The Undertaker vs. Edge

 

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

Going into this match, Edge was the World Heavyweight Champion. Edge won the World Heavyweight Championship by unjust means in a triple threat match involving Batista and The Undertaker. Also, Edge ended The Undertaker’s previous World Title reign with an impromptu title shot and post match attack. So when The Undertaker won the Elimination Chamber in February 2008 to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, it made this match more heated. Undertaker had waited almost a year for this encounter. In the weeks leading up to this match, The Undertaker debuted a new hold, a judo inspired Gogoplata choke that he eventually named “The Hell’s Gate”. To this point, Edge had never been pinned at WrestleMania. And Edge had never lost to The Undertaker.

The Bell

When the bell rang, Undertaker signaled that this would be the end. He slashed his throat with his thumb. Edge shoved The Undertaker and began striking. Undertaker very simply shut that down by throwing his own strikes. He clotheslined Edge out of the ring but Edge evaded him and got back into the ring. Undertaker hotshotted Edge throat first on the top rope. After a running clothesline and two count, Undertaker began working over Edge’s shoulder, he set up for The Old School but Edge countered by pulling Taker off the top, Taker responded with an armdrag. Undertaker hit a charge in the corner and somehow hung himself up on the rope and hit his leg on the ring apron. Edge responded by spearing Undertaker off of the apron and sending him into the steel ring barricade. Edge then dropkicked Undertaker back into the barricade. He then drove Undertaker kidney first into the ring apron. Edge then hit an innovative neckbreaker on the top rope, with him on the inside and The Undertaker on the apron. Edge continued the work on The Undertaker’s back and ribs. Clearly hoping that it would limit The Undertaker from hitting his finishers, The Last Ride and Tombstone. Edge climbed up top but Undertaker sent him off to the concrete outside. He then followed with a dive over the top rope. Guillotine legdrop on the apron. But Undertaker is having trouble moving because of his back. Edge was able to fight out of a Last Ride attempt because of the Undertaker’s weak back. The match takes a spill outside again and Edge does more back work with a suplex onto the steel barricade. Back in the ring, Edge utilizes a half Boston crab. The focus on the back continued. Undertaker was able to fight out of it and begin his comeback with charges in the corner but Edge blocked the Snake Eyes with a dropkick. Undertaker caught Edge coming off the middle rope with a chokeslam. Edge reversed into a DDT which drew a two count. Edge went for the spear but Undertaker met him with a big boot. He hits a chokeslam but that only draws a two count. Edge blocks an Old School attempt and hits a superplex. It only drew a two count. Edge tries the corner 10 count punch, Undertaker tried The Last Ride but Edge escaped and hit a neckbreaker. It only got a two count. Edge leaves an opening that Undertaker takes advantage of and Undertaker hits The Last Ride but it only draws a two count.

Undertaker signals for The Tombstone but Edge counters into a reverse DDT. It draws a two count. Undertaker hits a big boot and then The Old School. He tries a running big boot but Edge avoids it and the referee gets nailed. Undertaker grabs for a chokeslam but gets kicked in the genitals. Edge grabs a camera from outside the ring and nails The Undertaker in the head with it. Undertaker sits up though. Edge signals for The Tombstone (because that has worked so well for people facing The Undertaker before), Undertaker reversed and hits one of his own. The referee Charles Robinson bolts down the entrance way (it was a long one) and makes a count but it was a two count. Edge’s posse Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder come down but are quickly sent away with chokeslams. Undertaker turns around after dealing with them and is met with a spear. It was only a two count. Edge hits another spear. But Undertaker reverses it and locks in The Hell’s Gate. Edge submits.

The Verdict

Up until the final moments of the match, I was sure Edge was gonna win. I expected Edge to reverse the Hell’s Gate into a pinfall. Undertaker debuted it a few months before and it did involve him putting his shoulders on the mat. I expected Edge to simply reverse the momentum and use it for a pin, continuing his “Ultimate Opportunist” streak. As far as the match goes, it was very reminiscent of the Randy Orton encounter, with Edge seemingly having The Undertaker’s key attacks scouted at every turn.

The Undertaker vs. Batista

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

This match took place on April 1^st 2007.

When The Undertaker won the 2007 Royal Rumble, he had 3 choices of what to do. Face John Cena for the WWE Title. Face Bobby Lashley for the ECW Championship or face Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. All 3 of the guys he could choose were relatively the same size. Batista was on the Undertaker’s same Smackdown brand, so it would make sense that he was the one chosen. I remember the build up for this match and how even BEFORE the Royal Rumble, there was talk that Batista was going to be The Undertaker’s opponent and how Batista was being considered to end the Streak.

Undertaker’s entrance here was magnificent. Torches, lightning pyro, flames shooting up from the ground.

The Bell

When the bell rang, Batista speared Undertaker and began to punch him in the corner. Taker reversed and got his shots in. As Taker chased the referee away, Batista got the advantage again. Batista clotheslines The Undertaker over the top rope, Taker lands on his feet and pulls Batista outside the ring. Batista responds by tossing Undertaker into the steel steps. Batista throws Undertaker into the ring and then hits a flying shoulderblock off the top rope. This accompanied by Michael Cole saying “I have never seen Batista go to the top rope”. It did accent the moment but Batista won the World Heavyweight Title with that move the previous November. The shoulderblock got a two count. Batista got another two count soon after with a clothesline. The crowd was strongly behind Undertaker here as during a brawling session, every Undertaker shot was responded to with strong cheers while Batista punches were responded too with strong boos. Undertaker hit repeated charges in the corner and then a snake eyes kick. A big legdrop by Undertaker only drew a two count however. Undertaker hits Old School. He then grabs for a chokeslam but Batista breaks out. After some brawling, the match spills back outside. Undertaker this a guillotine legdrop. An over the top rope dive onto Batista follows. After The Undertaker rolls back into the ring to break up the count, Batista sends Undertaker into the bell table. Batista disassembles a few of the announcers tables and hits a powerslam through one of them. Batista goes for a pin in the ring but it only gets a two count. Batista then calls for a Batista bomb but Undertaker rushes him back into the corner in an almost desperation move. He goes to whip Batista to the opposite corner but Batista reverses to a belly to belly suplex. Batista only gets a two count from that. He goes for the ten count corner punch, Undertaker cuts him off halfway through with a Last Ride powerbomb. That only gets a two count though. After an irish whip reveral, Batista hits a spinebuster. He signals for the Batista Bomb, Undertaker reverses it and this a chokeslam. That only draws a two count. Undertaker signals for a tombstone. Batista slips out, hits a spear and then a Batista Bomb. That draws a close two count. Batista goes for a second, Undertaker escapes with a backdrop. Batista then goes for a powerslam, Undertaker breaks out of it and hits a tombstone and wins the World Championship

The Verdict

So many close nearfalls. I thought watching it as it happened that The Batista Bomb was the end of the match. I was so sure that Batista was going to win here that for months prior, I was rooting against Batista, hoping he didn’t get the title, hoping he didn’t keep the title and hoping that something happened to prevent the match from taking place. This match kickstarted what I believe to be the “Undertaker steals the show at WrestleMania” tradition.

The Undertaker vs. Mark Henry

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

This match was a casket match. A casket match, for those unaware, is a match, with a casket at ringside. The only way to win is to stuff your opponent into the casket and shut the lid.

The build up for this match, once again, brought to you by @WyzaNow on twitter

On the March 3 2006 edition of SmackDown!, Undertaker challenged Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, after Undertaker executed a Tombstone piledriver, Henry came out and attacked Undertaker, causing the match the end via disqualification. Undertaker won the match, but since a championship cannot change hands via countout or disqualification, he did not win the title. The following week, on SmackDown!, Undertaker challenged Henry to a Casket match at WrestleMania.

This match is taking place on April 2^nd 2006.

The Bell

This would be the first and to this date ONLY casket match in WrestleMania history. Mark Henry ambushed The Undertaker from behind as Undertaker was removing his hat and jacket. When Undertaker finally got the match in his control, he was unable to knock down Mark Henry. He tried 2 clotheslines and all they did was stagger Mark Henry. Henry blocked the third and continued his work on The Undertaker’s back with splashes and forearm smashes. Outside the ring, Mark Henry threw Undertaker into the steps. Undertaker returned the favor but once again, it was nothing to Mark Henry. Back into the ring Henry got a choke on Mark Henry. Undertaker fought out with uppercuts and then he went for Old School. Mark Henry cut him off before he got up top. Finally Mark Henry called for the casket to open. Undertaker fought off and nobody went inside. Undertaker goes for Old School again and this time hits it. Henry does not go down however. Undertaker tries an STO takeover, Henry blocks and Taker goes down. Henry then calls for the casket to be opened again. He goes for his Chocolate Mousse move (ridiculous name), after he hits it, he realizes he is standing in the casket. Undertaker tries to knock Henry down in the casket. Henry pulls him in. IN CASKET BRAWLING~!. They both exit the casket and get back in the ring. Undertaker got caught on a clothesline and hit with Henry’s World’s Strongest Slam. Henry goes for a pin, but there are no pins. Henry rolls Taker into the casket but he can’t take advantage, Taker escapes quickly. Henry attempted a standing corner punch set, Undertaker reversed into a Last Ride. Undertaker threw Henry out of the ring onto (not into) the casket. He then proceeded to dive over the top rope and the casket and onto Henry. Back into the ring. Tombstone by Undertaker. He calls for the casket to open and rolls Henry into it. He slams the lid. WIN~!

The Verdict

Short of the dive over the top rope, I didn’t like this match. It told a good story of Undertaker struggling to get Mark Henry down but casket matches really aren’t very exciting. This would however be the last match of The Streak that could be considered something other than a “show stealing performance”

The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

This match came to be after Randy Orton got kicked out of Evolution, lost his world title and continuously was made to look like a putz by Triple H. He wanted to prove that he could hang with the “big dawgs” and the best way to do that, would be to end the WrestleMania undefeated streak of the The Undertaker.

I remember the build up of this match very clearly. It was, to my recollection the first time someone challenged The Undertaker at WrestleMania based purely on ending the Streak. For some reason, The Undertaker entered the match first.

The Bell
As the bell rang, Undertaker was on the move trying to catch Orton, but Orton kept evading him. Finally Orton slapped Undertaker but Orton was able to evade him. Finally Orton got caught in a headlock, Orton fought out and hit a dropkick. Orton’s first few minutes in this match were using his speed. Undertaker was matching up very well. Undertaker missed a charge in the corner, giving Orton an opening for a school boy attempt. It only received a two count. Orton then tried for his RKO finisher, The Undertaker responded by tossing him out of the ring. Given the positioning of the move, I don’t know how Orton expected it to go, he was right next to the ropes and it would impeded the completion of the move anyway. Undertaker then hit a guillotine apron legdrop on Orton and back into the ring, he hit his Old School move. He tries a running boot into the corner, but Orton moved and Undertaker ended up going crotch first into the corner. Orton proceeded to dropkick Undertaker off the ring apron. He took the match back into the ring and after a small back and forth brawling session, hits a clothesline for two. Undertaker hits a running ddt for two. Undertaker takes another shot at a pinfall after a sidewalk slam. Undertaker pounds on Orton in the corner and goes for another one of his long term signature moves “The Snake Eyes” but Orton catches Undertaker with a back elbow smash. It’s a two count.

Orton was using his fists a lot as the crowd started chanting “Randy sucks” . They attempted a double clothesline but it didn’t go well for Orton and he ended up going down like a sack of potatoes. Undertaker followed up a two count after the clothesline with a dragon sleeper. Orton’s arm dropped twice but he was able hold it up a third time and hit a ddt. It gets a two count. Orton then locked in a sleeper hold. Undertaker broke out twice but got locked back in. It took a suplex to finally get Orton off his back. Undertaker crawled to the corner, Orton went to pounce but Taker caught him with a big boot. Undertaker sprung off the ropes to hit another one but Orton reversed into a powerslam for two. Orton had Undertaker in the corner, attempting 10 punches (its always 10, I have never understood that), Undertaker reversed to have Orton in Last Ride position but Orton fought out and nearly hit the RKO. Undertaker pushed Orton away though hand into the referee. Undertaker followed that up with a Last Ride but for some reason, he fell over (the argument the commentary team made was that Orton shifted his weight). Before the Undertaker could gain any offense, Randy Orton’s father “Cowboy” Bob Orton ran in the ring and clotheslined Undertaker with his cast. He dragged Randy on top of Undertaker but that only got a two count. Both men returned to their feet and stared each other down. Undertaker got whipped to the ropes but responded by booting Bob Orton off the apron. Randy tried a clothesline, but the Undertaker ducked and grabbed Orton’s throat for a chokeslam. He lifted him up and Randy Orton reversed into an RKO. It was only a two count though. Orton then signaled that he was going for The Tombstone. Undertaker reversed it into one of his own and that was enough to beat Randy.

