10 Matches WWE Could HONESTLY Call ‘The Greatest Ever’

5. The Undertaker Vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 25)

Johnny Gargano Andrade Almas TakeOver Philadelphia
WWE.com

The Undertaker's robust professionalism in the face of his inherently silly gimmick in an inherently silly industry was a crucial reason why he lasted long enough to sully his legacy when it seemed for so long like he'd go out at the very top of his game.

A late bloomer as an in-ring performer after a decade of decadence dining on duds, The Undertaker elected to tighten his grip on superstardom by evolving into a supreme being with submission holds, rather than just super-powers. It was this Undertaker that thrilled audiences at the end of the 2007 Royal Rumble, start of the 2008 one, and in era-defining fashion at WrestleMania 25.

Of course, he wasn't alone in those endeavours, and had possibly the best partner to aid the displays. The unexpected Rumble dalliances with former rival Shawn Michaels had birthed new life into an old feud, and their epic WrestleMania 25 effort completely re-imagined an original masterpiece from a decade prior.

Once a frightened rabbit in the fearsome face of 'The Deadman', The 'Heartbreak Kid' was all man against him in their advancing years. Chasing a count-out win just for the win, Michaels exhibited some vintage desperation after Undertaker whiffed on a dive but other than that, it was Undertaker himself that almost lost all hope when Shawn somehow lifted a shoulder from the Tombstone. Ultimately, 'HBK's guts garnered no glory as a Undertaker caught him off a moonsault with another one to end the type of match an entire new generation of wrestling fans had yet to experience.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett