9 Times The Undertaker Helped Make WWE Superstars (And The One That Got Away)

10. Batista

The Undertaker and The Animal were a heavy feature at the top of the card on SmackDown during the close of the 2000s. Their incredible series of matches actually began at WrestleMania, so often a feud-closing event, when Batista showed the world he was truly ready to step up to behemoth level despite coming out of 'Mania 23 as one more notch in the streak.

Two big men sharing a ring often provide underwhelming results; that wasn't the case with this pair. That first encounter continued Undertaker's winning streak, but it also began a new run: show-stealing encounters on The Grandest Stage Of Them All. By the time Batista overcame 'Taker - six months after their 'Mania classic - the cheers were undeniable.

Even though it took until October 2007 for The Animal to get that first win over 'Taker, the wars they had and the journey Batista went through to put down The Deadman gave him made man status in WWE. A reoccurring theme on this list is how Undertaker balances keeping himself strong with regular victories with shaping the profile of those coming up behind him.