Criminally underrated. The Undertaker/Batista/Edge era of smack down was truly top notch. Any combination of the three or the triple threats were money to me.
That was quite a year for Batista, I loved his mission on reclaiming the world title going through all those feuds until finally beating Khali and Mysterio
As much as I love the two matches Vs Michaels, my favourite match will always be Undertaker vs Edge. Edge had scouted the Undertaker and had a counter for 'almost' everything, until Undertaker finally won with the Hells Gate.... perfection, at least for me
In my opinion, no one has ever deserved the Hall of Fame induction more than the Undertaker. Not only for everything he has done for the business in his LONG career which can never be understated, but the fact he stayed in WWE during the entire Monday Night Wars. He never left and that's super respectable honestly.
Sry but he's overrated. He wasn't very good in the 90s, was mid in the 2000s, then had like 6 Legendary matches with a year in between them to recover. I RESPECT his work, but the fact is, you can't average 1 great match every 2-3 years, 5 good promos ever, while never being THE box office attraction, and get the GOAT treatment he gets from fans. Plus, if he was Vince's right hand that whole time, that tells me that he's probably pooped on a face or two. Maybe that's just me. But if Taker retired in 08, let's say Edge ended the Streak and he was done, I think ppl would look back much less fondly. Bc I can tell you FOR A FACT that back when he was full-time, Taker was HATED by the smarks. Again I have to stress: absolutely a legend, 1st ballot HoF and all that, I just don't like the revisionist history about how he was always this GOAT. I remember being a little kid and LAUGHING when he'd make lightning strike the ring, or cut a promo WHILE BEING BURIED ALIVE. Context matters-- not just the context we have now. He's treated as a GOAT for his physical sacrifices, his gimmick, and his loyalty... to Vince McMahon. Wrestling skill? Nope. Promos? Hard nope. Drawing? Never happened. Before you downvote me, do me a favor and quote a line from your favorite Taker promo before 2009, and tell your favorite Taker match from 2003-2005. Or your favorite from 1990 to 1995. Should be easy. He's a top 10-20 guy imo, not top 3-5.
@@NoName-cz3wnthat’s ur opinion, taker is the goat of goats, his talent on the ring, his persona, being a safe worker and very atletic, great matches and feuds.. edge orton hbk hhh punk lesnar
I don't think I could have made a better list. Its crazy I was 4 years old when the Undertaker started to wrestle for the WWF/ WWE and now I'm 36 and to see him go into the HOF is great. He has been my favorite wrestler ever since I first saw in the WWF. I only got to see him wrestle once and that was at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas and I took my son with me he was about 7 or 8. Keep up the good work bro you are doing great.
I hate to say it due to my respect to Mr. Zane, I know I could easily make a better list. Giant Gonzalez and King Kong Bundy are definitely the worst (the Big Boss Man HIAC was more of a disappointment and a really bad match considering the Taker/HBK and Taker/Mankind previous legendary matches that came before it, and the most laughable lynching in history). His match vs. Jake the Snake lasted less than 5 minutes, as this was Jake's final WWF match and he did not leave on the best of terms. His match with Jimmy Snuka was even worse than his 5 minute squash of Jake. His match against Sid wasn't good, but putting it lower than the Bundy match is insanity. At least Taker was able to do a Tombstone against Sid, as the finisher of the Bundy match was a flying clothesline. That's right, no chokeslam, no tombstone, but a flying clothesline (and Bundy was so round at the time neither of his shoulders were able to touch the mat for the 3 count). All of these factors have to be taken into consideration, especially 1990-1995 Undertaker where Vince booked him in nothing but "Monster Mash" matches and Million Dollar henchman rivalries that could have ruined the Dead Man's career before his greatest opponent of all: Mrs. Foley's baby boy.
@@Stevenirons Not only Gonzalez's laughable selling, but the chloroform rag DQ, then Taker taking about 10 minutes to recover and return to the ring and clothesline him over the top rope (the excitement in that parking lot was palpable...sorry, I can't even type that seriously) was one of the lowest points in, what I would argue, is the 3rd worst WrestleMania ever (after 2 and 4).
Undertaker mainly works when he has someone mobile to work with. So Shawn Michaels and people of his agility tend to make for the best overall matches in my eyes.
Not always the case. Doesn't have to be small just agile. Somebody like Kieth Lee, Samoa Joe and Vader could give him a good match while still being big cause they're shockingly mobile.
@@Aaroncarter95 That's true. But we can't deny that men who are that big who are still able to be that agile are few and far in between. But that's exactly what makes them so remarkable.
11:20. !I don’t think Kane gets enough credit for how he helped build that angle. He essentially had to do all the build on TV himself since the undertaker didn’t return until wrestlemania 20. And the image of him looking genuinely terrified and saying “you’re not real!!!” Was perfection
Cm Punk did a great job portraying a despicable heel leading up to his match with Taker at Mania 29 Him making fun of the recently deceased Paul Bearer was the most heel thing he ever did, being only behind making fun of Jerry Lawler’s heart attack
Him tossing the urn around and then accidentally dropping it was so goddamn funny in that awkward "this is funny but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to laugh" way
Never got the thinking behind the promo pic for Mania XV. “Bossman is terrorizing his boss’s family and he’s out for revenge-make sure he’s smiling like he just won the lottery”
The reason 25 works for me better is as a "technical match," it has more to work with. 26 just feels like the recent Lesnar matches, "Sweet Chin Music, Tombstone, another SCM, ANOTHER TOMBSTONE!" The emotion is still certainly present, but something about the way they work the match doesn't stack up to 25. 25 has the scary uncertainty of the botched dive. You can tell they did NOT want the streak ending in that way, but still managed to play it into the match. You can't go wrong, but I feel 25 has more going for it. One thing I will say: 26's jumping tombstone is all time OMFG material.
I feel like 25 was the better match in a vacuum. But the streak vs career aspect boosts 26 in a major way. Plus 26 was the main event while 25 went on way too early and totally killed the rest of the card.
Honestly, HBK and Taker at Mania 25 will always be number 1. You touched upon it by saying that there was really little to no expectations going in and their last feud was in 98 and then the Rumble appearances and tag matches and so to go into that blind was what made that match better. Mania 26 is great but just doesn't live up even with the heightened stakes. Sometimes being genuinely surprised by how great a match becomes is better than knowing a match will be great.
Also, for the same reason that Bryan stated with other matches, the result of 26 was predictable once they put HBK's career on the line. So, that brings it down just a bit for me. At WM 25, I honestly thought Taker might lose.
@@navnavnav2255 yeah but the emotion of it, Shawn's defiance make it more than 25. Like 25 is like the "almost flawless" match, but 26 is the one you should care about. They are both wins
I absolutely loved the Taker vs. Diesel feud! Such an underrated match and it's nice to see you giving it the respect it deserves. I hate they edited out Diesel's infamous line during his entrance "I'm the shit I'm tellin ya."
Yeah I thought it was done. One of the few times I marked out as a grown man. Very rarely do I stand up out of anxiety like I do for intense UFC fights for wrestling matches but this is one of those times.
The first Undertaker match I ever watched was on the VHS of Wrestlemania 8 against Jake. Even though the fans were cheering for him, he legit terrified me as a 7 year old.
My first memory of undertaker was Stone Cold vs the Rock in a lumberjack match with the ministry members as the lumberjacks. He scared the shit out of me too
I love that you put Taker's opponents entrance music in the background when talking about their match, if only because it made discussing Michael's matches really funny.
Taker VS Batista is so underrated. Batista in general doesn't get credit for how excited some of his matches were. Taker VS HHH at WM28 is my favorite match of all time. Masterful storytelling and 4 years of immediate history added to their 20 year careers intertwining throughout was fantastic.
It sucks we didn't get a real Cena/Undertaker WM match, but I take solace in the fact that they had a pretty good match against one another at Vengeance 2003.
I remember going to my Aunt and Uncles house to watch Mania 28 and I remember watching The Undertaker vs Triple H match and when the sweet chin music into a pedigree sequence happened my cousins were going wild going like “NOOOO THIS CAN’T HAPPEN!!!!” I was convinced the streak could be over
"10 Pounds of Shit in a 5 Pound Bag" is one of my favorite lines. I appreciate Punk-Taker in WM 29 being a Top 3 match for Taker at WM, this was the real main event for my group going to that mania. Crowd was wild for this match. The Edge match was pretty brilliant given all the counters in the match by Edge showing how underrated of a Star he is. Also biggest pop of WM 18 was that Arn Spinebuster, Holy Shit i could watch that on a loop forever. You pretty much got the Top 4 Taker mania matches I Have.
I still think it's a crime we never got "Undertaker vs The Fiend" as his retirement match. Would've been great for him and Bray to get one more cinematic match where he puts over the new king of creepy.
My personal favourite is still against Orton, match is iconic and really good for a sub 15 minute match with that RKO counter. Also started their amazing feud in 2005 which made Orton a star.
I feel Giant Gonzalez only works well against people that were more agile. Someone that makes his matches feel like a wrestling version of David vs Goliath. His match against Virgil is a good example.
@@markant9534His knees were gone, and at his size there’s only so much you can do in terms of mobility to start with. Gonzalez needed someone small (like Virgil) who could work around him and make his offense feel just as potent.
My all time favorite Taker and pretty much my favorite WWE match was the "End of an ERA Hell in a Cell" match. All three legends were on their A game and told an awesome story before and during the match all the way until Taker, Trips, and Shawn all walked out of the match together
I get why you can go with either match for the top spot. The stakes in the one match were important, but the other match just felt more polished and cleaner (with the exception of that one terrifying botch).
The problem with Taker vs Cena in my eyes is that Taker was training harder than he ever had in past years, He didn't realize it would be a 5 minute squash until he got there he was expecting a 30 minute match
In my opinion Undertaker Vs Giant Gonzales is Undertaker’s best WrestleMania match! It was a technical masterpiece and the way Giant Gonzales sold the Undertaker’s moves was excellent, the expression on Giant Gonzales’s face really made me think that he was in pain, the way he stumbled back and his hand and arm movements during his selling is something I’ve never seen in anyone else. The way Giant Gonzales sold puts other wrestlers like Curt Hennig and Shawn Michaels to shame and makes them look like amateurs!
26 has the superior build and higher stakes. That placebo video still gives me chills. Plus, it actually lived up to the hype 25 is superior in ring, but still had a pretty good build It just comes down to which is more important for you or what enhances your enjoyment of a match. For me, it's 26
Punk vs. Taker was Punk wanting to be the Showstoppa like HBK. Honestly I think it was one of Punks best matches in WWE, and it was when Taker had enough gas in the tank to still deliver.
Could not agree more on Mania 30! I was in the building and the hush that came over that crowd when the ref counted 3 and Taker had lost, was amazing. The hesitation in playing Lesnar's music and flashing 21-1 on the screen, it was all so surreal. Hell of a moment to be part of despite however anyone may feel about the outcome.
I haven’t heard and seen that introduction before, it’s absolutely brilliant!! I don’t know why I haven’t heard it before, maybe I wasn’t watching properly!! I remember his first WM match against Superfly Jimmy Snuka. One of the quicker squash matches!! WM7. That was my favourite incarnation of the Undertaker. He was so big yet so fast and agile. I’d never seen anything like that before, as a young WWF fan.
When I was born, Undertaker had been in WWE for 4 years. When I started watching, he was in for 7 years. To think that he would have been wrestling throughout my entire childhood, and well into my 20s, it's insane. I'll always be thankful for what he's done. #ThankYouTaker
You explained everything I love about about Kane Vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 14 perfectly. It's been my favorite match ever since it happened. My two favorite wrestlers going at it for the first time, the story being told was great, Kane’s debut is one of, if not the best debut, their hype package before the match was great, Pete Rose was hilarious, their entrances were awesome, it might not have been a technical masterpiece, but it was believable that Kane could defeat The Undertaker. Even in losing, he looked like a monster. Hell, it took three tombstones to put him down. The only WrestleMania I was at was WrestleMania 15. Of course as a kid you think any event you go to is great, but as an adult you realize it really wasn’t 🤣. I love the channel, Brian, keep doing what you’re doing
Undertaker in my opinion was at his best in terms of in ring during the 2000s and very early 2010s. He put on so many great matches during this period with a variety of different wrestlers. He 100% deserves his HOF spot.
My favorite is the CM Punk vs Undertaker match. The match alone is just fantastic and tells a great story of a guy who really is every bit as good as he says and his ego is justified but he’s just a “mere mortal” going up against an unstoppable force. At the time I was convinced Punk would be the one to end the streak, I kept telling my friends “if they aren’t going to give it to Batista, Edge, Orton, or Triple H it’s obviously going to be Punk, who else could it possibly be?” Little did I know the Brock Lesnar match that would happen just one year later lol
Bray Wyatt should’ve broken the streak at Wrestlemania 30, not Brock. Bray needed that feather in his cap to really make him a star. I think him having that right after that tag match against Kane and Taker at Survivor Series would be way better storytelling than what we got for 31 anyway.
