10 Most Anticipated Wrestling Rematches Ever

Shawn Michaels has wrestled The Undertaker countless times throughout his long career, but their rivalry was never hotter than the year between WrestleMania XXV & XXVI. At XXV, the duo engaged in a gritty game of oneupmanship that brought countless finisher counters and reversals, before ‘Taker picked-up the win following a second Tombstone Piledriver, and it crushed Michaels.

HBK was so upset with the loss that he was willing to put his career on the line in a rematch, while behind the scenes, WWE were obviously keen to build on the first match’s critical acclaim and incredible fan response. Booking a WrestleMania XXVI rematch seemed like money in the bank, and so it transpired.

It remains one of the best-built matches in recent memory. Concentrating on Michaels’ insecurities, shortcomings, and personal demons, HBK was portrayed as a near-broken man who couldn’t live with memory of losing to ‘Taker. It drove him to a point where he deliberately cost Undertaker his World Title, and that was The Deadman’s breaking point: he agreed to the rematch, and yes, Michaels would retire if he lost.

The story was flawless, the buzz was incredible, and the crowd was white hot. The match? Almost perfect. In one of the most dramatic matches you’ll ever see, The Undertaker ended Michaels’ storied WWE career with a Tombstone Piledriver, leaving a devastated HBK broken, beating, and sobbing in the middle of the ring.