again, but how couldn't they? It was awesome! This one is famous for the botch where Mankind couldn't light the firepaper and Taker had to do it instead, but this was a great forgotten gem and their best match outside of the Hell in a Cell. Mankind's announce table spot was awesome. Great stuff here. ***1/2



Undertaker vs Vader
From Canadian Stampede and the WWF Title is on the line. The feud between Paul Bearer and Taker was still ongoing here, and this time Bearer had Vader. It wouldn't be long until Kane made his first appearance. Anyway this was a very good big man match with two of the best big men in the business. The crowd absolutely loved Taker here. Both guys came out looking good. Good stuff here. ***1/4



Undertaker would lose his WWF Title at Summerslam to Bret Hart as Shawn Michaels was the guest referee and screwed Taker out of the Championship.



Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels : Hell in a Cell
From Badd Blood IYH. The first ever Cell match and the winner goes on to face the WWF Champion at Survivor Series, thus leading to the Montreal Screwjob. This was easily Taker's best match up to this point, and it wouldn't be topped for another twelve years, strangely enough with Shawn Michaels. Both guys were awesome in their roles with HBK as the cowardly heel and Taker as the monster. An all time classic match that never had a dull moment and also gave us the debut of Kane as he tombstoned his brother. Amazing match. *****



Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels : Casket Match
From the 1998 Royal Rumble. This might be the only great casket match in history. These guys wouldn't have another one on one contest until Wrestlemania 25. This one is mainly remembered because it's the match in which Shawn screwed up his back after hitting the edge of the casket, and wouldn't compete for another four years. This wasn't as good as their other matches, but it was still a great one. After the match, Kane comes out and sets the casket on fire with Taker still inside. ***1/2



Undertaker vs Kane
From Wrestlemania XIV. The first match in an off again, on again feud. The original feud was awesome but their feuds in the future were pretty bad, especially in 2010. Kane was made to look like a huge threat here and equal to the Undertaker. Kane kicking out of two tombstones was insane and wouldn't happen again until Mania 26. Good match and the best of the Taker/Kane series. ***



Undertaker vs Mankind : Hell in a Cell
From King of the Ring 1998. This is the match that made me a fan of professional wrestling so it just had to be here. The image of Mankind being thrown off the cell and then through the cell will stand the test of time as one of wrestling's most enduring images. Possibly the most brutal match of all time thanks to just two spots. Don't forget about the thumb tacks that came later. Incredible. ****1/2



Undertaker vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
From Summerslam 1998 and the WWF Title is on the line. Billed as the Highway to Hell, here we have the two biggest stars of the time (or even maybe all time) going at it for the top prize. This one had a lot to follow after the ladder match, but I think they managed it fine. It seemed like Taker was carrying Austin here. Taker's leg drop through the announce table was awesome. Just a great match between these two megastars and an appropriate main event for Summerslam. ***3/4



I'm gonna have to skip ahead again as Taker didn't do too much after that match, and his 1999 matches are pretty bad.



Undertaker vs Kurt Angle
From Fully Loaded 2000. Angle cost Taker the Tag Titles and ruined his motorbike, so Taker wanted some payback. This was basically just a glorified squash match for Taker, as Angle didn't get a lot of offense in and the match was pretty short too. Still it was enjoyable while it lasted. **1/4



Undertaker vs Triple H
From Wrestlemania X-Seven. Just like the Austin/Rock match at Mania 15, this is the first of three awesome matches and this is the worst of the three, even though it's still an awesome match. This was an entertaining brawl that went all the way into the crowd, where Taker would chokeslam HHH off the stage and that visual would be ruined by the cameraman showing the safety mat. The ref bump was ridiculously long too. Still it was a fun match overall, with an especially exciting finish. Taker's best match in years. ****



Undertaker vs Rob Van Dam
From Vengeance 2001 and the Hardcore Title is on the line. Why the Undertaker was going after the Hardcore Title I have no idea. Must have been part of the WWF vs WCW storyline. A fun match that lived up to the hardcore name as they went all around the arena and RVD was flying all over the place. Taker made RVD look damn good here. ***1/4



Undertaker vs Ric Flair : No DQ
From Wrestlemania X-8. This started Flair's comeback in the ring for another six years. Taker looked like a total dick in this feud. It was a really one-sided feud, as Taker took out Flair's friends and family, lost him his job in the board of directors, and Flair never really got his revenge. It's still awesome to see Arn Anderson run in and deliver a big spinebuster to Taker. The match wasn't as good as I remembered and most of it featured some dull offense from Taker. It did have it's moments though. ***



Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar
From Unforgiven 2002 and the WWE Title is on the line. This was to see if Brock really had what it took to be the man in the WWE. The way that Brock squared up to Taker was awesome. These guys showed some nice chemistry here, which would carry on to their HIAC match (and hopefully to their Mania match). Both guys beat the crap out of each other. A great match with a bad finish as it ends with a double DQ . ***1/2



Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar : Hell in a Cell
From No Mercy 2002 and the WWE Title is on the line. One of the better Cell matches in history but also one of the most brutal with Undertaker's blade job looking absolutely sick. He lost a ton of blood in this one. This one didn't need big spots or moments like previous Cell matches did. All it needed was two big guys beating the absolute shit out of one another. Even Paul Heyman took some licks here. By the end, Brock looked like a beast and a star. ****1/4



Undertaker vs John Cena
From Vengeance 2003. Funny how ten years later this is considered a big dream match for Wrestlemania. Cena would eventually get a win over Taker, but it definitely would have meant more if he had done it on PPV. Well I think the kid has done well for himself, so it didn't affect him too much. Cena did look good against the Deadman, and looked to be a match for him. Very good contest. ***1/4


Undertaker would take Vince McMahon at the 2003 Survivor Series and would lose thanks to interference from Kane. This would signal the end of Biker Taker.



Undertaker vs Kane
From Wrestlemania XX. Hearing Paul Bearer's "Oh Yeeeeesss" was just plain cool. Seeing the return of the Deadman Undertaker was amazing and his entrance still gives me goosebumps. A Wrestlemania moment for sure. The match itself wasn't so good. Pretty dull match altogether until Taker sat up for the first time in ages. **


Let's just skip the rest of 2004, it was pretty awful for Taker.



Undertaker vs Randy Orton
From Wrestlemania 21. Quite an under-appreciated match in my opinion, probably because of the show it was on with other great matches. This was the first time that the Streak was used as part of a storyline with Orton desperate to break it. Orton looked great here and looked as if he could have beaten the Streak, especially with the awesome RKO out of the chokeslam. Great match with a great finish. ***1/2



Undertaker vs Randy Orton : Hell in a Cell
From Armageddon 2005. Orton's first Cell match and one that would help mold him into a superstar. The match was really long at about half an hour, but it was entertaining just about all the way through. Orton's crossbody onto a table was amazing. Taker finally got his revenge and took out Orton and his father Cowboy Bob. Great match. ***1/2



Undertaker vs Kurt Angle
From No Way Out 2006 and the World Title is on the line. I would describe this as Taker's best non-gimmick, non-Wrestlemania match. Taker finally got to use his MMA style against an opponent and it worked very well, especially against a technical master like Angle. One hell of a back and forth match where you didn't know who was going to win. Maybe the WWE MOTY for 2006. If only we'd gotten a rematch. ****1/2



Undertaker vs Mr Kennedy
From No Mercy 2006. This was during Kennedy's run of beating former World Champs. This feud would continue to December. Solid match that started pretty boring but got more entertaining as it went on. Always nice to see a classic piledriver. Even if it looks pretty dangerous. The DQ finish ruins it a bit, but it was still quite good. **3/4



The 2007 Royal Rumble Match
This was billed as the most star-studded Rumble in history. While it does have a lot of stars, I don't think anything will ever beat the 1992 Rumble with the amount of stars in it. Everyone knows this match for one thing: the final two showdown between hometown boy Shawn Michaels and the Deadman, The Undertaker. These guys had a ten minute mini-match that was a great preview for their Wrestlemania 25 classic. Everything before the final two was pretty average except maybe for a chokeslam through a table outside the ring to Sabu, but this was all about the final two. Both guys would end up in both the World Title matches at Mania anyway. A great Rumble overall. ***3/4



Undertaker & Batista vs John Cena & Shawn Michaels
From No Way Out 2007. Yes it's the Smackdown Mania Main Event against Raw's Mania Main Event. This is also one of the only times you can see Taker going against Cena while he's the face of the company. Hopefully not the last time either. I think everyone was expecting HBK to turn on Cena, but it turns out that the Smackdown guys would turn on each other. It's always great to see Taker and HBK go against each other. One hell of a tag match and I enjoyed every second of it. One worth watching. ***3/4



Undertaker vs Batista
From Wrestlemania 23 and the World Title is on the line. I remember thinking at the time that this would be a major bore, but oh man was I wrong about this and so were a lot of other people. These guys totally stole the show on this night and this would also be the start of Taker's run of amazing Streak matches at Mania. Batista earned more respect with that performance. Excellent power match and it's probably my favourite match featuring Batista. ****1/4



Undertaker vs Batista : Last Man Standing
From Backlash 2007 and the World Title is on the line. After their Wrestlemania classic this one was highly anticipated, and I'd say they delivered. The non-finish was quite annoying, especially on a PPV. At least it looked really cool with the stage collapsing. The counting didn't hinder things as these guys worked well with a slower pace. Great match overall. ***3/4



After this, Edge would cash in his newly won MITB briefcase to take the World Title from Taker and Taker wouldn't be back until September where Edge would cost him the Title another couple of times.