My favorite parts in your videos Brian is you notice and point out small details things most of us wouldn't notice without you pointing them out like the druid chewing gum 😂🤣👍🏻
Undertaker Vs Roberts at WMVIII remains my favorite! As you mentioned it was Taker's coming out party sorta speak and Roberts did a decent job of selling the Tombstone on the outside with Heenan yelling "NO, NOT ON THE FLOOR".
For me 25 ranks above 26 for the same reason you pointed out...there were no stakes involved other than the streak. Neither man really had anything to lose and everything to gain and thus brought the house down halfway into the show! The story about Taker lacing his boots and hearing theyre on the midcard and saying to Shawn, "let's just raise this to a new level." It personified everything that Taker was about! Giving the audience something to talk about! This is what makes him one of the greatest of all time!
Interesting list. Id still say the cena and rrigns mstches were underated. The cena match was pretty much what had been needed for years, a short and sweet effort where taker could show up and give the fans what they wanted. The reigns one told a story of a wrecked taker and made sense overall, despite some issues.
Well damn Mr Zane.. how much i enjoyed this vid of the career of Mark Calloway... unequivocally one of the most important characters in Wrestling and Sports Entertainment as a whole.. Taker is a top quality man as well..as are you Brian .. You mentioned how jacked Take is at WM19 ... he was probably Trenning harder and testing his DECA!!!dent abilities in ring... But seriously though thanks for an amazing vid
I specifically remember The triple H VS Taker match cuz I rewatched it 100 times on my VHS recording of the PPV. I personally don't think it kills the illusion or takes away from the moment when he lands on a crash pad because they didn't try to hide it and it was a cool visual. Also the match could keep going, I wouldn't want triple H to land on a hard flat ground and he somehow kicks out of that. The only time I can think of when WWE had someone take a very high bump without something breaking the fall was when Big show threw Kurt Angle off a balcony and that wrote him off TV for a while (kayfabe bump). Now that crash pad under the announce table when Shane jumped off the cell that's completely different and does kill the illusion.
Another excellent list, Brian. It’s not an easy debate between him and HBK for 25/26, but at least you know both are great enough to be numbers 1 & 2. I have a big soft spot for his Triple H match at WM28 because I got to be there in-person at my only Mania. Such an iconic match and the SCM into the Pedigree moment live will live with me forever.
I love Taker vs Batista because it’s two dudes who hate their placement on the card going “We’ll fucking show them what a mistake that was.” Boy did they on that one.
John Cena and the undertaker fought a few times before mania 34. but only early 2000s, biggest match was vengeance 2003. and then fought on episode of smackdown where a train interfered. And also in some tournament match where the FBI cost taker the match. Also 2004 smackdown where taker used a chain to win when taker was under control of Paul Heyman. Also 2007 raw where it was ruled as draw big show Kenedy and booker t interfere, Also a few tag matches with brock lesnar and also with batista. And they also teamed together a couple of times but only in early 2000s, mostly when John Cena wasn't a champion or main eventer.
That "tombstone" against Jake is easily in the 5 worst misses in wrestling. Robert's head is at least a foot from hitting the floor. I remember being so excited over that match and just how bad it was.
i agree with the old Brian. i do prefer hbk vs taker 2 over the first encounter, but it's more about nostalgia reasons for me. wrestlemania 26 was not only my first mania, but also my first wwe ppv i have ever bought and watched live whilst it was happening. that memory will always give the second one the slight edge for me
I’m my honest opinion Number 4 was my favorite match in the streak for several reasons: 1: Back in High School I followed this feud from beginning to end. From Survivor Series ‘07 - SummerSlam’08 2: This in a way in my honest opinion was Undertaker’s biggest match in the Streak at the time considering all the variables like La Famila, “Streak Vs. Streak & Title”, Edge’s first Mania Main Event, and a make good for Taker for Last Year as good as Batista Vs. Taker was…it should have gone last. Back in 2008…this was the match I wanted to know the results for the most…NOTHING ELSE MATTERED! And if you can give me that feeling…you are up there as one of my greatest Wrestling Matches of all time!
This makes him look more like Cal Ripken. Never been an Orioles fan, but every time I saw him play his batting average was around .260, but he played every day. Taker’s longevity and cool character are what made him what he is
It's amazing how much I still like the Wrestlemania 20 match considering it's really just an okay match with Taker getting beat down more than you remember, only to rise back in the end and get the victory. But man...that entrance with the Druids and the torches, and the goosebumps of hearing Paul Bearer's "OOOOOOOOOHHH YEEEES!", and Jerry freaking out and going, "JR! It's...It's HIM!" and Paul sneering into the ring and saying, "You're no son of mine!" Goosebumps. Every. Single. Time.
My personal favorite Undertaker WrestleMania match is the one with Kane at XIV. The best build-up and storyline of Undertaker's career, in my opinion, and a badass match that capped it off. I watch that match every year around the WrestleMania season.
WM26 was the first time I legitimately believed that the streak could end. I couldn't fathom Shawn Michaels retiring when he was still putting on stellar matches, but there's something to be said for going out on top.
I was at Mania 25 with my brother. We thought Taker was done after that botched dive. We were on the opposite side and couldn’t see how he landed. It was gut wrenching. Still, though, an epic match with a great build! #thankyoutaker
Perfect call ranking Taker/Bossman last. I scoff every time someone clings to that Giant Gonzalez crutch. That match was interesting to watch due to the size disparity and the story it told was something at least. The dramatic ending of Taker getting carted out on a stretcher and walking back out to drop the Giant had the crowd into it. The Bossman match on the other hand was a total bomb. I remember cringing hard when Vince announced it on Raw for WM15, knowing what we were in store for. Undertaker had a badass entrance with a coat that always reminded me of Shredder. But, he slipped on his way into the ring and it was all down hill from there. From the handcuff botch to the obvious harness Bossman is wearing when he's "hanged"... the whole thing was a carny sh*t show. And then he was back on TV a couple weeks later and the commentators actually said something to the effect of "Bossman looks recovered from the hanging at WM." Final sidenote; it's never been confirmed, but I believe the bodyslam on Bundy at WM11 was actually an audible as result of a Tombstone botch. If you look at the way Undertaker goes to scoop him up and the hesitancy we see before the slam, it looks like Bundy feeds up like sh*t and sandbags Undertaker who was going for the Tombstone, but quickly realized he didn't have him in position to secure and turn him, so he opted for the slam. After this he finishes Bundy with a jumping clothesline of all things. Whole sequence looked improvised.
Personally I would rank Batista vs Undertaker much higher. If felt like the unstoppable force vs the immovable object, both were pushed to strong up to that point that it was almost believable Batista was going to win. After that I never really believed anyone was going to beat the streak, I still enjoyed the matches but always felt like I knew the outcome
Unfortunately for me, my first ever WrestleMania was 25 so I had really unrealistic expectations of Undertaker matches going forward. Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels are definitely my all time favorite wrestling matches.
For me the WM 25 tops the WM 26 one, because to me at the time the result of "The Streak vs The Carrer" was pretty obvious. Still one of the best matches of WM history, great storytelling no doubt. But the buildup for 25 was to make sure you really wouldn't be able to predict the outcome. Taker undefeated at mania vs HBK undefeated vs Taker in singles competition. In Shawn's kayfabe comments, he made one mistake, ONE mistake that costed him the chance to end the streak.
John Cena vs The Undertaker is one of the biggest missed opportunities in Wrestlemania history. I can't understand why this match wasn't done at some point between Wrestlemania 24 and 30 when the streak was still alive and Cena was the top guy. It would of been something special!
Actually surprised the one Mania Taker match I saw in person ranked so high. Nothing worked on this one. Bray was hurt, the day was too bright to get the proper vibe (admittedly, a rarity for the Bay Area), and it came a year after Brock ended The Streak. An honor to see it -- it just wasn't very much.
Dude you are right to give Giant Gonzales more respect. Think of the good parts. 9 was the first out door mania, Even though it was daytime The Undertaker's entrance was awesome (this and the summerslam 92 entrances are my favs), There was a story told as you said and There were 2 managers that got involved, Giant Gonzales was HUUUUUUUGE- The square up spot is iconic, and finally- This is a hot take but the Muscle suit wasnt great but it was better than what wcw did with GG. What did wcw do with Giant Gonzalez's ring attire? well he was Ermac from mortal kombat of course! you read this right- wcw had an 8 foot giant..... and made him Ermac. at least he had his own identity in wwf.
That Punk match was incredible. Underrated as far as mania matches go. It also helps provide an ongoing theme of Heyman always wanting to stop the undertaker in one way or another. Low key feud.
Honestly one thing I still hate Punk for is how he did not realize just how big being a part of The Undertaker Wrestlemania legacy. Yes it really should been Rock vs Cena Vs Punk but facing Undertaker is just as big as a title.
Punk wanted to main event Mania. It was one of his career dreams. And we had already seen Rock vs. Cena the year before. THAT is what annoyed him. It wasn’t really about the belt.
I remember back in 2015 thinking, I want to see Undertaker face Sting and John Cena. I have no desire to see him face anyone else. WWE had other plans.
The funniest thing about the Boneyard Match is that, according to WWE canon, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson were legit killed by The Undertaker in what would be the final match for all three men. Gallows was tossed off of a roof onto the concrete below, where he likely busted his skull open & bled out, while Anderson was tombstoned onto a metal roof, likely breaking his neck, only to then later be immolated by the fire Taker summoned right before he rode off into the night on his motorcycle. Sure, AJ somehow managed to dig himself out of his grave, but we never saw The Good Brothers ever again after that match, so they're deader than dead, according to WWE. Good thing they have two extremely accurate impersonators carrying on their legacy over at Impact.
From Mania 23-29 was peak streak. Every match was INCREDIBLE from that period!
Exactly there will never be another Undertaker nor Wrestlemania Streak
Tough to argue with that pal, Taker got great matches out of guys no one else really did … Batista
I know they’re not technically streak matches but the Bray and Styles matches are also very good
17-29
Undertaker vs. Batista was one of the best “big man vs. big man” feuds ever. They just beat the crap out of each other and it was so cool.
Their feud was one of my favorites growing up.
Criminally underrated. The Undertaker/Batista/Edge era of smack down was truly top notch. Any combination of the three or the triple threats were money to me.
That was quite a year for Batista, I loved his mission on reclaiming the world title going through all those feuds until finally beating Khali and Mysterio
WrestleMania 23 was his best entrance, too. Those huge doors opening, blinding light and smoke, that dark figure stalking forward. Awesome match.
They were big men that can actually move and not plod around the ring like Khali or Giant Gonzales
As much as I love the two matches Vs Michaels, my favourite match will always be Undertaker vs Edge. Edge had scouted the Undertaker and had a counter for 'almost' everything, until Undertaker finally won with the Hells Gate.... perfection, at least for me
Very underrated match
Also had the longest ref run in of all time......thank you Charles Robinson lol.
I was at Edge vs Taker in Orlando. The crowd ate it up. Definitely an underrated match.
I was there myself. I got to see my two favorite wrestlers of all time. One retired Ric Flair and the other won the main event. What a fucking night.
Your mom scouted the Undertaker
In my opinion, no one has ever deserved the Hall of Fame induction more than the Undertaker. Not only for everything he has done for the business in his LONG career which can never be understated, but the fact he stayed in WWE during the entire Monday Night Wars. He never left and that's super respectable honestly.
Jericho Deserves it just as much as undertaker did
too bad jericho is unbearable today. the sooner he is relegated to history the better. he was one of my favorites in wcw tho
Vince McMahon favorite creation by miles ..
Sry but he's overrated. He wasn't very good in the 90s, was mid in the 2000s, then had like 6 Legendary matches with a year in between them to recover.
I RESPECT his work, but the fact is, you can't average 1 great match every 2-3 years, 5 good promos ever, while never being THE box office attraction, and get the GOAT treatment he gets from fans.
Plus, if he was Vince's right hand that whole time, that tells me that he's probably pooped on a face or two. Maybe that's just me. But if Taker retired in 08, let's say Edge ended the Streak and he was done, I think ppl would look back much less fondly. Bc I can tell you FOR A FACT that back when he was full-time, Taker was HATED by the smarks.
Again I have to stress: absolutely a legend, 1st ballot HoF and all that, I just don't like the revisionist history about how he was always this GOAT. I remember being a little kid and LAUGHING when he'd make lightning strike the ring, or cut a promo WHILE BEING BURIED ALIVE. Context matters-- not just the context we have now. He's treated as a GOAT for his physical sacrifices, his gimmick, and his loyalty... to Vince McMahon. Wrestling skill? Nope. Promos? Hard nope. Drawing? Never happened.
Before you downvote me, do me a favor and quote a line from your favorite Taker promo before 2009, and tell your favorite Taker match from 2003-2005. Or your favorite from 1990 to 1995. Should be easy.
He's a top 10-20 guy imo, not top 3-5.
@@NoName-cz3wnthat’s ur opinion, taker is the goat of goats, his talent on the ring, his persona, being a safe worker and very atletic, great matches and feuds.. edge orton hbk hhh punk lesnar
I don't think I could have made a better list. Its crazy I was 4 years old when the Undertaker started to wrestle for the WWF/ WWE and now I'm 36 and to see him go into the HOF is great. He has been my favorite wrestler ever since I first saw in the WWF. I only got to see him wrestle once and that was at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas and I took my son with me he was about 7 or 8. Keep up the good work bro you are doing great.
@@Stevenirons The DQ finish was what really pissed me off. I'm not so mad at the match itself, it was just boring.
Eh Punk is a bit high but it’s just Bryan’s opinion so that’s all good. Still a rather good list.
I hate to say it due to my respect to Mr. Zane, I know I could easily make a better list. Giant Gonzalez and King Kong Bundy are definitely the worst (the Big Boss Man HIAC was more of a disappointment and a really bad match considering the Taker/HBK and Taker/Mankind previous legendary matches that came before it, and the most laughable lynching in history). His match vs. Jake the Snake lasted less than 5 minutes, as this was Jake's final WWF match and he did not leave on the best of terms. His match with Jimmy Snuka was even worse than his 5 minute squash of Jake. His match against Sid wasn't good, but putting it lower than the Bundy match is insanity. At least Taker was able to do a Tombstone against Sid, as the finisher of the Bundy match was a flying clothesline. That's right, no chokeslam, no tombstone, but a flying clothesline (and Bundy was so round at the time neither of his shoulders were able to touch the mat for the 3 count). All of these factors have to be taken into consideration, especially 1990-1995 Undertaker where Vince booked him in nothing but "Monster Mash" matches and Million Dollar henchman rivalries that could have ruined the Dead Man's career before his greatest opponent of all: Mrs. Foley's baby boy.
@@Stevenirons Not only Gonzalez's laughable selling, but the chloroform rag DQ, then Taker taking about 10 minutes to recover and return to the ring and clothesline him over the top rope (the excitement in that parking lot was palpable...sorry, I can't even type that seriously) was one of the lowest points in, what I would argue, is the 3rd worst WrestleMania ever (after 2 and 4).
36 is really old. you're too old to be using the internet.
One of my favorite mania spots of all time is Taker sitting up in the anaconda vise with Punk’s shocked face. Such an awesome visual I loved it!
I have not watched wrestling in over a decade and yet for months now I look forward to each of your new videos. Keep up the great content.
Man I really think you should try AEW. A lot of fans who fell out of Wrestling seem to love AEW.
@@Chatter_Blocks unfortunately, there are a lot of AEW-haters.
@@Chatter_Blocks I tried. Even with all the old guys there that I love, wrestling simply ain’t the same.
@@kenterminateddq5311 way too many that hate AEW
@@mrlaidback83 Those are the people who wanted the Attitude Era back.
Well, they kinda got it with AEW.
That RKO counter from the chokeslam in the Orton Taker match is just crisp.
Undertaker mainly works when he has someone mobile to work with. So Shawn Michaels and people of his agility tend to make for the best overall matches in my eyes.
Yes, exactly. The smaller and more agile the better.
same with lesnar
@@paulwoodford6229 Look at his match with Punk.
Not always the case. Doesn't have to be small just agile. Somebody like Kieth Lee, Samoa Joe and Vader could give him a good match while still being big cause they're shockingly mobile.
@@Aaroncarter95 That's true. But we can't deny that men who are that big who are still able to be that agile are few and far in between. But that's exactly what makes them so remarkable.
11:20. !I don’t think Kane gets enough credit for how he helped build that angle. He essentially had to do all the build on TV himself since the undertaker didn’t return until wrestlemania 20. And the image of him looking genuinely terrified and saying “you’re not real!!!” Was perfection
Cm Punk did a great job portraying a despicable heel leading up to his match with Taker at Mania 29
Him making fun of the recently deceased Paul Bearer was the most heel thing he ever did, being only behind making fun of Jerry Lawler’s heart attack
Pedos deserve zero sympy.
From mid-2012 to mid-2013, CM Punk was the Best Asshole In The World.
And to be fair, the heel got his just desserts. At least he didn't get away with it.
Cm Punk was absolutely despicable in this feud. The match was incredible, it's in my top 3 undertaker wrestlemania matches
Him tossing the urn around and then accidentally dropping it was so goddamn funny in that awkward "this is funny but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to laugh" way
Never got the thinking behind the promo pic for Mania XV. “Bossman is terrorizing his boss’s family and he’s out for revenge-make sure he’s smiling like he just won the lottery”
The reason 25 works for me better is as a "technical match," it has more to work with. 26 just feels like the recent Lesnar matches, "Sweet Chin Music, Tombstone, another SCM, ANOTHER TOMBSTONE!" The emotion is still certainly present, but something about the way they work the match doesn't stack up to 25. 25 has the scary uncertainty of the botched dive. You can tell they did NOT want the streak ending in that way, but still managed to play it into the match. You can't go wrong, but I feel 25 has more going for it. One thing I will say: 26's jumping tombstone is all time OMFG material.
I see your point, Citizen.
However, I have to agree with Zane on the WM 26 match to be the better version because the stakes are more enticing.
Well said
I feel like 25 was the better match in a vacuum. But the streak vs career aspect boosts 26 in a major way. Plus 26 was the main event while 25 went on way too early and totally killed the rest of the card.
25 was better match but not by that much. 26 had the better ending
“I want to extend my heartfelt apologies for your loss…at Wrestlemania.”-quite possibly the best heel CM Punk line ever.
Honestly, HBK and Taker at Mania 25 will always be number 1. You touched upon it by saying that there was really little to no expectations going in and their last feud was in 98 and then the Rumble appearances and tag matches and so to go into that blind was what made that match better. Mania 26 is great but just doesn't live up even with the heightened stakes. Sometimes being genuinely surprised by how great a match becomes is better than knowing a match will be great.
Also, for the same reason that Bryan stated with other matches, the result of 26 was predictable once they put HBK's career on the line. So, that brings it down just a bit for me. At WM 25, I honestly thought Taker might lose.
@@navnavnav2255 yeah but the emotion of it, Shawn's defiance make it more than 25. Like 25 is like the "almost flawless" match, but 26 is the one you should care about.
They are both wins
26 is so much better than 25..the perfect match and the greatest in wwe history
I absolutely loved the Taker vs. Diesel feud! Such an underrated match and it's nice to see you giving it the respect it deserves. I hate they edited out Diesel's infamous line during his entrance "I'm the shit I'm tellin ya."
Brian ‘Cultaholic’ Zane…..homage to my two favourite channels :D
I remember the mind games leading into that match and Taker like breaking through rings and trying to drag Diesel down. That shit was awesome.
Was it the side walk slam or the hair flip both of Nash’s moves were executed so well I’m torn on the best part
@@warrior316 Gotta go with the hair flip forsure. Nash is a master technician.
It’s honestly his first decent match at wrestlemania up to that point, the ones before that were either too short or underwhelming.
Excellent list, I'd personally swap punk and edge but there are no wrong answers.
"No wrong answers"
This same list in backwards order but still ranked worst to best. 😉
Top 3:
1. Big Boss Man
2. John Cena
3. Giant Gonzalez
That Super Kick & Pedigree combo literally gave me goosebumps with you just mentioning it alone …
Yeah I thought it was done. One of the few times I marked out as a grown man. Very rarely do I stand up out of anxiety like I do for intense UFC fights for wrestling matches but this is one of those times.
The first Undertaker match I ever watched was on the VHS of Wrestlemania 8 against Jake. Even though the fans were cheering for him, he legit terrified me as a 7 year old.
My first memory of undertaker was Stone Cold vs the Rock in a lumberjack match with the ministry members as the lumberjacks. He scared the shit out of me too
I rented that tape from blockbuster.. which is a really old fashioned sentence
I love your lists and retrospectives like this because I use them to make playlists of matches to watch and revisit.
Thanks for so much great content!
The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXVI is probably my favorite wrestling match of all time.
yeah those were really good.
Wrestlemania 26’s promo for Taker vs HBK 2 is chilling to this day…
I love that you put Taker's opponents entrance music in the background when talking about their match, if only because it made discussing Michael's matches really funny.
Still trying to interpret the symbolism behind the Bossman hanging. One of wrestling’s great mysteries.
-It foreshadowed his eventual death in reality-
Taker VS Batista is so underrated. Batista in general doesn't get credit for how excited some of his matches were. Taker VS HHH at WM28 is my favorite match of all time. Masterful storytelling and 4 years of immediate history added to their 20 year careers intertwining throughout was fantastic.
It sucks we didn't get a real Cena/Undertaker WM match, but I take solace in the fact that they had a pretty good match against one another at Vengeance 2003.
I remember going to my Aunt and Uncles house to watch Mania 28 and I remember watching The Undertaker vs Triple H match and when the sweet chin music into a pedigree sequence happened my cousins were going wild going like “NOOOO THIS CAN’T HAPPEN!!!!” I was convinced the streak could be over
"10 Pounds of Shit in a 5 Pound Bag" is one of my favorite lines.
I appreciate Punk-Taker in WM 29 being a Top 3 match for Taker at WM, this was the real main event for my group going to that mania. Crowd was wild for this match.
The Edge match was pretty brilliant given all the counters in the match by Edge showing how underrated of a Star he is.
Also biggest pop of WM 18 was that Arn Spinebuster, Holy Shit i could watch that on a loop forever.
You pretty much got the Top 4 Taker mania matches I Have.
I still think it's a crime we never got "Undertaker vs The Fiend" as his retirement match. Would've been great for him and Bray to get one more cinematic match where he puts over the new king of creepy.
The Undertaker Shawn Michaels feud was one of the greatest long term booking in the company.
Royal Rumble 2007
Royal Rumble 2008
Wrestlemania 25&26
My personal favourite is still against Orton, match is iconic and really good for a sub 15 minute match with that RKO counter. Also started their amazing feud in 2005 which made Orton a star.
Same
I feel Giant Gonzalez only works well against people that were more agile. Someone that makes his matches feel like a wrestling version of David vs Goliath. His match against Virgil is a good example.
Well, Virgil has never had a bad match.
gonzal knees were gone .
@@markant9534His knees were gone, and at his size there’s only so much you can do in terms of mobility to start with. Gonzalez needed someone small (like Virgil) who could work around him and make his offense feel just as potent.
I like that you said Taker vs Flair at 18 was something out of the early 80s smoked filled arenas that’s well said.
My all time favorite Taker and pretty much my favorite WWE match was the "End of an ERA Hell in a Cell" match.
All three legends were on their A game and told an awesome story before and during the match all the way until Taker, Trips, and Shawn all walked out of the match together
The only thing classic about that Undertaker/Sid match is that shot of the Undertaker posing with the belt 4:16
I get why you can go with either match for the top spot. The stakes in the one match were important, but the other match just felt more polished and cleaner (with the exception of that one terrifying botch).
The problem with Taker vs Cena in my eyes is that Taker was training harder than he ever had in past years, He didn't realize it would be a 5 minute squash until he got there he was expecting a 30 minute match
In my opinion Undertaker Vs Giant Gonzales is Undertaker’s best WrestleMania match! It was a technical masterpiece and the way Giant Gonzales sold the Undertaker’s moves was excellent, the expression on Giant Gonzales’s face really made me think that he was in pain, the way he stumbled back and his hand and arm movements during his selling is something I’ve never seen in anyone else. The way Giant Gonzales sold puts other wrestlers like Curt Hennig and Shawn Michaels to shame and makes them look like amateurs!
Cena V ‘Taker at Vengeance is one of those comfort matches I can always go back to.
26 has the superior build and higher stakes. That placebo video still gives me chills. Plus, it actually lived up to the hype
25 is superior in ring, but still had a pretty good build
It just comes down to which is more important for you or what enhances your enjoyment of a match. For me, it's 26
Punk vs. Taker was Punk wanting to be the Showstoppa like HBK. Honestly I think it was one of Punks best matches in WWE, and it was when Taker had enough gas in the tank to still deliver.
honestly it was some of punks best heel work.
25 is a better in-ring match, 26 is the better story. Nuff said
Could not agree more on Mania 30! I was in the building and the hush that came over that crowd when the ref counted 3 and Taker had lost, was amazing. The hesitation in playing Lesnar's music and flashing 21-1 on the screen, it was all so surreal. Hell of a moment to be part of despite however anyone may feel about the outcome.
*side note* The fact you can make a 22 minute video about only WrestleMania matches speaks volumes about Take.
I haven’t heard and seen that introduction before, it’s absolutely brilliant!! I don’t know why I haven’t heard it before, maybe I wasn’t watching properly!! I remember his first WM match against Superfly Jimmy Snuka. One of the quicker squash matches!! WM7. That was my favourite incarnation of the Undertaker. He was so big yet so fast and agile. I’d never seen anything like that before, as a young WWF fan.
When I was born, Undertaker had been in WWE for 4 years. When I started watching, he was in for 7 years. To think that he would have been wrestling throughout my entire childhood, and well into my 20s, it's insane. I'll always be thankful for what he's done. #ThankYouTaker
You explained everything I love about about Kane Vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 14 perfectly. It's been my favorite match ever since it happened. My two favorite wrestlers going at it for the first time, the story being told was great, Kane’s debut is one of, if not the best debut, their hype package before the match was great, Pete Rose was hilarious, their entrances were awesome, it might not have been a technical masterpiece, but it was believable that Kane could defeat The Undertaker. Even in losing, he looked like a monster. Hell, it took three tombstones to put him down. The only WrestleMania I was at was WrestleMania 15. Of course as a kid you think any event you go to is great, but as an adult you realize it really wasn’t 🤣. I love the channel, Brian, keep doing what you’re doing
Undertaker in my opinion was at his best in terms of in ring during the 2000s and very early 2010s. He put on so many great matches during this period with a variety of different wrestlers. He 100% deserves his HOF spot.
This was awesome man. As a LONG TIME listener of several years, this is my favorite video you've probably ever done dare I say.
My favorite is the CM Punk vs Undertaker match. The match alone is just fantastic and tells a great story of a guy who really is every bit as good as he says and his ego is justified but he’s just a “mere mortal” going up against an unstoppable force. At the time I was convinced Punk would be the one to end the streak, I kept telling my friends “if they aren’t going to give it to Batista, Edge, Orton, or Triple H it’s obviously going to be Punk, who else could it possibly be?” Little did I know the Brock Lesnar match that would happen just one year later lol
The Undertaker Is and Always Will Be The greatest WWE creation Mark Calloway deserves his credit and recognition
Hogan disagrees
agreed honestly i'd say one of the best wrestling characters and performances of all time mark deserves his credit as one of the best of all time.
Undertaker/Batista feud was so freaking good!
5:17 HamHocks? Pipers first line about the undertaker when Taker debuted at survivor series was “LOOK AT THE SIIIIIZEE OF THAT HAMHOCK!”
Bray Wyatt should’ve broken the streak at Wrestlemania 30, not Brock. Bray needed that feather in his cap to really make him a star. I think him having that right after that tag match against Kane and Taker at Survivor Series would be way better storytelling than what we got for 31 anyway.
Man after having a rough morning I needed this to distract myself. Thank you Brian for all the hard work you do.
My favorite parts in your videos Brian is you notice and point out small details things most of us wouldn't notice without you pointing them out like the druid chewing gum 😂🤣👍🏻
Undertaker Vs Roberts at WMVIII remains my favorite! As you mentioned it was Taker's coming out party sorta speak and Roberts did a decent job of selling the Tombstone on the outside with Heenan yelling "NO, NOT ON THE FLOOR".
For me 25 ranks above 26 for the same reason you pointed out...there were no stakes involved other than the streak. Neither man really had anything to lose and everything to gain and thus brought the house down halfway into the show! The story about Taker lacing his boots and hearing theyre on the midcard and saying to Shawn, "let's just raise this to a new level." It personified everything that Taker was about! Giving the audience something to talk about! This is what makes him one of the greatest of all time!
I still refuse to choose between 25 and 26. YOU CANT MAKE ME!! 🤣
Interesting list. Id still say the cena and rrigns mstches were underated. The cena match was pretty much what had been needed for years, a short and sweet effort where taker could show up and give the fans what they wanted.
The reigns one told a story of a wrecked taker and made sense overall, despite some issues.
Make a list of the greatest mullets ever in wrestling. Sid, Magnum TA, El Gigante, etc.
Well damn Mr Zane.. how much i enjoyed this vid of the career of Mark Calloway... unequivocally one of the most important characters in Wrestling and Sports Entertainment as a whole.. Taker is a top quality man as well..as are you Brian ..
You mentioned how jacked Take is at WM19 ... he was probably Trenning harder and testing his DECA!!!dent abilities in ring...
But seriously though thanks for an amazing vid
I specifically remember The triple H VS Taker match cuz I rewatched it 100 times on my VHS recording of the PPV. I personally don't think it kills the illusion or takes away from the moment when he lands on a crash pad because they didn't try to hide it and it was a cool visual. Also the match could keep going, I wouldn't want triple H to land on a hard flat ground and he somehow kicks out of that. The only time I can think of when WWE had someone take a very high bump without something breaking the fall was when Big show threw Kurt Angle off a balcony and that wrote him off TV for a while (kayfabe bump). Now that crash pad under the announce table when Shane jumped off the cell that's completely different and does kill the illusion.
Another excellent list, Brian. It’s not an easy debate between him and HBK for 25/26, but at least you know both are great enough to be numbers 1 & 2.
I have a big soft spot for his Triple H match at WM28 because I got to be there in-person at my only Mania. Such an iconic match and the SCM into the Pedigree moment live will live with me forever.
I love Taker vs Batista because it’s two dudes who hate their placement on the card going “We’ll fucking show them what a mistake that was.” Boy did they on that one.
Shawn refusing to stay down, then slapping Taker to get him into delivering that final tombstone will never not give me chills
John Cena and the undertaker fought a few times before mania 34. but only early 2000s, biggest match was vengeance 2003. and then fought on episode of smackdown where a train interfered. And also in some tournament match where the FBI cost taker the match. Also 2004 smackdown where taker used a chain to win when taker was under control of Paul Heyman. Also 2007 raw where it was ruled as draw big show Kenedy and booker t interfere, Also a few tag matches with brock lesnar and also with batista. And they also teamed together a couple of times but only in early 2000s, mostly when John Cena wasn't a champion or main eventer.
That "tombstone" against Jake is easily in the 5 worst misses in wrestling. Robert's head is at least a foot from hitting the floor. I remember being so excited over that match and just how bad it was.
i agree with the old Brian. i do prefer hbk vs taker 2 over the first encounter, but it's more about nostalgia reasons for me. wrestlemania 26 was not only my first mania, but also my first wwe ppv i have ever bought and watched live whilst it was happening. that memory will always give the second one the slight edge for me
Would honestly put Orton vs Taker as #1 myself--but it's nice to see someone else's list still!
Taker vs Diesel underrated match was a great match for two giants
Ranking all these matches was a big undertaking.
I’m my honest opinion Number 4 was my favorite match in the streak for several reasons:
1: Back in High School I followed this feud from beginning to end. From Survivor Series ‘07 - SummerSlam’08
2: This in a way in my honest opinion was Undertaker’s biggest match in the Streak at the time considering all the variables like La Famila, “Streak Vs. Streak & Title”, Edge’s first Mania Main Event, and a make good for Taker for Last Year as good as Batista Vs. Taker was…it should have gone last.
Back in 2008…this was the match I wanted to know the results for the most…NOTHING ELSE MATTERED! And if you can give me that feeling…you are up there as one of my greatest Wrestling Matches of all time!
