2. Streak vs. Career: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 26)
In 2009, at WrestleMania XXV, Shawn Michaels became the latest Superstar to challenge-and lose-to Undertaker at WrestleMania. Critics and fans hailed the match as a five-star instant classic. Chris Jericho, in the 2011 WWE Home Video release titled "The Story of WrestleMania," professed that it was the best match in wrestling history, quite a statement coming from one of the most respected and celebrated in-ring performers of this generation. With so much buzz accompanying the match, a second was ordered. The story featured a Michaels obsessed with proving that he could beat the Dead Man. After having his request for a rematch denied repeatedly, he resorted to desperate measures, costing Undertaker the World Heavyweight Championship and guaranteeing that the Phenom would be out to avenge the injustice. Phoenix and SunLife Stadium was the setting for the hotly anticipated rematch between HBK and the Dead Man. With Undertaker's streak on the line, it was only fair that Michaels put something of value on the line. That something would be his career and suddenly, the rematch of the decade became that much more intriguing. The drama was enhanced exponentially as fans wondered which Superstar would suffer the ultimate defeat. They got their answer when a defiant-yet-defeated Michaels suffered one last Tombstone piledriver and had his shoulders pinned to the mat for the final time. It was an epic conclusion to an iconic career and the perfect opponent for Michaels to go out against.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