The Verdict

The story going into the match was that Orton had a plan to beat The Undertaker and that plan seemed to work very well. He reversed several of Undertaker’s key attacks, Snake Eyes twice, Last Ride twice, chokeslam once. He had Undertaker scouted at seemingly every turn, but one thing he didn’t scout, do not attempt a Tombstone on The Undertaker. More people needed this lesson in coming years but still. He probably could have won if he went for an RKO instead of the tombstone.

I was sure going in that The Undertaker was going to lose here. Orton did a segment where he debuted a new T-Shirt bragging about how he beat The Undertaker. I thought this would be it. Towards the end of the match, the crowd started to pick up remarkably. The closest Orton came would be the Bob Orton running in/The chokeslam reversal. I think The Undertaker’s victory came very impromptu.

The Undertaker vs. Kane

 

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

This match came to be in November 2003 when Kane buried The Undertaker alive. This apparently was enough for The Undertaker to say “To hell with this biker shit, I’mma be a magic zombie again”. He proceeded to do a bunch of magical zombie shit to set this match up. The Undertaker had not appeared on TV since his burial, so this whole match was promoted with Kane’s reactions to magical zombie shit.

The Undertaker was accompanied to the ring by a returning Paul Bearer and druids with torches. Paul Bearer is very fat here. I own this match on DVD.

The Bell

As the bell rang, Kane proclaimed “You aren’t real”. The look on Kane’s face made this better. He reached out and touched The Undertaker as if he were a mannequin, as soon as he did this, Taker pounced with repeated punches. He then turned and looked at the referee, the referee bolted. Kane escaped the ring too, when Undertaker followed, Kane took the advantage with strikes but Undertaker gained the advantage again and hit the running guillotine legdrop. Undertaker used high impact clotheslines and tried to hit a Last Ride powerbomb but Kane backdropped out of it and began hammering with punches and chokes. Kane hits an enormous sidewalk slam and a flying clothesline from the top rope. After a few minutes of Kane punches, Undertaker was able to drop Kane with a boot and a big leg drop. He tried Old School but Kane caught him in chokeslam position, Undertaker retaliated and grabbed his own chokehold. Kane was able to get the better of the battle and hit one of his own. As Kane taunted Paul Bearer, Undertaker sat up. Undertaker followed up with classic offense. Running clothesline, chokeslam. Tombstone. End.

The Verdict

Even going in, there was little doubt as to who was going to win this. Usually people who return from time away, like The Undertaker did here, win. Although, this was subverted in 2010 when The Undertaker returned from an injury caused by another Kane “attack”, he lost to Kane 3 straight times. Kane didn’t get a lot of offense and nor should he have I believe. This match at the time was more about the return of the old school deadman Undertaker than anything else

The Undertaker vs. Big Show and A-Train

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

Courtesy of @WyzaNow on twitter

The Undertaker took a leave from wrestling after the Big Show threw him off the stage, sparking a feud. The Undertaker returned at the Royal Rumble in 2003. He immediately continued his feud with Big Show and defeated him by submission at No Way Out with a triangle choke. A-Train entered the storyline by attempting to attack The Undertaker after the match, but Nathan Jones came to his aid. The storyline resumed as The Undertaker began to train Jones to wrestle, and the two were scheduled to fight Big Show and A-Train in a tag team match at WrestleMania XIX. Jones, however, was removed prior to the match, making it a handicap match.

This would be the largest challenge in the Undertaker’s streak as The Big Show and A-Train weight 850 pounds combined. This is the only Undertaker streak match in which he had multiple opponents.

The Bell

As A-Train spat on The Undertaker’s bike, The Big Show attempted to jump Undertaker from behind. He missed the attack. Undertaker hit a quick chokeslam on A-Train and almost got a two count. Big Show broke that up. When the match finally began the way it should have (one of Big Show or A-Train out of the ring). The match was very quick paced with Undertaker even throwing in a leapfrog. Big Show distracted Undertaker from the outside and it allowed A-Train to hit his chokebomb finisher on The Undertaker. A-Train didn’t go for a pin though, Big Show pulled Undertaker out of the ring and threw him into the post. Big Show tagged in and tried for a chokeslam, Undertaker reversed to a fujiwara armbar, then he fought off A-Train with a cross armbreaker. This submission based offense ended when Big Show dropped a leg on The Undertaker. A-Train and Big Show began working on Undertaker’s ribs with abdominal stretches. Undertaker fights back with punches and a ddt. But he can’t take advantage of this with a pin because Big Show breaks it up. Undertaker gets both men trapped in the corner and splashes on them repeatedly. He does a good job of downing them but after a clothesline to Big Show, Undertaker gets downed by a bicycle kick. A chokeslam by The Big Show follows. Nathan Jones, the Undertaker’s original partner for this match, comes down to the ring and takes out the Big Show with a spin kick, then A-Train with a big boot. Undertaker follows up with a tombstone on A-Train and gets the three count.