This makes him look more like Cal Ripken. Never been an Orioles fan, but every time I saw him play his batting average was around .260, but he played every day. Taker’s longevity and cool character are what made him what he is
It's amazing how much I still like the Wrestlemania 20 match considering it's really just an okay match with Taker getting beat down more than you remember, only to rise back in the end and get the victory. But man...that entrance with the Druids and the torches, and the goosebumps of hearing Paul Bearer's "OOOOOOOOOHHH YEEEES!", and Jerry freaking out and going, "JR! It's...It's HIM!" and Paul sneering into the ring and saying, "You're no son of mine!"
Goosebumps. Every. Single. Time.
My personal favorite Undertaker WrestleMania match is the one with Kane at XIV. The best build-up and storyline of Undertaker's career, in my opinion, and a badass match that capped it off. I watch that match every year around the WrestleMania season.
So glad you rated the Punk match as high as you did. Seems like it’s a criminally underrated match, given how barely anyone talks about it!
Also that boss man cell match was left off the hell in a cell home dvd 😂😂😂😂😂
WM26 was the first time I legitimately believed that the streak could end. I couldn't fathom Shawn Michaels retiring when he was still putting on stellar matches, but there's something to be said for going out on top.
Hearing Brian say Jacob The Snakob never gets old 😆
Charles Robinson run to ring at Wrestlemania 24 is one of my favorite gifs
I was at Mania 25 with my brother. We thought Taker was done after that botched dive. We were on the opposite side and couldn’t see how he landed. It was gut wrenching. Still, though, an epic match with a great build! #thankyoutaker
This is the only channel that has ever sold me on a sponsorship. I got surfshark a couple months ago 100% because of W3
Perfect call ranking Taker/Bossman last. I scoff every time someone clings to that Giant Gonzalez crutch. That match was interesting to watch due to the size disparity and the story it told was something at least. The dramatic ending of Taker getting carted out on a stretcher and walking back out to drop the Giant had the crowd into it.
The Bossman match on the other hand was a total bomb. I remember cringing hard when Vince announced it on Raw for WM15, knowing what we were in store for. Undertaker had a badass entrance with a coat that always reminded me of Shredder. But, he slipped on his way into the ring and it was all down hill from there. From the handcuff botch to the obvious harness Bossman is wearing when he's "hanged"... the whole thing was a carny sh*t show. And then he was back on TV a couple weeks later and the commentators actually said something to the effect of "Bossman looks recovered from the hanging at WM."
Final sidenote; it's never been confirmed, but I believe the bodyslam on Bundy at WM11 was actually an audible as result of a Tombstone botch. If you look at the way Undertaker goes to scoop him up and the hesitancy we see before the slam, it looks like Bundy feeds up like sh*t and sandbags Undertaker who was going for the Tombstone, but quickly realized he didn't have him in position to secure and turn him, so he opted for the slam. After this he finishes Bundy with a jumping clothesline of all things. Whole sequence looked improvised.
Personally I would rank Batista vs Undertaker much higher. If felt like the unstoppable force vs the immovable object, both were pushed to strong up to that point that it was almost believable Batista was going to win. After that I never really believed anyone was going to beat the streak, I still enjoyed the matches but always felt like I knew the outcome
Check out the Scott Hall doc on Peacock k. Includes his hall of fame induction.
Arn coming in nailing his move on taker during the flair match is the greatest spine buster of all time
Unfortunately for me, my first ever WrestleMania was 25 so I had really unrealistic expectations of Undertaker matches going forward.
Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels are definitely my all time favorite wrestling matches.
For me the WM 25 tops the WM 26 one, because to me at the time the result of "The Streak vs The Carrer" was pretty obvious. Still one of the best matches of WM history, great storytelling no doubt.
But the buildup for 25 was to make sure you really wouldn't be able to predict the outcome. Taker undefeated at mania vs HBK undefeated vs Taker in singles competition. In Shawn's kayfabe comments, he made one mistake, ONE mistake that costed him the chance to end the streak.
John Cena vs The Undertaker is one of the biggest missed opportunities in Wrestlemania history. I can't understand why this match wasn't done at some point between Wrestlemania 24 and 30 when the streak was still alive and Cena was the top guy. It would of been something special!
Actually surprised the one Mania Taker match I saw in person ranked so high.
Nothing worked on this one. Bray was hurt, the day was too bright to get the proper vibe (admittedly, a rarity for the Bay Area), and it came a year after Brock ended The Streak.
An honor to see it -- it just wasn't very much.
he never damaged his rep with me, still my fav wrester ever.
Dude you are right to give Giant Gonzales more respect.
Think of the good parts.
9 was the first out door mania,
Even though it was daytime The Undertaker's entrance was awesome (this and the summerslam 92 entrances are my favs),
There was a story told as you said and There were 2 managers that got involved,
Giant Gonzales was HUUUUUUUGE- The square up spot is iconic,
and finally- This is a hot take but the Muscle suit wasnt great but it was better than what wcw did with GG.
What did wcw do with Giant Gonzalez's ring attire?
well he was Ermac from mortal kombat of course!
you read this right- wcw had an 8 foot giant..... and made him Ermac.
at least he had his own identity in wwf.
I'm not big on cinematic matches, but I would have gotten behind a Sting vs Undertaker one.
The Undertaker is the true Mr. WrestleMania.
That Punk match was incredible. Underrated as far as mania matches go. It also helps provide an ongoing theme of Heyman always wanting to stop the undertaker in one way or another. Low key feud.
Honestly one thing I still hate Punk for is how he did not realize just how big being a part of The Undertaker Wrestlemania legacy. Yes it really should been Rock vs Cena Vs Punk but facing Undertaker is just as big as a title.
Punk wanted to main event Mania. It was one of his career dreams. And we had already seen Rock vs. Cena the year before.
THAT is what annoyed him. It wasn’t really about the belt.
@@speedwaynutt “wrestler court is a joke”. I’m sure he wouldn’t say that if he was still in that company.
I remember back in 2015 thinking, I want to see Undertaker face Sting and John Cena. I have no desire to see him face anyone else.
WWE had other plans.
The build to Taker vs Diesel was great. Nash in the casket..... Dope
The funniest thing about the Boneyard Match is that, according to WWE canon, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson were legit killed by The Undertaker in what would be the final match for all three men. Gallows was tossed off of a roof onto the concrete below, where he likely busted his skull open & bled out, while Anderson was tombstoned onto a metal roof, likely breaking his neck, only to then later be immolated by the fire Taker summoned right before he rode off into the night on his motorcycle.
Sure, AJ somehow managed to dig himself out of his grave, but we never saw The Good Brothers ever again after that match, so they're deader than dead, according to WWE. Good thing they have two extremely accurate impersonators carrying on their legacy over at Impact.
I like all of the undertaker matches