Undertaker vs Batista vs Big Daddy V vs The Great Khali vs Finlay vs MVP : Elimination Chamber
From No Way Out 2008 and the winner faces the World Champ at Wrestlemania. One of the more predictable Chamber matches here as only Taker and Batista had a realistic shot of winning, and even then it was obvious that Taker would win. The match was slow when Daddy V and Khali were in the ring but they weren't in for too long. The action between Taker and Batista was awesome. A better match than expected. ***3/4



Undertaker vs Edge
From Wrestlemania XXIV and the World Title is on the line. One of my personal favourite matches and probably Edge's best singles match. No one really gave Edge much of a chance here, but once he hit the spear, I think most fans thought that the Streak had ended. Luckily that wasn't the case. An awesome match featuring some great counter-wrestling and some well done nearfalls as well. A classic Wrestlemania main event. ****1/2



Undertaker vs Edge 
From Backlash 2008 and the World Title is on the line. I don't think there was any way that they were gonna be able to put on the same performance as they did at Wrestlemania, but they still put on a great contest. It wasn't too exciting for the first half or so, but it got much better when Taker got his comeback and we got some nice counter-wrestling. Good stuff here. ***1/2


Undertaker vs Edge : Hell in a Cell
From Summerslam 2008. The final match for one of the best feuds of 2008. This is very close to being their best match, but I'd have to give the edge (no pun intended) to their Wrestlemania match. This match did have some awesome spots like the spear through the announce table and the chokeslam through two wooden tables. Taker finally giving Edge his comeuppance was awesome and beat him using moves that Edge used against him, such as a spear and hitting him with a camera. Fantastic match overall. ****1/2



Undertaker vs The Big Show
From No Mercy 2008. This feud started at Unforgiven when Show stopped Taker from attacking Vickie Guerrero. A Taker/Show feud doesn't sound that interesting, but these guys put on some surprisingly good matches, including this one. It wasn't boring at all. Show looked great at the end when he beat Taker by knockout, which might be the only time Taker lost that way. Very good match. ***1/4



Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels
From Wrestlemania XXV.  I've seen this match countless times, and it never becomes boring even though I seem to know it inside out now. If you need an example of a perfect match, I would present this to you. To me, this is what wrestling is all about: two of the best in the business going out there with only pride on the line, to have an epic confrontation. If you haven't seen this one yet, I really do pity you, because you don't know what you're missing. The nearfalls are absolutely epic and these guys just looked like warriors by the end. In my view, the greatest match in Wrestlemania's long history. *****



Undertaker vs CM Punk vs Batista vs Rey Mysterio
From Bragging Rights 2009 and the World Title is on the line. Everyone looked as if they had a chance of winning this one and that made it even more exciting and unpredictable. It was way too short for my liking as it lasted just under ten minutes, but those were ten fun minutes. Just non-stop action from start to finish and it was great. ***1/2



Undertaker vs Rey Mysterio 
From Royal Rumble 2010 and the World Title is on the line. Mysterio performed well in this one and looked like a true quirky underdog against the Phenom. He managed to bloody up Taker's nose quite badly and that only pissed the Deadman off as he then decided to beat the hell out of Mysterio. Mysterio looked like he had a chance of winning, but Taker was just too much for him. ***1/2



Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels 
From Wrestlemania XXVI. The Streak vs The Career. I'm surprised that HBK has been able to stay away from wrestling for so long, as most expected him to come back as most wrestlers do. A fantastic match that was almost able to live up the original. This still had the excellent drama and exciting nearfalls of the first and an emotional moment with HBK making the final walk back to the curtain. A classic and the jumping tombstone was an awesome finish. *****



Undertaker vs Triple H : No Holds Barred
From Wrestlemania XXVII and HHH's second shot at the legendary Streak. This one seems to have some split opinions with some people loving it and some people hating it, but I thought it was great. Yes it does have it's slow moments with both guys taking a while to get up, but the drama made up for it with HHH looking at Taker as if he was from another world and that nothing could take him down. HHH's tombstone was a close call for the Streak to end. Great stuff here. ****1/4



Undertaker vs Triple H : Hell in a Cell
From Wrestlemania XXVIII. The second HIAC match in history, and luckily nowhere near as bad as the first. I think a lot of people were worried that this would be a rehash of their No Holds Barred match, but fortunately it was so much better. This is one of the greatest matches in Wrestlemania history thanks to Shawn Michaels adding more drama, and the awesome nearfalls as well. The DX Special was especially good, and I thought the match was over for sure. All three guys embracing after the match was the icing on an already delicious cake. *****



Undertaker vs CM Punk
From Wrestlemania XXIX. Almost a year later and this is still one of the best matches of 2013. For the past seven years, the Deadman's streak hasn't failed to deliver and this is no exception. Punk looked terrific in defeat as he seemed to take Undertaker to the very limit and even outsmarted him at times, sometimes with help from Paul Heyman. Undertaker looked amazing for a 'broken down old man' as some people seemed to be calling him. An awesome match worth watching again and again. ****1/2