The Verdict

It is a little asinine that Undertaker almost competed in a tag team match at WrestleMania, especially with Nathan Jones as his partner. This would be Jones’ only claim to fame. Almost teaming with The Undertaker. The match was pretty good though. I enjoyed the teamwork of A-Train and The Big Show, as well as The Undertaker using some new offense (the armbars and the leapfrog). It appeared that the numbers game would be too much for him at times, so the win isn’t that impressive, considering he needed to rely on interference to win. I suppose the match would have been better just a straight one on one match with A-Train (or Big Show).

The Undertaker vs. Ric Flair

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

This match took place on March 17^th 2002. Wrestlemania 18

Once again, courtesy of @WyzaNow on twitter : The feud started over The Undertaker's ambush on The Rock during the build up to No Way Out, with Undertaker giving The Rock a Chokeslam and a Tombstone Piledriver onto a car. Shortly afterwards, Ric Flair openly detested The Undertaker's actions. At the No Way Out event, Flair interfered with Undertaker's match against The Rock, finally hitting Undertaker with a lead pipe to aid The Rock in victory. Far from pleased over this result, The Undertaker challenged Flair to a match at WrestleMania. Flair refused, stating that he is an owner and no longer a wrestler. However, Undertaker tried to convince Flair by attacking select members of Flair's friends and family.

The Bell

This match would be held under No Hold Barred rules. Ric Flair rushed to the ring and began to whip Undertaker’s ass. Undertaker responded by running. He was a cowardly Goliath against a courageous/ancient David. Flair got caught when he followed Undertaker outside (he actually dove off the apron at him) and driven spine first into the steel ring post. Commentator Jim Ross points out that Ric Flair broke his back 27 years earlier in a plane crash. Undertaker used a great deal of strikes to beat on Flair and then kicked him off of the ring apron to the outside. Undertaker then audibly declared “Now we go to school”. More punches from The Undertaker leads to Ric Flair bleeding (which actually isn’t an accomplishment, Flair bleeds at a slight breeze, I am surprised it took this long). Ric Flair at this point by the way, was 53 years old. Back in the ring more brawling, Ric Flair got in a few chops to break it up but for the most part the match consisted of Undertaker using clotheslines and punches. He occasionally threw in a headbutt for good measure. A top rope superplex followed, which considering the height of The Undertaker and the horrible shape of Ric Flair’s back is DAMN impressive. Undertaker goes for the pin but breaks it up at two, to continue more beatings. Undertaker tried an Old School but Ric Flair jerked Undertaker off the top rope. Flair’s offense couldn’t continue as he was cut off with a sidewalk slam. Undertaker missed a big boot and crotched himself on the top rope. Ric Flair took advantage of this with chops and punches. He then grabbed a lead pipe from The Undertaker’s motorcycle and began to work over The Undertaker with it.

Back in the ring, Flair had Undertaker on his knees, but Take was able to grab him by the throat. Flair escaped this by kicking The Undertaker in the genitals, he then locked in the Figure 4 Leglock. It was directly in the center of the ring. Ric Flair had beaten people with this hold for decades. Undertaker, using his height, grabbed Flair by the throat to break up the hold. He hits a chokeslam for two. Undertaker, then, much like at WrestleMania 17, takes his aggressions out on the referee. He exits the ring and grabs the lead pipe, Flair cuts him off before it could be used too much. Arn Anderson (who Undertaker attacked to attempt to convince Flair to have this match) runs in and hits a spinebuster on Undertaker for a dramatic two count near fall by Flair. Undertaker then bust Arn Anderson open. Undertaker puts Andreson in a dragon sleeperhold. Ric Flair busts this up with numerous chair shots. Undertaker cuts off the chair related offense with a big boot and then an ugly looking Last Ride attempt. After he can’t get Flair up, he switches to a tombstone and gets the 3 count.

The Verdict

I enjoyed the match. It would have made sense for Ric Flair to win here. He had all of the odds against him, he had the crowd on his side. Had the streak not been a thing, it would be a downright shame that Flair didn’t win. Undertaker looked like a prick, acted like a prick during the match but in the end still came out on top.