10 Times The Undertaker Genuinely Defied Expectations In WWE

Vince McMahon called him the 'most phenomenal athlete to ever set foot in the squared circle'. Jim Ross referred to him as 'the greatest Phenom in the history of sports entertainment'. And so many of us simply think of him as the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots in WWE.

The Undertaker's legacy - and his knack for world-class performances - has been well-documented throughout his impeccable career, as 'The Demon of Death Valley' was no stranger to delivering in big-time situations. Though always a reliable performer, he had a tendency to push himself even harder when the lights were that little bit brighter, gifting the company with some of the greatest matches in its history.

When your reputation precedes you in the way that 'Taker's does, it can be easy for us fans to get a little, well, complacent - allowing ourselves to get used to his high quality performances so that it has something of a lesser effect on us. And yet, there were some occasions when 'The Deadman' would knock it out of the park in the most unlikely of situations, overcoming the odds and defying his many critics.

Whether he was proving that he could hang with youngsters, that he was capable of excelling in an alien environment or just protecting his yard, let's take a look at some of the times 'Taker's excellence genuinely caught us off-guard.

Look, there's no easy way of saying this, but The Undertaker's match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33 was not good. You know it, I know it and now we know that even he knows it.

'Taker's hip was bothering him a great deal, he'd gained a little extra weight in his time off and his reaction time was much slower than usual, so when the travesty of a match came to an end, we were all happy to accept his retirement ceremony in spite of how emotional it was... except, y'know, it wasn't his retirement ceremony after all.

His return the following year in a match against John Cena may have been a disappointing squash, but that wasn't the important story of WrestleMania 34. No, the real story was 'Taker's impressive performance - especially when you factor in his condition the previous year.

Looking much taller and leaner than he had in years, 'The Phenom' was in incredible shape and he moved around that ring with agility that none of us knew he still had. Reinvigorated from his successful hip surgery, he made quick work of John Cena - and looked amazing while doing it.

There was still life in The Deadman, after all.